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Fr Bernard Dennehy, parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes

Parish, Glen Eden, Waitakere City, celebrated his 70th

birthday

with parishioners, including members of TawagAwit, on August

29, 2010. Nearly a hundred well-wishers shared food as well as

contributed entertainment numbers to the delight of the celebrant.

The program began with an opening prayer led by Fr Reno Alima, assistant

parish priest. The full-packed social hall had tables set with an array of food

and delicacies reflective of the multi-ethnic composition of the well-wishers.

After the meal, volunteers rearranged the tables to the sides to provide the

stage for the performers. The youth group rendered two numbers – the boys

performed a haka, while the girls danced to a Bollywood tune. Two elderly

members of the audience swung to a rock n’ roll number out the 50s, that

brought Fr Bernard to demonstrate his boogie-woogie moves. The final

number had Fr Reno joined by Bro Mel B Libre of TawagAwit, singing Cat

Steven’s “Father and Son” followed by everyone joining in a song dedicated

to Fr Bernard, “You’ve Got a Friend”.

Two birthday cakes –one with several candles (but not 70) – were presented

to Fr Bernard, as the hall echoed voices of people singing of “Happy

Birthday”. The 70-year old minister of God made his wish, and blew the

candles. Fr Bernard thanked everyone who shared their time and gave extra

effort to celebrate a milestone in his life.

Fr Bernard is a Diocesan priest, who ordained by Bishop Liston in 1964. He

previous served as parish priest in Panguru, Dargaville, Otara, Ponsonby

and Owairaka. His priestly ministry has taken him to Peru where he served

for eight years with the Columban Fathers. A keen student, Fr. Dennnehy has

studied his Master of Theology and is also a Master of Arts in Maori Studies.

Languages are his forté, being fluent in Spanish and Maori.

In his younger days, Fr Bernard played golf and squash and used to be an

intrepid sailor. A true Kiwi, he is an ardent supporter of the All Blacks.

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1-19 Danube Lane, Glen Eden, Waitakere City

Auckland, New Zealand

P 09 813 1616

F 09 813 1616

www.tawagawit.host56.com

We Need You TawagAwit invites you to help in

spreading God’s Word through music

and other acts of love.

You can be a: (1) member; (2) supporter

or (3) organizer A member is one who can attend to the

regular activities of the Ministry. The

minimum participation are: attendance during

practice sessions of songs, usually once a

week or once every two weeks AND singing

with the group during the assigned mass

usually once a month or once every two months.

A supporter is one who can donate services or

resources to the Ministry. There are special events that TawagAwit organizes and the

events need finances or helping hands.

An organizer is one who initiates the formation of a chapter in a parish. The

Ministry will provide all the assistance within

its means to help in the vital task.

NNEEWW NNOOTTEESS TawagAwit Newsletter

September 2010

Quick Notes: Bro Peter Gayaman, coordinator of TawagAwit-St

Thomas More chapter, attended the August meeting of the Music

Ministry of St Thomas More called by music coordinators Margaret Russell and Paula Brannigan. The activity was aimed at giving the different music groups relevant information to make the liturgical music offerings more meaningful. Discussions included technical aspects as well as the permission to sing original music, as raised by youth participants. Fr Francis Benedict, parish priest, enlightened the participants on the changes in the mass to be implemented later this year…TawagAwit is supporting the Mayors’ Forum to be held on September 5, 2010 at the Fr David Nolan Auditorium, St Joseph’s Parish, Takapuna, North Shore City. Organized by the Tahanang Pilipino Aotearoa Trust, the forum will have Auckland City Mayor John Banks, Manukau City Mayor Len Brown and North Shore City Mayor Andrew Williams, all seeking the mayorship of the Auckland Super City, speak about their plans for the different ethnic communities should they be elected. TawagAwit Youth (TaYo) members featuring Sis Kimberly Guido as vocalist will sing during the event….TawagAwit-St Thomas More chapter continues to lead in the Alay Laya Parish Reach Out program by accepting invitations to sing in masses in Maria Assumpta Parish, Beach Haven (August 1) and Good Shepherd Parish, Balmoral (August 29)…TawagAwit-Good Shepherd chapter (South Auckland) offered its songs during the mass at Good Shepherd Parish on August 1, 2010 at 11:15am. The growing chapter was joined by new recruit, Bro Richard Tabar, an accomplished guitarist and grand-prize winner in the Bisdak Orig Songwriting

Competition in Cebu… As part of its effort to recruit members other

than Filipinos from the parish to join TawagAwit-St Mary’s chapter,

Bro Cyril Bas announced that the group will be known in the parish as

Salve Regina Choir…Sow & Harvest, the annual spring backyard

gardening project of TawagAwit, starts on September 1, 2010.

Members are encouraged to plant vegetables to be shared to family

and friends…Bro Mel B Libre’s Songwriting Workship will be held on

October 17. The five-hour session will conclude with the interpretation

of the new songs composed during the Spirit-filled activity.

Registration for the 30 slots is now accepted

http://issuu.com/home

Our Vision:

Harmony in the World

Our Mission:

To spread God’s Word through

music and other acts of love.

Our Values:

Godliness

We believe in God and live His

Word.

Offering

We share our talents, time and

resources for God’s greater glory.

Devotion

We commit ourselves to the

mission of the Ministry.

Love

We love God with all of our heart

will all our soul, with all our

minds and with all our strength.

Originality

We promote artistry and creativity

to express our faith.

Victory over Sin

We fight Satan in each and every

moment of our lives.

Evangelization

We bring the Light of God to

those who are in the dark.

Sustainability

We contribute and manage our

resources effectively.

Unity

We are one with the Lord, one

with the Church, one with the

community, and one with the

Ministry.

For more information about

TawagAwit, please contact Bro Mel

Libre sl at tawagawit@gmail.com

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Fr Reno Alima and Bro Mel Libre sing “Father and Son”

during Fr Bernard’s birthday celebration

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Vatican Notes: Pope’s Intentions for September 2010. General Intention: For all teachers, that they may convey love in truth and educate in

authentic moral and spiritual values. Missionary Intention: That the Christian

communities spread throughout the Asian continent may proclaim the Gospel

with fervor, bearing witness to beauty with the joy of the faith…People today

have a duty to leave the earth in a state in which future generations "can live

in dignity and safeguard it further," said Pope Benedict XVI.

Expressing his support for the Sept. 1 Day for Safeguarding Creation, the pope

told people gathered in the courtyard of his summer residence at Castel

Gandolfo Aug. 29, "There can be no peace in the world without respecting the

environment." The Day for Safeguarding Creation is celebrated by the Catholic

Church in Italy and the Greek Orthodox Church, which also makes the occasion

"important on an ecumenical level," the pope said(CNS)… Blessed Teresa of

Calcutta (see photo below) is "an exemplary model of Christian virtue" who

showed the world that an authentic love for others opens the door to knowing

and being with God, Pope Benedict XVI said. Marking the 100th anniversary

of her birth, the pope sent a message to Sister Mary Prema, the superior general

of the Missionaries of Charity, the congregation Mother Teresa founded in

1950. The Vatican released the message Aug. 26 after it was read in Calcutta,

India, at the end of a special Mass commemorating the 100th anniversary of

Mother Teresa's birth. In his message, Pope Benedict said celebrating Mother

Teresa's birth centenary "will be for the church and the world an occasion of

joyful gratitude to God for the inestimable gift that Mother Teresa was in her

lifetime, and continues to be through the affectionate and tireless work of you,

her spiritual children." The pope said Mother Teresa was a living example of

St. John's words: "Beloved, if God so loved us, we must also love one another.

No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and

his love is brought to perfection." (CNS)…The Virgin Mary is the "perfect

example" of how God honors the humble, and humbles the proud. The Pope

said on August 22 before praying the midday Angelus with the faithful gathered

at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. "The simple little girl of

Nazareth has become the Queen of the world," the Holy Father stated. "This is

one of the marvels that reveal the heart of God." "Naturally," he explained,

"Mary's royalty is completely dependent on Christ's: He is the Lord, who, after

the humiliation of death on the cross, the Father exalted above every creature in

heaven, on earth and under the earth. "Through a design of grace, the

Immaculate Mother was completely bound to the mystery of the Son: to his

Incarnation; to his earthly life, at first hidden in Nazareth and then manifested

in the messianic mystery; to his passion and death; and finally to the

resurrection and ascension in heaven." (zenit.org)…A martyr is free before

worldly power, a free person who in one definitive act gives his whole life to

God, says Benedict XVI. The Pope offered this explanation Aug. 11, before a

general audience, held in Castel Gandolfo. During the audience, the Holy

Father reflected on the grace of martyrdom. He said that martyrdom is based on

Christ's own sacrifice on the cross. "A martyr follows the Lord to the end, freely

accepting to die for the salvation of the world, in a supreme test of faith and

love," the pontiff reflected. The strength to give one's life comes from

"profound and intimate union with Christ," Benedict XVI clarified, "because

martyrdom and the vocation to martyrdom are not the result of human effort,

but the response to an initiative and a call from God, they are a gift of his grace,

which makes one capable of offering one's life for love of Christ and of the

Church, and thus of the world." (zenit.org)

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So Laff :-) Shouting is delightful, if meant to praise.

Next Events:

Sep 12 10:30am St Mary’s Parish, Northcote

Sep 19 10:00am St Thomas More Parish, Glenfield

Sep 19 10:30am Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Glen Eden

Invitation:

+TawagAwit invites everyone to join the ministry:

(1) The St Mary’s Church, Northcote meets every Sunday

11:30am at St Mary’s Church at Onewa Road

(2) St Thomas More Church, Glenfield meets every other Friday

7:30pm at St Thomas More Church in Glenfield

(3) Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Glen Eden meets every other

Sunday afternoon

(4) Good Shepherd Parish, Balmoral (South Auckland) chapter

meets every other Saturday

+Should you be in another area in New Zealand or other parts of

the world, TawagAwit will help organize a chapter.

Photo at right: TawagAwit-St Mary’s Northcote Chapter

renders a song during the Food & Music FEAST 2010

NNEEWW NNOOTTEESS

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email: tawagawit@gmail.com

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