Welcome

ST MICHAEL’S PILGRIMAGE: A report back to parishioners on the recent St Michael’s pilgrimage to the Holy Land will take place in the church at 7pm on Wednesday 29th May. All are welcome.

GENESIS TOTS: AS FROM NEXT WEEK GENESIS TOTS WILL MEET ON WEDNESDAYS FROM 14:30 TO 16:00pm.
Please note the change in day, from a Thursday to a Wednesday. Everybody is welcome.
Please join us on Wednesday 22 May for a presentation by Dr. Jo Schlesinger on "The hats we wear". The presentation will be from about 14:30, with some time for questions afterwards.
 Jo, a mother of four boys, works from home as a family physician. Her husband is a pastor. Jo has a special interest in the holistic well-being of families.
Please RSVP for catering purposes by 20 May, to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Genesis Tots groups meet in the Kelly Room (in the Parish Centre) on Tuesday mornings from 9 till 11, and on Wednesday afternoons from 2.30 to 4. Click on the "Enrichment" tag above, wait for the text to appear, and then scroll down (far down!) to see the details planned for each week from April to June. If you are a parent or grandparent of a little one and would like to be involved, please contact Kim or Wendy at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it - or Kim at 083 576 5191 and This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or Wendy at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and 084 612 5486. from 2 to 4.

GENESIS JUNIORS: Sunday 12th is Mother's Day. This week, do something each day to show Mum that you love her. It might be making her a cup of tea (or helping Dad, if you're too little to do this alone), tidying away toys without being asked, always remembering to say a special thank you for your supper. And remember to say thank you to Jesus for your Mum.

GENESIS JUNIORS PROJECT: Our new Genesis Junior project has begun! If you would like to contribute financially towards this project the bank details are as follows:
Bank: Standard Bank, Rondebosch
Account name: St Michaels Catholic Church
Account No.: 071 494 847
Branch Code: 025 009
Account type: Current account
Please use the reference G/J and your surname.

GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE: Please be mindful of others when you place flowers near the plaque of your loved one on the Wall of Remembrance. The small vase provided is intended to hold only one or two flowers, not a whole bunch covering up other plaques!

FUND-RAISING CAKE SALE: CWL thanks all those generous parishioners who helped with last Sunday’s cake sale by baking, buying and donating.
Thanks to you we raised R2487.00 which will go a long way to helping needy babies at Nazareth House.

OUR CHURCH ON LINE! 1 million SMSs of Catholic teaching! South Africa has led the world in using cellphones to share teaching from Vatican II and from recent Popes. This week marks the sending of the 1 millionth SMS since the service began. As a special Pentecost promotion the Jesuit Institute is offering a free week if you sign up for the service between 19 and 25 May. Just SMS the word JOY to 31222. After the first week you will be charged R4 per week for the daily SMS service. You can also get the messages free on Twitter @hopejoy50.

MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER: The next Marriage Encounter weekend will take place at Schoenstatt  from 7th to 9th June. Please see the notice in the church porch for more information OR contact Mark or Josie on 073 2330021 or 021 7620061. Application forms are available from the Parish Office.

GENESIS PLUS: The Genesis Plus 'Faith in Practice' group are hosting another FIP on Thurs 30th May at 7pm in the parish hall. Sr Suzanne Duncan will give talk entitled ‘Living a conscious marriage'. The talk and dinner cost R80pp. Please bring your own drinks.
To pay please make an EFT to:
Standard Bank, Rondebosch
Account name: St Michaels Catholic Church
Current Account No.: 071 494 847
Branch Code: 025 009
Ref: PLUSName (e.g. PLUSKimMansonKullin)Please send your proof of payment to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or to Toby on 071 557 6645. You can sign after (Sunday evening) Mass on the next few Sundays, or email Kim Manson-Kullin on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  .

FOSTERING? Have you ever thought of adopting or fostering? If you are interested, do join a group meeting at Nazareth House (1 Derry St, Vredehoek), at 6 p.m. on Wednesday 15 May for an information session. Discussion will be around the pros & cons of foster care and adoption; the similarities & differences between fostering and adopting, and how the screening processes and legal processes work. There will be time for questions. RSVP to Anne or Jackie on 021 4611635 or wlmailhtml: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Archbishop Brislin's Building Fund: Following the presentation at Mass - and as an exception - there will be a Second Collection this weekend to support Archbishop Brislin's Building Fund for 'Year of Faith' new churches to be built in Old Crossroads and at Wallacedene.
If you would prefer to make your own donation, the bank details are:
Standard Bank Branch 020909
Account 070413320
Ref: Your name (or Anon).
Note: the Archbishop's fund is also supporting the extension of St Catherine’s Church in Kleinvlei.

MAY, THE MONTH OF OUR LADY: Archbishop Fulton Sheen in The World’s First Love writes: The key to understanding Mary is this: We do not start with Mary. We start with Christ, the Son of the living God! The less we think of Him, the less we think of her;  the more we think of Him, the more we think of her;  the more we adore His Divinity, the more we venerate her Motherhood; the less we adore His Divinity, the less reason we have for respecting her …. No one … who thinks logically about Christ can understand such a question as:  “Why do you speak so often of His Mother?” … It may be objected: “ Our Lord is enough for me. I have no need of her.”  But He needed her, whether we do so or not. And, what is more important, Our Blessed Lord gave us His Mother as our Mother...

The SOUTHERN CROSS is available each weekend in the church porch at R6 a copy.
THIS WEEK 1. Catholics take over Church Square.  2. New bishop ready for Kokstad.  3. Being Charismatic and Catholic.  4. Pentecost: Let’s be like the first Christians.  5. Explaining the Spanish Inquisition.  THIS WEEK’S EDITORIAL: Making new saints.

YEAR OF FAITH EUCHARISTIC ADORATION: There will be a Year of Faith Eucharist Adoration on 2 June at 17:00 at Corpus Christi, Wynberg.
Archbishop Brislin has appealed to as many people as possible to join in this important occasion, which has been synchronised to take place at the same time as the Pope will be praying for the same intention. See the notice in the porch for more information.

HOUSE FOR RETIRED PARISHIONERS:A group of parishioners from St James Catholic Church are exploring the possibility of establishing a House for Retired Parishioners in conjunction with the Archdiocese. If you are interested, contact Janet Fernandez on 073 631 3210 for more information.

RCIA - RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS: The next RCIA Programme begins on Monday 22 July at 7.30pm in the Kelly Room. If you are interested, please take one of the pink leaflets in the church foyer or contact Gill Greenwood on (021) 686-8251 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Julia Shelley on 021 689 2455 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

250 CLUB: If you're interested in joining this worthwhile fund-raising project, please contact Antoinette on 082-855-5372 or email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

SPRING RACE DAY! It's not even winter, but we're looking forward to our annual Spring Race Day fundraiser. Save the date: Saturday 31st August, and watch this space for more details!

ADORATION CHAPEL: Adorers are needed for the Wednesday morning 8–9 and 9–10 slots. Please contact Renata on 021 685 1297. Also a permanent or temporary adorer is needed for Wednesdays 12–1pm. Please contact Pam on 083 300 0515.

ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY - BLANKETS: It is that time of year when we once again appeal for donations towards the cost of blankets that we purchase for the needy. Your contribution can be handed to one of our members who volunteer in the Church porch each weekend, or put in an envelope marked 'Blankets' and placed in the collection plate.In general, your donations help SVP in their work with the poor and marginalized. At the SVP table in the church porch you can also buy “U-turn” meal vouchers at R30.00 per pack of five vouchers. The SVP recommends giving these to people who might ask you for money (e.g. at traffic lights). For more information on U-turn see http://homeless.org.za/ Your donations of unwanted clothes can be brought to the Church office (please mark them "SVP").

LIBRARY: There is now a box in the parish library where you can return books and DVDs if no one is on duty. The theme for May is 'Catholic Truth', and the Book of the Month for May is Unapologetic by Francis Spufford.All St Michael’s parishioners are encouraged to visit our library. It is open for about half an hour after Sunday morning masses and about half an hour before Saturday and Sunday evening masses. Books may be borrowed for four weeks, and DVDs (one per household) for one week. The library is located in the room at the end of the passage that runs past the Sacristy. There is selection of NEW BOOKS of interest to children and younger parishioners.

PARISH MEETINGS:

AWESTRUCK: With the support of Archbishop Brislin, an invitation is extended to potential investors to consider an investment in faith and a return in revenue. If you are interested, please check out these websites and consider their advertising potential:A: www.awestruckglobal.comB: www.catholicfeast.comC: http://www.romereports.com/palio/new-social-network-aimed-at-catholics-launched-english-8824.htmlD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STyn7ZyyTB8If you would like to attend a social presentation to learn more about growing your business and how you can assist in bringing the Good News to a wider audience, please contact Father Noel Rucastle for more information: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

OLD CHRISTMAS CARDS: Please bring your unwanted used Christmas cards to the Parish Office to be recycled.
BIBLES NEEDED: We have had a request for Bibles for use in Site 5 in Kommetjie. If you can donate one, please bring it to Mass and place it in the box in the porch.

THURSDAY MORNING PRAYER GROUP: Contact Frances Smith 082 875 1880.
The WEDNESDAY PRAYER GROUP meets after the 9.30 am Mass.

CATECHISM: For contact details and other information please see the Catechism page under 'Enrichment' on this website.

HAVING MASS SAID FOR AN INTENTION: Due to the number of requests to have Mass celebrated for a particular intention (repose of the soul of someone who has died, for a special anniversary etc.), we have not always been able to accommodate requests for a particular date. The merit of Christ’s Sacrifice is infinite and need not be limited to one intention, so in future more than one intention will be accepted for a particular date. Any resulting additional stipends will be forwarded to the Archdiocese, earmarked towards the cost of training priests.

ARCHBISHOP EMERITUS LAWRENCE HENRY: Dorothy Paarman is currently writing a biography of Archbishop Henry. If you have any interesting or amusing memories, anecdotes or stories related to Archbishop Henry that you would like to share - particularly if you were confirmed by him - please contact Dorothy on 021 551 1747 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

GENESIS: Genesis is a platform for young people at St Michaels to experience and express their faith. We run various spiritual, learning and service events during the year which are geared to the differing stages of a young person's life. Lifeteen is for teens, Genesis is for young adults (roughly school leaving to late 20s and early 30s) and, Genesis Plus is for those who have outgrown Genesis or moved into a new life stage.
There is no formal membership and there are opportunities to participate on all levels. The events themselves are always open to everyone in the parish so even if you are 20 or 60 and there is a Genesis Plus guest speaker who interests you, please do join the group.
Genesis is there for you to feed your faith, learn about your faith, share your faith and serve the community - and ultimately to grow closer to Christ.
For more details please contact Ryan McCarthy ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ), Tim Harris ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ), Lee Dobes ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Paula Boulle ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).See above for information on Genesis Juniors and Genesis Tots.

ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY
GROCERIES and BLANKETS: Our ladies are on duty in the church porch at all weekend masses to take donations towards groceries and blankets, which are distributed by the Rondebosch SVP volunteers to those in need.
CLOTHING: Please consider donating your old clothes and shoes for men, women and children to the SVP Society. Please bring them to the Parish Office. Thank you.

Donations of Wool for NOAH: NOAH coordinates fourteen Catholic-based Neighbourhood Old Age Homes in Khayelitsha and Woodstock. We are always looking for donations of wool for our elderly who knit various items. Contact Ian Veary or Bea Jordan on 021 447 6334 (and see www.noah.org.za for more information).

The SECOND-HAND ROSE stall, held at the Morning Market on the first Sunday of each month, needs clothes and shoes in good condition for men, women and children. Please bring any donations to the parish office. Proceeds go towards blankets for the poor. This is an excellent way of doing high school Community Service hours!

LUNCH BUDDIES is a programme which provides hungry school children with a nutritious lunch. FoodBank collects sandwiches and fruit from various points (including St Michaels) and distributes them to children at under-resourced schools. About 1200 children are fed every school day through this programme, and for some learners this is their only meal of the day. If you're interested in helping please contact Sarah Brooke at 073-236-5048 or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Sandwiches and fruit are collected from St Michael’s on Tuesday mornings, so these should be delivered to the parish office by 3pm on Mondays or before 9am on Tuesday mornings. Thank you!

CATHOLIC WOMEN'S LEAGUE: The CWL is always happy to receive donations of suitable items for its monthly white elephant stall at the Morning Market. Please contact the parish office 021-686-8708 if you can help.

CHURCH FLOWERS: Parishioners who would like to arrange a vase of flowers for Mass, as a celebration, an anniversary or in memory of someone, please write your name and phone number on the clipboard on the table in the church porch, and the 'flower ladies' will contact you.

CRECHE: We run a crèche for children 0-3 years of age during the Sunday 9 am mass, in the Gill Room in the parish centre. This allows parents a bit of quiet time during the Sunday Service, and it's also a great way for the children to get to know one another at a young age. We work on a rotational roster system of parents. If you're interested then bring your little one/s along to the Gill Room, or email Sean Keyser on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (this address is protected from spambots; you need JavaScript enabled to view it) or phone 082 306 0345.

FELLOW PAGES/ YELLOW PAGES: We have installed a business directory for parishioners on this website. It consists of in-line listings and is available, free, to St Michael’s parishioners only. Log on and get your business registered! If your business category is not on our list, please email the name of the category to Paula Howse This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or to Biddy Greene This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and they will load it for you. Please note that you must be on the parishioners' roll to make use of this facility. (To join the parish, please contact the parish office: 021 686 8708.)

BUSINESS LEADERS: Download "Vocation of the Business Leader: A Reflection" from http://www.stthomas.edu/cathstudies/cst/VocationBusinessLead/.

POPE FRANCIS ON THE YEAR OF FAITH: At the website http://saltandlighttv.org/blog/faith-education/the-year-of-faith-a-letter-from-cardinal-bergoglio you can find the pastoral letter from (then) Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio of Beunos Aires for the start of Pope Benedict's 'Year of Faith' in October last year.

LAST WORD from the Justice & Peace group: Reconciliation should be accompanied by justice, otherwise it will not last. While we all hope for peace it shouldn't be peace at any cost, but peace based on principle, on justice – Corazon Aquino, president of the Philippines 1986–92.

PRAYER TO ST MICHAEL
Saint Michael the Archangel,
Defend us in battle;
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray.
And do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
By the power of God, thrust into hell
Satan and all evil spirits
Who wander through the world
For the ruin of souls. AMEN.