Rev Fr George O'Mara Pontifical Requiem Mass for - Corpus Christi Parish, Cranebrook - Diocese of Parramatta

Pontifical Requiem Mass for

Rev Fr George O’Mara
  8TH SEPTEMBER 1954 – 28TH FEBRUARY 2018

          TUESDAY 13TH MARCH 2018
   Corpus Christi Parish, Cranebrook

Principal Celebrant
Most Reverend Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv
               Bishop of Parramatta

                    Concelebrants
           Most Reverend Bede Heather
            Bishop Emeritus of Parramatta
        Priests of the Diocese of Parramatta
                    Deacon
            Reverend Mr Owen Rogers

             Words of Remembrance
         Reverend Father Peter Lamont PP

              Master of Ceremonies
              Mr Christopher Ohlsen
                  First Reading
                  Mr Paul Devlin
                 Second Reading
                  Mrs Pam Kelly

                     Gospel
            Reverend Mr Owen Rogers

                 Universal Prayer
              Sr Maria Marin PBVM
             Offertory Procession
       Mrs Marie Cottee & Mrs Sue Weekes

                   Pall Bearers
  Mr Des Kelly, Mr Michael Kelly, Mr Ian Jackson,
  Mr Adel Ghali, Mr Paul Devlin, Mr Michael Pate

Entrance Hymn:

Firmly I Believe and Truly
Firmly I believe and truly
God is Three, and God is One;
and I next acknowledge duly
manhood taken by the Son.
And I trust and hope most fully
in that Manhood crucified;
and each thought and deed unruly
do to death, as he has died.
Simply to his grace and wholly
light and life and strength belong,
and I love supremely, solely,
him the holy, him the strong.

And I hold in veneration,
for the love of him alone,
holy Church as his creation,
and her teachings are his own.

And I take with joy whatever
now besets me, pain or fear,
and with a strong will I sever
all the ties which bind me here.
Adoration aye be given,
with and through the angelic host,
to the God of earth and heaven,
Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

THE ORDER OF MASS

The Introductory Rites

Bishop:     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
            of the Holy Spirit.

All:        Amen.

Bishop:     The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of
            God and the communion
            of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

All:        And with your spirit.

Sprinkling with Holy Water

Bishop:     In the waters of baptism George died with
            Christ and rose with him to new life. May he
            now share with him eternal glory.

Placing of the pall (Sr Maria Marin & Mrs Pam Kelly)

Bishop:     On the day of baptism, George was clothed in
            Christ.
            By his word and example he lived with
            Christian dignity.

All:        May Christ now enfold him in His love and
            bring him to eternal life.

PLACING OF CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS

Placing of the Book of the Gospel     (Mrs Joan McKenzie)

Bishop:      In life, George cherished, preached and lived
             the Gospel of Christ.

All:         May Christ now greet him with these words
             of eternal life: Come, blessed of my Father!

Placing of the Liturgy of the Hours
(the Divine Office)          (Mrs Bec Hudson)

Bishop:      In life, George was committed to praying the
             daily prayer of the Church; and even on his
             sick bed he prayed the Divine Office and
             sanctified his day with prayer.

All:         May Christ now greet him with these words
             of eternal life: Come, blessed of my Father!

Placing of the stole       (Rev Father Peter Lamont PP)

Bishop:      In life, George wore the stole as a symbol of his
             priesthood which he shared with Christ, the
             High Priest.

All:         May Christ now enfold him in His love and
             bring him to eternal life.

Placing of the Chalice and Paten        (Mr Des Kelly)

Bishop:       The Chalice and Paten were used by George
              from his time of Ordination and at every Mass
              he celebrated with his people.

All:          May Christ now enfold him in His love and
              bring him to eternal life.

Collect

Bishop
Grant, we pray, O Lord,
that the soul of George, your servant and Priest,
whom you honoured with sacred office
while he lived in this world,
may exult for ever in the glorious home of heaven.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

All:   Amen

The Liturgy of the Word

First Reading
A reading from the book of Wisdom             3:1-9
He accepted them as a holocaust.
The souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God,
no torment shall ever touch them.
In the eyes of the unwise, they did appear to die,
their going looked like a disaster,
their leaving us, like annihilation;
but they are in peace.
If they experienced punishment as men see it,
their hope was rich with immortality;
slight was their affliction, great will their blessings be.
God has put them to the test
and proved them worthy to be with him;
he has tested them like gold in a furnace,
and accepted them as a holocaust.
When the time comes for his visitation they will shine out;
as sparks run through the stubble, so will they.
They shall judge nations, rule over peoples,
and the Lord will be their king for ever.
They who trust in him will understand the truth,
those who are faithful will live with him in love;
for grace and mercy await those he has chosen.

The Word of the Lord.

All:     Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm                      (sung)   Ps. 23

The Lord is my Shepherd
The Lord is my Shepherd, and I want to follow,
wherever he leads me, wherever he goes.
Over the mountains, the waters and by-ways,
valleys and highways he’s waiting for me.
Refrain
I want to go to meet him there, to lay myself down in his love.
The Lord is my shepherd, and I want to follow,
wherever he leads me, wherever he goes.
And while on the journey to where we are going,
he promised to be there to help us along.
And over the mountains we’ll walk on together,
to know all the wonders he’s given to me (Refrain)
               Brian Boniwell © Spectrum Publications, 1978.

Second Reading
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans 14: 7-12
Alive or dead, we belong to the Lord.

The life and death of each of us has its influence on others; if
we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the
Lord, so that alive or dead we belong to the Lord. This
explains why Christ both died and came to life, it was so that
he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
This is also why you should never pass judgement on a
brother or treat him with contempt. We shall all have to
stand before the judgement seat of God; as scripture says: By
my life – it is the Lord who speaks – every knee shall bend
before me, and every tongue shall praise God. It is to God,
therefore, that each of us must give an account of himself.

The Word of the Lord.
All:     Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation
Glory and Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ
Do not let your hearts be troubled,
Trust in God still and trust in me.
Glory and Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

Gospel
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 14:1-6
There are many rooms in my Father's house.

Jesus said to the disciples:
'Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God still, and trust in me.
There are many rooms in my Father's house;
if there were not, I should have told you.
I am going now to prepare a place for you,
and after I have gone and prepared you a place,
I shall return to take you with me;
so that where I am you may be too.
You know the way to the place where I am going.'
Thomas said, 'Lord, we do not know where you are going,
so how can we know the way?' Jesus said:
I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
No one can come to the Father except through me.'

The Gospel of the Lord.

All:     Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily       -      Fr Peter Lamont PP     (Please sit)

Prayers of Intercession (Please Stand)
Bishop
My brothers and sisters, relying on the grace of God’s love
and presence in our lives, we now confidently offer our
prayers of intercession.

Reader
We pray for his Holiness Pope Francis, our Bishop Vincent,
Priests and Church Leaders, that they will continue to
faithfully teach and live the word of God’s grace and
compassion.
Lord, hear us

All:   Lord, hear our prayer

Reader
Fr George showed us the value of Prayer and Sacred
Reading. We are grateful for the privilege of witnessing his
strong faith and sense of commitment.
Lord, hear us

All:   Lord, hear our prayer

Reader
We pray for all who are saddened and deeply sorrowed by
the death of Fr George. May our faith, like his, be a guiding
source of consolation as we journey together on our
pilgrimage through life.
Lord, hear us

All:   Lord, hear our prayer

Reader
We pray for all those who carry the cross of prolonged
sickness. May God give them courage, strength and hope.
Lord, hear us

All:   Lord, hear our prayer

Reader
For those who cared for Fr George in various acts of service
over many years, that their ministry of care be generously
blessed.
Lord, hear us

All:   Lord, hear our prayer

Reader
We pray for all those who have gone before us, especially Fr
George’s parents, Loris and Augustine and his brother,
Terry. May they find rest in the Lord.
Lord, hear us

All:   Lord, hear our prayer

Bishop
Loving God, we are gathered here in your name and we ask
you to grant these our prayers through Christ our Lord.

All:   Amen

The Liturgy of the Eucharist
Presentation of the Gifts
Tell out my soul, the greatness of the Lord
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!
Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice;
tender to me the promise of his word;
in God my Saviour shall my heart rejoice.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his Name!
Make known his might, the deeds his arm has done;
his mercy sure, from age to age to same;
his holy Name--the Lord, the Mighty One.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might!
Powers and dominions lay their glory by.
Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight,
the hungry fed, the humble lifted high.

Tell out, my soul, the glories of his word!
Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure.
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord
to children's children and for evermore!
Words © 1962, Renewed. 1990 by Hope Publishing Co., Carol Stream, IL 60188.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Bishop
Pray, brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice and yours may
be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.

All:   May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for
       the praise and glory of His name, for our good and
       the good of all His holy Church.

Prayer over the Offerings
Bishop
Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that through these holy mysteries
George, your servant and Priest,
may behold with clarity for ever
what he faithfully ministered here.
Through Christ our Lord.

All:   Amen.

Sanctus:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Bishop and Concelebrants:
Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty
Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour
is yours, for ever and ever.

All:   Amen.

The Communion Rite
Bishop:
At the Saviour’s command and formed by divine teaching,
we dare to say:
Our Father …

Bishop:
Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant
peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may
be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we
await the blessed hope and the coming of our Saviour, Jesus
Christ.

All:
For the Kingdom the power and the glory
are yours now and forever

Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your Apostles:
Peace I leave you, my peace I give you; look not on our sins,
but on the faith of your Church, and graciously grant her
peace and unity in accordance with your will. Who live and
reign for ever and ever.

All:         Amen.

Bishop:      The peace of the Lord be with you always.

All:         And with your spirit.

Deacon:      Let us offer each other the sign of peace.

Lamb of God (sung)
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,
grant us peace.

Bishop
Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the
sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of
the Lamb.

All:
Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof,
but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

Communion Hymns:

Soul of my Saviour
Soul of my Saviour, sanctify my breast;
body of Christ, be thou my saving guest;
blood of my Saviour, bathe me in thy tide,
wash me with water flowing from thy side.

Strength and protection may thy Passion be;
O blessed Jesus, hear and answer me;
deep in thy wounds, Lord, hide and shelter me;
so shall I never, never part from thee.

Guard and defend me from the foe malign;
in death's dread moments make me only thine;
call me and bid me come to thee on high,
where I may praise thee with thy saints for aye.

Be Still, My Soul
Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Be still, my soul, though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in the vale of tears;
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay
From His own fulness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
Catherine von Schlegel, trans. Jane Borthwick 1813-1897

Prayer after Communion
Bishop
Having received the Sacrament of salvation,
we implore your kindness, O God,
for George, your servant and Priest,
that, as you made him a steward of your mysteries on
earth,
so you may bring him to be nourished
by their truth and reality as unveiled in heaven.
Through Christ our Lord.

All:   Amen.

Final Commendation

Invitation to Prayer

Bishop:
Before we go our separate ways, let us take leave of our
brother.
May our farewell express our love for him; may it ease our
sadness and strengthen our hope. One day we shall joyfully
greet him again when the love of Christ, which conquers all
things, destroys even death itself.

Song of Farewell
At the Song of Farewell the coffin is incensed (and sprinkled with water.)

Bishop:
Saints of God, come to his aid!
Hasten to meet him, angels of the Lord!

All:
Receive his soul and present him to God the Most High.

Bishop:
May Christ, who called you, take you to himself;
may angels lead you to the bosom of Abraham.

All:
Receive his soul and present him to God the Most High.

Bishop:
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.

All:
Receive his soul and present him to God the Most High.

Prayer of Commendation

Bishop:
Into your hands, Father of mercies, we commend our brother
George in the sure and certain hope that, together with all
who have died in Christ, he will rise with Him on the last
day.

We give thanks for the blessings which you bestowed upon
George in this life: they are signs to us of your goodness and
of our fellowship with the Saints in Christ.

Merciful Lord, turn toward us and listen to our prayers:
open the gates of paradise to your servant, George, and help
us who remain to comfort one another with assurances of
faith, until we all meet in Christ and are with Him and with
our brother for ever.

All:   Amen.

Bishop:
In peace let us take our brother to his place of rest.

Bishop:
May choirs of angels welcome you and lead you to the
bosom of Abraham; and where Lazarus is poor no longer,
may you find eternal rest.

Recessional Hymn:

Salve Regina
Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae;
vita, dulcedo et spes nostra, salve.
Ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevae.
Ad te suspiramus gementes et flentes
in hac lacrimarum valle.
Eia ergo, advocata nostra,
illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte.
Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc
exsilium ostende.
O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo Maria.

[Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, hail our life, our
sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve.
To thee to we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping
in this valley of tears.
Turn, then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy
toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed
fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.]

Father George William O’Mara
 8th September, 1954 – 28th February, 2018

Educated at Our Lady of the Rosary, St Mary’s and St
Dominic’s Penrith
Ordained Deacon 25th November, 1984 Appointed to St
Joseph’s, Moorebank.
Ordained Priest 23rd November, 1985, St Mary’s Cathedral
Sydney

Appointments
1985-1988  Appointed Assistant Priest St Paul the
           Apostle, Winston Hills.
1988-1990  Appointed Assistant Priest St Thomas
           Aquinas, Springwood.
1990-1991  Appointed Assistant Priest St Matthew’s,
           Windsor.
1991-1993  Appointed Chaplain to Westmead Hospital
           and Assistant Priest Sacred Heart, Westmead.
1993-1994  Appointed Assistant Priest St Patrick’s,
           Blacktown.
1994-2001  Appointed Parish Priest Mary Immaculate,
           Quakers Hill/Schofield.
1996-2000  Appointed Parish Priest Representative
           Parramatta Diocesan Schools Board.
2001-2004  Appointed Assistant Priest St Nicholas of
           Myra, Penrith.
2004-2007  Appointed Administrator St Oliver
           Plunkett’s, Harris Park.
2007-      Appointed Parish Priest of Corpus Christi,
           Cranebrook.

INTERNMENT
 At the conclusion of Mass, the cortege will proceed to
                  St Mary’s Cemetery,
   Corner Great Western Highway & Sydney Street,
                       Oxley Park
               for the Rite of Committal.

                  REFRESHMENTS
   After the burial, you are welcome to join us for
                  refreshments at the
         Corpus Christi Primary School Hall.
 Those not attending the burial, are invited to the hall
                after the Funeral Mass.

                   THANK YOU
A warm thank you is extended to all of you for your love
             and attendance here today.
            May God bless you always.

“INTO my heart on air that kills
       From yon far country blows:
   What are those blue remembered hills,
    What spires, what farms are those?

       That is the land of lost content,
            I see it shining plain,
     The happy highways where I went
         And cannot come again.”

Excerpt from Delphi Complete Works of A.E.Housman

            (Illustrated) A.E.Housman

Together again…

    www.parracatholic.org