A Year of Prayer

A Year of Prayer

A year ago at the Mass of Chrism, Bishop Fabbro announced that beginning on Pentecost Sunday, 9 June 2019, and lasting until the next Pentecost Sunday, 31 May 2020, we would observe a special Year of Prayer for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on our diocese as we seek to be “a mission-oriented Church that forms disciples of Jesus”. 
On the day of Pentecost, the disciples were all together “in one place”. We cannot be together physically during the pandemic, but we can be united spiritually during these days which are meant to be an intense preparation for the Great Feast of Pentecost. 

Bishop Fabbro is asking that we mark these days, which will bring to a conclusion our Year of Prayer, by a novena to the Holy Spirit. The novena will begin on Friday, 22 May, and continue until Saturday, 30 May, the Vigil of Pentecost. His hope is that all the faithful of our diocese, all our parishes and our families will unite in prayer each day of the novena, and that all of us will include in the different prayers we use, a daily recitation of the common prayer for the Year of Prayer (below).


Link to the Bishop's letter
A Letter from Bishop Fabbro

Year of Prayer

Send forth your Spirit, O Lord,

and fill the hearts of your people

with an ardent desire to follow Jesus,

to be his missionary disciples.

Fill us with joy and a desire to know your word.

May we boldly proclaim the Good News to others;

for when we help others to know that God loves them,

they will know true happiness.

Fill us with a deep desire for the Eucharist.

May we recognize Jesus

in the proclamation of the Scriptures

and in the Breaking of the Bread;

for when we are united with Jesus,

joy is constantly born anew.

Fill us with a true love of neighbour.

May we seek opportunities for reconciliation,

and with big hearts serve those in need;

for in serving them, we know we are serving your Son.

With the help of the Holy Spirit,

may we commit ourselves

to loving you and doing your will.

We make this prayer

through Christ our Lord. 

Amen.