The whole Trinity Faith community gathered once again in the Senior Quadrangle on Wednesday morning to join together to mark Ash Wednesday – the beginning of Lent 2005.

View Images »

During the Liturgy Mr Phil Jurjevich spoke of Archbishop Oscar Romero and the wonderful example he left us of selflessness and sacrifice. This year we commemorate the 25th anniversary of Oscar Romero’s death – he was assassinated by the military in San Salvador while celebrating Mass because he had become such an irritant to the ruling class.

Mr Jurjevich made the point that like most of us from Trinity, Oscar Romero came from the comfortable middle class, and he could have easily gone on through life like that. But he didn’t! He stood up for the poor! He challenged the status quo and he became passionate about justice for the poor. Mr Jurjevich said that there were boys in his commerce classes who felt similarly about the pointlessness of working their whole lives to make big profits for the multinationals. He said that these boys, too, questioned what life was all about. Mr Jurjevich challenged us to think about the gifts we had been given and how we might use them for others, particularly the powerless and those on the margins of our society.

During our Liturgy, the Special Ministers distributed ashes to remind us of our need for penance and sacrifice. We were all encouraged to donate a gold coin for the “Hands of Hope” appeal for the victims of the dreadful Tsunami.

Mrs Marya Stewart launched Project Compassion and representatives from each Pastoral Care Group received a large Project Compassion box from the Indian Pilgrims. Mrs Stewart told us that we would each receive our own smaller box and she asked us to make contributions during Lent, not from left over change, but to make little acts of personal sacrifice – to give of our essence, not from our excess!

Father Michael asked us to make time for personal prayer in our day, each day, as we prepare for the great Christian Feast of Easter – the Death and Resurrection of Our Lord.