Jubilee celebrations in Mt Wellington

by PETER GRACE
AUCKLAND — A week of novenas and Masses prepared the way for jubilee celebrations at St Bernadette’s parish in Mt Wellington last month.
Long time parishioner Taua Frank Ene told NZ Catholic that preparations began a week before the jubilee Mass.
“We had a whole week of novenas and Masses, starting from the Sunday before,” he said. “We had a novena at 6.30 and Mass, every day.”

On Friday June 8, the start of the jubilee weekend, they also had a procession in the evening with a statue of Our Lady and another of St Bernadette around the church.
“On the Saturday there was a parish social night and then the Mass on Sunday, followed by lunch,” Mr Ene said. Mass was celebrated by the Bishop of Auckland, Bishop Patrick Dunn.
The church was packed for the Mass, Mr Ene said, with a marquee outside and people also following Mass on TV screens.