MEMORIAL MASS FOR BISHOP JOE GRECH
The Memorial Mass being organised by Catholic Charismatic Renewal will be held at Our Lady, Help of Christians Church, 49 Nicholson St East Brunswick on Thursday 20 January at 3.00pm. Praise and worship 2.15pm, Holy Mass 3.00pm. Main celebrant Fr Colin Xavier). Enquiries: CCR centre—9486 6544 or email centre@ccr.org.au
CENTACARE CATHOLIC FAMILY SERVICES COUNSELLING SERVICES
Centacare Catholic Family Services Counselling Services are now available at Sunbury Community Health Centre. Confidential services offered for families, couples, children, adolescents, individuals and groups. Workshops and information sessions include grief and loss, relationships, family issues, parenting, children and adolescents, as well as preparing and adjusting to change. This is a free service funded by the Federal Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services & Indigenous Affairs. Bookings can be made on 1800 223 650 or directly with the Counsellor, Margaret Bailey, on 0407 307 811. A few brochures are at Welcoming Desk.
SOME DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Thu 3 Feb 8.45am Students begin classes at both our parish schools (earlier start than Government schools)
Tue 15 Feb 2.00pm & 7.30pm: Information & Registration Sessions for parents wishing their children to celebrate Reconciliation and Eucharist in 2011
Tue 22 Feb 7.30pm Information & Registration Sessions for parents wishing their children to receive Sacrament of Confirmation
Sat 26 Feb 11.00am to 6.00pm: Celebration of 150 years of O.L.M.C. School
Sun 27 Feb 10.00am Centenary Mass outside O.L.M.C. Church to celebrate 100 years of O.L.M.C. Parish
Sundays March 6, 13, 20: Stewardship Program
March 9: Ash Wednesday
……Fr Kevin
APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION ON WORD OF GOD
Pope Benedict has written this recent exhortation following the twelfth Synod of Bishops. The letter comes out as we begin reading the Gospel for Matthew for 2011. Matthew is the scribe and evangeliser who focuses on Jesus as the fulfillment of Scripture and the handing on of his mission to the Church.
‘The document of the Pope has a joy and freshness about it, even when it is not breaking new ground. It will remind us of what we have known about, but not consciously adopted and encourage us to persevere in or being afresh our efforts to make our parishes true schools of the words and Word of God’ (Fr. John Deehan, P.P. Eastcote, U.K.).
‘The document of the Pope has a joy and freshness about it, even when it is not breaking new ground. It will remind us of what we have known about, but not consciously adopted and encourage us to persevere in or being afresh our efforts to make our parishes true schools of the words and Word of God’ (Fr. John Deehan, P.P. Eastcote, U.K.).
As St Jerome says:
‘ignorance of the scriptures is ignorance of Christ’.
In the celebration of the Eucharist, the Pope writes
‘the proclamation of God’s Word entails an acknowledgement that Christ is present, that he speaks to us and that he wishes to be heard.
Hence, as readers of the Word we need to be well prepared; as listeners were to be present on time for the whole of Mass and be active listeners like singers in a choir ready to join in song. The Pope also stresses the importance of periods of silence after the Scripture readings—we need to practice this in our parish and not be self-conscious of silence.
NEED FOR MORE PRIESTLY VOCATIONS
As in most Western countries, we have a decreasing number of active priests. As at today, there are 35 active parish priests serving in Melbourne Archdiocese who are aged 70 years or more. In five years they will have reached the age of 75 years the retirement age, unless they need to retire earlier for health reasons or indeed enter eternal life. Usually there are two or three new priests ordained annually in Melbourne.
As we celebrate Jesus’ beginning his vocation at his baptism, let us encourage our sons and grandsons to be open to a priestly vocation of service.
KING JAMES BIBLE
The King James Bible was first printed 400 years ago this year. It took seven committees to make the book—six to translate (two at each of Westminister, Oxford, and Cambridge….ed) and a seventh to revise. The King wanted to bring unity among Christians. The translation steered middle way between the Puritans and the ‘Papists’. Today 250,000 copies are printed annually by Oxford University Press and it is the widely used translation in U.S.A. and U.K.
(The popular version for reading at home(?) was the Geneva Bible which is an excellent translation but full of anti-establishment margin notes while the Bishop’s Bible was a very poor effort but popular with the establishment so the King James version was to use the Bishops Bible as a base and to have no notes. Fortunately the committees appear to have snuck in large chunks of Tyndale’s Bible, large chunks of the Geneva Bible, as well as most parts of the Bishop’s Bible that were a direct translation from St Jerome’s Latin Bible….but don’t quote me on this as I like a peaceful life……..ed)
ST VINCENT DE PAUL QUEENSLAND FLOOD APPEAL
People who have lost clothing, food and furniture will need help as the waters recede. St Vinnies will be there for the long term as they were in Darwin after Cyclone Tracey. Today’s collection will be forwarded to St Vincent de Paul Society in Rockhampton.
WORLD MISSION DAY APPEAL
Catholic Mission thanks you for your response to the World Mission Day Appeal. Your generosity empowers us to witness Christ’s love in 160 countries of the world. In contributing $1,196.70 you have joined fellow Catholics throughout the world, even in the poorest areas, in supporting Christ’s mission to all people.
LOST AND FOUND
A pair of ladies’ reading glassed has been found outside the parish office.
VALE BISHOP JOSEPH GRECH
In 1971, he came to Australia from Malta on his own and completed his formation for the priesthood in Melbourne being ordained in 1974 (part of a group of 30 Victorian priests—the record highest number of ordinations at Corpus Christi College). Later he became involved in the Charismatic Renewal movement. He was ordained a bishop in 1999 in Melbourne. In 2001 he became bishop of Sandhurst (Bendigo). As a migrant, he understood the conditions of migrants and refugees, and represented the Australian Catholic Bishops on the issues of migrants and asylum seekers. Suffering a blood disease, he was in hospital a few days before, surrounded by priest friends, he entered eternal life last Tuesday.
VALE FATHER TONY HICKS Ph.D., P.P
Fr Tony entered eternal life last Tuesday after a long illness. Tony was one of us forty-one students who began our formation as priests at Werribee in 1963. Tony was a former teacher. We were ordained together in 1970. Tony was extraordinarily gifted intellectually. He was a musician and a psychologist. He studied psychology at Melbourne University and his doctoral thesis was published in the prestigious ‘American Journal of Psychology’.
Then he ministered as a counsellor at Centacare Catholic Family Services and a consultant psychologist at the Marriage Tribunal for ten years. His first appointment as parish priest was at West Heidelberg where he was well loved and established the Exodus Community for people on the margins. Later, he was transferred and became pastor of two parishes—Surrey Hills and Wattle Park. His funeral Mass is on Tuesday at 11.00am at Wattle Park followed by burial at Springvale.
BE AWARE
While attending 6.00pm Mass prior to Christmas, parishioners who had parked their 4WD on Council land facing St Anne’s Church returned to find the bumper bar had been dismantled and removed by thieves.
KENYAN MISSION PARTNERSHIP COMMITTEE
Six parishioners have volunteered—further volunteers are welcome. Donations have been received.
KENYAN MISSION PARTNERSHIP COMMITTEE
Six parishioners have volunteered—further volunteers are welcome. Donations have been received.
CHRISTMAS MASSES
As we celebrated our hundredth Christmas Day as a parish (1911—2010) it is estimated that 19.8% of the Catholics recorded by the Commonwealth Census in our parish were present at one of the four Masses, as the total attendance was about 2,850.
CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC RENEWAL
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal is presenting a retreat with Fr. Michael Manning SVD entitled ‘Fifteen Faces of God’ at Our Lady Help of Christians Hall, East Brunswick from Monday 17 January to Friday 21 January.
Further info/transport please contact Lambert & Elaine van der Weerden on 9744 4029.
EMMAUS CHARISMATIC PRAYER GROUP
The PrayerGroup usually meets at St Anne’s Church at 10.15am on Thursdays. The next meeting will be on Thursday 3 February. All welcome including children.
Further info/transport please contact Lambert & Elaine van der Weerden on 9744 4029.
THANK YOU
Special Collection Melbourne Overseas Mission – amount raised $1368.60
THE NEW YEAR 2011
- Our town Sunbury is celebrating its 175th year. The Christian Churches are planning a celebration in Lent for the 175th Year.
- In our neighbourhoods, we shall launch groups to share the Word of God and reflect on life in Lent/Easter time.
- Both our schools will have the full use of their new facilities and a number of new staff.
- We shall bless and open the new school facilities at O.L.M.C. School, have a school reunion and celebrate our final centenary event on February 26 and 27.
Wishing you blessings at Christmas and in 2011,
….Fr Kevin
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Sunbury 
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