2025 – Year in Review
The Catechism describes the Parish in the following way “…the parish initiates the Christian people into the ordinary expression of the liturgical life: it gathers them together in this celebration; it teaches Christ’s saving doctrine; it practices the charity of the Lord in good works and brotherly love:
You cannot pray at home as at church, where there is a great multitude, where exclamations are cried out to God as from one great heart, and where there is something more: the union of minds, the accord of souls, the bond of charity, the prayers of the priests.” (CCC 2179)
It’s safe to say that over the past 12 months, Holy Cross Parish has truly lived out the mission of parish. As a community, we have embraced the liturgical life of the church through devotional events, enjoyed opportunities of faith formation, and united in acts of charity and come together in many public spaces as a means of showcasing and celebrating our shared Catholic faith. For many, the parish community remained a steadfast anchor amongst the many changes we may have personally experienced throughout the year. As we draw 2025 to a close, let’s take a moment to look back on all that we’ve experienced.
Liturgical Life of the Parish
The liturgy has always been the cornerstone of Holy Cross Parish, and 2025 was no different. Every week this year, day in and out, we remained steadfast in our devotions; each week 15 Masses were offered, Weekly opportunities were made to pray before the Blessed Sacrament and the Holy Rosary as a community, and 3 opportunities for Sacrament of Confession. First Friday Holy Hours continued, and we offered the Latin Mass every month.
Liturgical events such as Tenebrae, the Shrove Tuesday Burial of the Alleluia, Holy Thursday Altars of Repose and the Solemn Carols by Candlelight service continued in fine form. Each of these events were supported by countless volunteers, that we truly appreciate! From the readers, cantors, musicians and altar servers – they all helped make this possible!
Faith Formation
This year, we also welcomed Fire Up Ministries to Holy Cross Granville. The Lenten Mission and Advent Mission provided three days of engaging talks on the Catholic faith, allowing us to connect as a community and individually develop our own faith practices. We are grateful for the time parishioners dedicated to attending these missions, as well as Fire Up Ministries for leading us through these events.
Showcasing and Celebrating our Shared Catholic Faith
At Granville, we’re no strangers to a procession and 2025 was no different! We walked the streets of Granville on the evening of Good Friday with the annual Cross Walk. Again, we took to the streets for a Marian Procession for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The public, peaceful and solemn testament of the Catholic faith took courage – and ample hours of organisation by clergy and volunteers alike. Both processions aligned with the launch of a new range of Holy Cross Apparel, allowing us to publicly wear our faith at both events and beyond. It’s always great to see many wearing their Holy Cross Apparel at weekly Masses!
We also can’t forget the Lights of Christmas Bus Trip! We had over 100 parishioners (our biggest turn out yet!) come along for a bus trip to St. Mary’s Cathedral to enjoy the light show. Young and old enjoyed an evening exploring the beautiful Cathedral, it’s crypt, the light show and various markets. We can’t wait to do it all again in 2026!
This year, we also witnessed change of our own. After 10 years, we farewelled Fr. Andrew Bass and then welcomed Fr. Galbert and Fr. Joseph. We thank Fr. Andrew for the 10 years of dedication he offered to the Holy Cross Granville community. We look forward to the next 12 months, under the care of our new priests. On both occasions, true Granville hospitality was showcased with a beautiful farewell for Fr. Andrew and welcome for Fr. Galbert and Fr. Joseph. We are grateful for all those that helped make these parish gatherings possible.
Acts of Charity and Good Works
As we embrace parish life, it’s hard to forget those that do not have the freedom to practice their Catholic faith as we do. This year, we once again honoured Red Wednesday. We lit Holy Family Church red as a public stance of unity with persecuted Christians around the world, celebrated a Red Wednesday Mass to pray for those persecuted, and welcomed Aid to the Church In Need to a number of Masses over November to help raise awareness of our persecuted brothers and sisters.
We also united to pray for the priests who helped shape Granville over time. We joined at Rookwood Cemetery to bless each of the graves of previous priests of Granville, laying on them wreaths. We then joined in the chapel, offering Mass for the repose of their souls.
Thank You!
2025 would not have been possible without the dedication and support of the many parishioners who volunteer their time to the community both ‘on and behind the scene’. Each of your efforts does not go unnoticed, and is pivotal to the continued growth and strengthening of the community. A particularly special thank you must also be offered to the parents of the many young children that volunteer in the parish. Your dedication to the parish, and encouragement of your children will continue to shape the parish community in years to come. Thank you for making 2025 the year that it was and we look forward to sharing many more great memories with you in 2026!
