Ephiphany of the Lord Reflection
We live in a world full of mystery and paradox. Life, death, love, suffering and time itself move within our consciousness without having any apparent need of our cooperation or consent. Our articulation and...
Category: Christmas
Nativity play at St Patrick’s Benoni!
The children of St Patrick’s parish in Benoni, Johannesburg archdiocese, performed a Nativity play for the congregation. More Stories: Nativity Play in Plett! St Francis Xavier Parish Seniors Christmas Lunch St John’s Parish, Fishhoek...
St John’s Parish, Fishhoek Nativity Play!
The children of St John’s parish in Fish Hoek, Cape Town, put on a Nativity play. Here Mary, played by Engela gazes at the newborn Christ-child, “played” by baby Callum (with an unbiblical dummy...
CWL Sets up Nativity Scene in Local Library!
The Catholic Women’s League at Our Lady of Fatima parish in Durban North set up their Nativity scene at the local library. (Submitted by Anna Accolla) More Stories: Jesus, the Infant God-Man Nativity Play...
Mater Homes Nativity Play Celebrates Life
This year’s Nativity play at a home for women with crisis pregnancies, touchingly featured a six-day-old infant. During the play at Mater Domini Home in Cape Town, it was a special moment when the...
The Big Southern Cross Christmas Quiz!
25 questions to test your Christmas knowledge! Compiled by Günther Simmermacher 1 In which country was the Christmas hymn “Silent Night” written 200 years ago? a) Austria b) Germany c) Hungary 2 On which date...
St Francis Xavier Parish Seniors Christmas Lunch
St Francis Xavier parish in Martindale, Johannesburg, held its annual seniors’ lunch at the church premises. (Submitted by Moira McKessar) More Stories: Nativity Play in Plett! St John’s Parish, Fishhoek Nativity Play! Nativity play at...
A Southern Cross Christmas, 60 years ago
The Christmas edition of The Southern Cross in 1958 was a bumper 32-page affair. GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER steps into a time-capsule from 60 years ago. In the 1950s, the Catholic Church in South Africa, as...
Thank God For Emmanuel
By Mgr Francis Mannion – The story that we narrate and celebrate at Christmas needs no rehearsal. We know it by heart. The story has ancient roots in the world before Christ. He who...
Urbi et Orbi: In Christmas Message, Pope Prays for Peace and Brotherhood
Delivering his formal Christmas message and blessing, Pope Francis prayed for a world where all people would recognise that they are brothers and sisters and would work for justice and for peace. The birth...
What do Bishops do for Christmas?
What do bishops do at Christmas? CHRISTEN TORRES spoke to five South African prelates to find out. Christmas is a day of family, celebration and relaxation, but for bishops, as it is for all...
The history of ‘God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen’
Once a folk carol sneered at by purists, ‘God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen’ has a profound Christian message. Günther Simmermacher looks at the carol’s history.
