At the end of Easter Sunday Mass at St Joseph’s Parish, Kingswood, Parish Priest Fr Andrew Fornal OP had a major announcement for his congregation.
“Christ is risen, Alleluia!” he exclaimed to applause.
Such was the joy experienced at St Joseph’s and by hundreds of thousands of other Catholics across Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains in celebrating the resurrection of Christ on Sunday, 31 March.
Parishioners are seen during Mass on Easter Sunday at St Joseph’s Parish, Kingswood on Sunday 31 March 2024. Image: Diocese of Parramatta
During his homily, Fr Andrew explained that through Christ’s Resurrection, we are invited to experience His presence, grace and love which He shared with us.
“This day signifies everything to us. It is the day that the Lord shares with us, the day which He gives to us to experience our own personal resurrection,” he said.
“We are reminded today that we are buried with Christ in our baptism, which is why at the beginning of Mass, we are sprinkled with holy water as a sign of our baptism. We are buried with Him in order to rise with Him from the tomb of our sins, our dirtiness, our selfishness.
Parish Priest Fr Andrew Fornal OP sprinkles holy water on parishioners during Mass on Easter Sunday at St Joseph’s Parish, Kingswood on Sunday 31 March 2024. Image: Diocese of Parramatta
“Today, on Easter Sunday, the Lord says to us, ‘don’t give up’. We can never give up on Him because He gives us strength by defeating Satan and defeating death.
“The Lord says do not give up when people mock you for your faith, when people seek to destroy for who you are, when you fall, when you are at your worst – come to me because I love you and I am ready for you, let me help you and restore you to life.”
Fr Andrew added that when Christ appeared to the disciples after His Resurrection, He charged them, and charges us as His followers, to preach the joy and truth of the Resurrection.
Parish Priest Fr Andrew Fornal OP delivers the homily during Mass on Easter Sunday at St Joseph’s Parish, Kingswood on Sunday 31 March 2024. Image: Diocese of Parramatta
“We experience Christ’s resurrection and are filled with His grace and love to go out into the world and announce that ‘He is truly risen’, that death is defeated, that sin is defeated and removed through the grace of the resurrection,” he said.
“He died that we may have life. He died that we may be free. He died because He loved us and He invites us to experience and live this love in our everyday life.
“We are called to give God time to work in our hearts. If there is any burden in your heart, He is ready and willing to restore your life through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and ready to say, ‘I love you’.
“Have time and find time for prayer. Our lives are hidden with God, so let us give God time to work and let us put His teachings and His Gospel as guiding principles for the decisions we make in our lives.”
Following Mass, the joy of the resurrection spread to a community morning tea, with Fr Andrew handing out Easter eggs to children and families.
Parish Priest Fr Andrew Fornal OP hands out Easter Eggs following Mass on Easter Sunday at St Joseph’s Parish, Kingswood on Sunday 31 March 2024. Image: Diocese of Parramatta
Across the Diocese, Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta, led the Easter celebrations at the 11am Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta.
In his homily, Bishop Vincent said that Easter summons us to a new future against a background of entrenched hopelessness.
“Easter gives us the meaning, strength and power to transform the world in which we live,” he said.
“Easter provides us with the horizons of hope within which we strive for the full realisation of the reign of God.
“The God who raised Jesus from the dead leads us beyond our limited horizons to a new future of life to the full. This life to the full is not static or a closed system, but ever-expanding and evolving.
“To be Easter people means to do the work of Easter – to confront and work against systemic and structural injustices. It means to speak out on behalf of the suffering and the voiceless.
“Let us embrace this Easter as a challenge to seek the cosmic Christ anew. We seek Him inside our churches through our rituals and sacraments, but we also seek Him beyond the known boundaries of our worldview and the safe moorings of the past.
“Let us have the courage of the disciples in venturing to the new frontiers of solidarity, creating social bonds and fostering common purpose thus becoming ourselves the leaven of the Gospel.
“Let us be truly Easter men and women, bringing to life the Good News in our Church and our world.”
View images from the Easter Sunday celebrations at St Joseph’s Parish, Kingswood, here or below:
