Wishing you all a happy and holy Christmas, and a fruitful new year.

 

Dear supporters of the Eucharistic Convention

It is timely for me to update you as to the future of this convention.

After meeting with Bishop Steve some months back it was concluded that a smaller type of event would probably be more effective going forward rather than the large and rather costly events that have graced the convention over what is now twenty nine years, excluding the Covid years where it couldn’t be held.
For my part, I am now heavily involved in the training of Deacons for the Auckland Diocese, in addition to my role as the Catholic Chaplain at North Shore Hospital. I also need to spend time with my family, which is so necessary in this day and age. Given my current workload, I will not be able to dedicate the time required to any other apostolate. This will mean, of course, I will not be involved in any revamp of a Eucharistic Convention style event.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your support over the years that I have been director of the Eucharistic Convention, especially during the covid years when positive planning was impossible. It has truly been a privilege to spearhead this wonderful event.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, though. Over the last few months I have been meeting with your previous convention director, John Porteous, and Bernard Moran, who with his wife Annetta have been heavily involved in “VOICE FOR LIFE” for many years. Some of you may remember the publication NZ TABLET which was discontinued in 1996, Bernard was a journalist for that publication. As concerned grandparents, given the pressure placed on young people in our secular world today, John and Bernard want to bring St Michael the Archangel back into Catholic consciousness. In years past the prayer to St Michael was said after each Mass, perhaps it’s time to re-establish this practice?  One of St Michael’s titles is Guardian of the Blessed Eucharist, and so re-establishing devotion to this magnificent Archangel would seem to be an appropriate activity as a follow-on from these Eucharistic Conventions.

To that end, I have invited John and Bernard to update you on their plans, and if you like what they have on offer you might like to support their new venture as you have supported the convention over many years. Next year it will be thirty years since the first Auckland Eucharistic Convention, which seems to be an appropriate anniversary to launch a similar apostolate configured for the current age.

John and Bernard will send out a notice of their St Michael’s Project early in the new year.

With every Blessing
Deacon Mark Rivalland

18 December, 2023

 

PS: Tomorrow will be the 13th anniversary of the sudden death of our initial spiritual advisor to the Eucharistic Conventions, Monsignor Paul Cronin. Please remember him in your prayers.