At the start of Mass children carried incense, holy water, our school candle and our book of remembrance as part of the procession- placing these special objects of significance on the steps of the sanctuary.

We have kept our books of remembrance since 2017. They are books which have photos and prayers of our family members and friends who have passed away and who are always in our thoughts and prayers.

Here are the children who read the Prayers of the Faithful on Tuesday at our All Souls Day Mass - they were really proud and joyful that they had this opportunity to speak at church.

Don't be afraid about coming to church under Alert level 2. While we wear our masks and sit apart, the welcome and feeling of belonging to a big family is still there - our local church is the place where the most important events of our lives are celebrated. The sacredness of the Mass said by generations who have gone before us can be felt whenever we sit quietly and let the spirit of God come in.

Our parish church is our whare karakia and when we are inside we are close to God - if you have time at drop off and pick up spending 5 or 10 minutes just sitting in the church can settle the nerves and bring calm, especially in these worrying times.

After our school's All Souls Day Mass on Tuesday 2 November every child was gifted a soul cake - cooked by Miss Joblin to Fr Richard's recipe. Soul cakes are a bit like spicy scones with a cross on top made by placing currants in a cross shape. Soul cakes were baked in the middle ages and given to the people in the streets to remind them to pray for the people who had passed away. This is another tradition which we are learning about- and maybe that's where the idea for hot cross buns originated???