Category: Parish Renewal

Anything related to the ongoing renewal of the parish.

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150 YEARS OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLING IN OUR PARISH

On 26 March 1860, thirty-two students had their first day of school in Our Lady of Mount Carmel School which was a single classroom built of bluestone and timber. Within two years, the enrolment doubled to 64. In 1974, the School Board of O.L.M.C. advised Fr. Jim Feehan to build a second school in Sunbury and to name it St Anne’s which opened in 1976.
Today is a great milestone in the life of the People of God in this area of Bulla, Clarkefield, Diggers Rest, Sunbury and Wildwood. We rejoice in the commitment of parents, teachers and priests to provide a Catholic school for 150 years, during which time the parents fully funded the school from 1872 to 1973 as there was no government funding for a century. Currently, there is a total of 785 students in our parish schools, plus 1,072 in Salesian Secondary College.

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BLESSING OF THE CENTENARY BELL TOWER

The Blessing is on today (Sunday) within the 10.00am Mass in the grounds of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church and School. The construction of the tower has been completed ahead of time and under budget. The first step in the process was to raise the necessary funds. By a successful Gala Auction Dinner at Rupertswood Mansion plus raffle, the fundraising committee achieved the objective.
The design was by Randall Lindstrom, the well-known liturgical architect who has worked with us on our churches since 2006. The construction committee obtained the planning and building permits and liaised with the steel fabricator, the structural engineer, the concreter, the electrician, a paint factory and providers of a sizzer lift, a truck and a crane truck. A working bee by school parents and teachers completed the garden last Saturday.
The bell works by remote control, powered by solar energy. The original bronze bell was made in Melbourne about 1910 and weighs 125kg. There are four programs of rings: Angelus, call to Mass, weddings and funerals.
Today, we welcome back past parishioners, priests and teachers. We welcome back Fr. Allan Mithen. We have received apologies from Fr. Martin Ashe (Ministry to Priests, Melbourne) Fr. Greg Bourke P.P. (Hoppers Crossing) Fr. Gerard Keith P.P. (three Geelong parishes) Fr. Michael Moody P.P. (Melton) Fr. John Petrulis P.P. (Elwood and St Kilda West Parishes) and Fr. Linh Tran P.P. (Dallas). Sunday morning is not a convenient time for priests!
We welcome today Sr. Josephine Dubell, Provincial of the Sisters of St Joseph, Sr. Anne Tuck, former principal and Sr. Rita Malavisi, a former teacher at O.L.M.C.
Later during this 150th year, the school will arrange a reunion and other events when the extensions to the building are complete providing space for celebrations.

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COMMUNAL PENITENTIAL SERVICE

A communal penitential rite will be held on Tuesday 30 March at 7.30pm in St Anne’s Church. The service will be based on the gospel parable of the forgiving father (Luke 15) and Christian hospitality within our centenary year. The previously advertised Second rite of the Sacrament of Penance is not possible due to a lack of available priests.
The Penitential Service lasting about 35 minutes is excellent preparation for the Sacred Triduum—the one event over three days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

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NOTES FROM OUR PARISH LENTEN EXERCISE

We started with a welcome and a prayer and then went straight into an introduction and an overview.

There was discussion of how we, as the people of God, are a sacrament to the world.

The group was sitting in Neighbourhoods and these were joined with other Neighbourhoods to discuss the subjects of ourselves as a Sacrament of Communion, as a Sacrament of the Reign of God, and as a Sacrament of Universal Salvation. A good starting place is the old Childrens Catechism which says a Sacrament is an outward sign of inward Grace. We didn’t get too far into sacramental theology but we were able to see that we, as a group, are a sign and an instrument of the presence of Jesus in the world now.

Next came a brief discussion on prayer, centred on the words of Jesus in Mathew 7:7. Ask, Seek, Knock.

Then we moved to “What the Parish does”

Community Life…
  • Whole Parish Community
  • Neighbourhoods
  • Small Groups
  • All Families
Pastoral Service…
  • Catechesis
  • Liturgical
  • Schools
  • Justice, Peace, Environment
Workers in the Vineyard…
  • Recruitment
  • Formation and Training
Decision Management…
  • PCT/PC
  • Parish Team
  • Finance
  • Office Administration
  • Maintenance
  • General Gatherings
Other Sectors…
  • Play Group
  • Youth
  • Evergreens

The next step in our Neighbourhood Plan is to move a considerable amount of this to the Neighbourhoods by the Neighbourhoods taking on a four phase strategy, namely To Gather, To Serve, To Represent, and To Communicate. By this strategy we can decentralise many of our services and the Neighbourhoods can become small, active faith groups.(that is Big Faith, Small Groups) The Neighbourhoods can bring their issues via their PCT representative to the PCT meetings.

The Neighbourhood Groups then had a practice run at a Neighbourhood meeting using a guide book written for that purpose and available in the future from the Parish Office. Each meeting involves some prayer, scripture reading an discussion/sharing of our faith.

There was a break for lunch and much discussion. This was followed by a summing up and a discussion on “Where to now?”

Those Neighbourhoods who had a Coordinator present set up meetings to present the theme of Gather, Serve, Represent, and Communicate. Others would take the information and the strategy back to their Neighbourhoods to then do the same.

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EASTER REFLECTION FROM THE AUST BISHOP’S CONFERENCE

Media Release

As Catholics begin to plan their Lenten journey this year, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference is calling on people to take up a new and exciting challenge.

“Instead of just giving up something for Lent, why not take up something as well,” said ACBC Commission for Mission and Faith Formation Chair, Archbishop John Bathersby.
“This year we are asking that you consider spending time with friends and family reflecting on the Scriptures that lead us to this joyous celebration of the Church”, he said.

The call goes out for people to share their Easter journey with others, in an innovative online experience called The Reflection.

The Reflection will offer people an accessible opportunity for faith formation via the World Wide Web.

“The responses we received last year from the St Paul and St Luke eConferences were extremely positive and very humbling” said Archbishop Bathersby. “The fact that more than 20,000 participants came online highlights a hunger in people to deepen their faith.”

Twelve Australian Bishops have agreed to participate in this pilot series, and will explore the Sunday Gospels of Lent with participants using a lectio divina model of prayer. Commencing the 15 February at 7pm, The Reflection comprises seven short weekly episodes that will remain archived on the site so that people may participate at their own pace.

Visit the website http://thereflection.vividas.com now to find out more about this project; guidelines for undertaking lectio divina; a downloadable booklet to take you through the readings for the period, and Q&A’s to assist further discussion.

Archbishops and Bishops who will be featured in the reflection include:

Most Rev Philip Wilson (Adelaide),
Most Rev John Bathersby (Brisbane)
Most Rev Denis Hart (Melbourne)
Most Rev Mark Coleridge (Canberra-Goulburn)
Most Rev Adrian L. Doyle (Hobart)
Most Rev Michael Putney (Townsville)
Most Rev Christopher Saunders (Broome)
Most Rev David Walker (Broken Bay)
Most Rev Gregory O’Kelly SJ (Port Pirie)
Most Rev D. Eugene Hurley (Darwin)
Most Rev Gerard Hanna (Wagga Wagga)
Most Rev Joseph A. Grech (Sandhurst)

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OUR SPECIAL LENTEN EXERCISE FOR 2010

On Saturday 27 February commencing at 9.30am, all are invited to the Parish Centre to experience meeting in small neighbourhood groups so that we can continue renewing our lives as Christians and strengthen our sense of belonging in our large parish. ‘Where two or three are gathered, I am in your midst’, Jesus said.
All parishioners and especially those workers in the Vineyard, those ministering in various ways—parish posties, coordinating teams, are invited. Our facilitator is Jill Gibbs who has been involved with parishes and religious orders for over thirty years worldwide.
The session will include some input, an actual experience of a small group meeting and some practical details. We will spend time together and conclude before 2.00pm. Please bring some lunch to share.

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BLESSING OF THE BELL TOWER

Sunday 21st March

BLESSING OF THE BELL TOWER

Blessing and Liturgy of the Word at OLMC, 10am

Opening hymn – OLMC school choir – theme of celebration, love of God eg “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord”

Penitential Rite theme of acknowledging past hurt, healing, new deeds

1st Reading – Isaiah 43: 16-21

Psalm as per day-“The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy”

No second reading

Gospel

Homily

Liturgy of the Eucharist at St Anne’s church, 10.30am

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OUR SPECIAL LENTEN EXERCISE FOR 2010

On Saturday 27 February, all are invited to the Parish Centre to experience meeting in small neighbourhood groups so that we can continue renewing our lives as Christians and strengthen our sense of belonging in our large parish.

‘Where two or three are gathered, I am in your midst’, Jesus said.

All parishioners and especially those workers in the Vineyard, those ministering in various ways—parish posties, coordinating teams, are invited. Our facilitator is Jill Gibbs who has been involved with parishes and religious orders for over thirty years worldwide.
The session will include some input, an actual experience of a small group meeting and some practical details. We will spend time together and conclude before 2.00pm. Please bring some lunch to share.

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DEDICATION OF THE REFURBISHMENT AT ST ANNE’S CHURCH

Today, 7th February, Bishop Tim Costelloe blessed the new Ambry, Ambo, Font,Presiders Chair, and Altar in St Anne’s Church and con-celebrated Mass with Father Bert, Father Peter, and Father Kevin.

Fr Kevin spoke on the Parish Renewal process that was adopted in order to ascertain the parishioners Values, Needs, and what they considered their Treasures. Several meetings were held, facilitated by Sr Margaret Smith sgs, Very Reverend David Orr osb, and Randall Lindstrom.

Randall Lindstrom then spoke of the ideas and symbols behind the various works, such as the Ambo representing a book being opened to the gathered people of God while the Altar shape represented (among many things) a drawing in towards the centre in Communion of the people.

Bishop Tim started his homily with a promise not to talk for more than 45 minutes but he is such a spellbinding speaker with the gift of drawing all his listeners along with shared enthusiasm, that no one would have noticed the time.
His final point was that the Church, in it’s buildings and in it’s people in Sunbury and surrounds, is like a sacrament. Our parish with our buildings and people are an outward sign of the presence of God in our community. Jesus still helps the poor, teaches those who will listen, and works for the Kingdom of God here today in our community just as he did when he walked through Palestine all those years ago. Today he does it through his mystical body, us. We, the ordinary people of our parish, provide Jesus with his hands and feet in our time.

Dedicating the Font
Dedicating the Font
Incensing the Altar
Incensing the Altar
The Homily
The Homily
The Final Blessing
The Final Blessing
Bishop Tim and Helpers
Bishop Tim and Helpers

The Symbology of the Dedication

The Anointing of the Altar
By being anointed with consecrated oil of Chrism, the altar becomes a symbol of Christ, who before all others is called “The Anointed One”; for the Father anointed him with the Holy Spirit and constituted him the High Priest who on the altar of his body would offer the sacrifice of his life for the salvation of all.

Incense
Incense is burned on the altar to signify that the sacrifice of Christ, which is then perpetuated in mystery, ascends to God as an odour of sweetness, and also is a sign that the prayers of the people rise up pleasing and acceptable, reaching to the throne of God. The People of God are incensed for they are the living temple in which each faithful member is a spiritual altar.

The white cloth on the altar
The cloth indicates that the Christian altar is the altar of the eucharistic sacrifice and the table of the Lord; standing around it priests and people, in one and the same action but with a difference of function, celebrate the memorial of the death and resurrection of Christ and partake in the Lord’s Supper. The altar is prepared as the table of sacrificial banquet and adorned as for a feast. This is the Lord’s Table at which all God’s people meet with joy to be refreshed with divine food, namely the Body and Blood of Christ sacrificed.

The lighting of the altar
This teaches us that Christ is “a light to enlighten the nations” (Luke 2:32), whose brightness shines out in the Church and through it upon the whole family of humanity. (Taken from “Rite of Dedication”)

Note: A report on a course run by Bishop Tim for the Northern Parishes and attended by some of our parishioners can be found here.

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PARISH COORDINATING TEAM MEETING 3RD FEB 2010

We started our first meeting for 2010 with a prayer and reflection on the current “Year for Priests”. We prayed

That the Simplicity of the Gospel may reach the ends of the Earth

We then recited Mary’s Magnificat, followed by a reading from Mark

Jesus called them and said, `You know the people who rule over countries make their people obey them. The great will tell the others what to do.
But that is not the way it is among you. Anyone among you who wants to be great must help the others.
Anyone among you who wants to be first shall be a servant to the others.
The Son of Man did not come to have others help him. But he came to help others. He came to give his life to make many people free.’

We continued with prayers of intersession and finished with the Lord’s Prayer.

Then it was down to the evening’s business.
We looked again at “Journeying Together”, the book of analysis and diagnosis that resulted from the continuing Parish Renewal sessions held in August and September 2006. In particular we looked at the problems with the then current structures for Parish Decision-Making and with the current structures for Making Proposals and for Planning. The basic problem was seen to be that the decision makers were unrepresentative and that there was no means of reporting back. Also that the processes have to be sufficiently visible so as to promote participation.
With this in mind we decided to move the proposed Parish Assembly back a little and hold a Formation Session of one and a half hours for Neighbourhood Teams, groups of Parish Posties, and indeed anyone who may be interested. These sessions will cover both the spirituality of what needs to be done as well as the practicalities. There will be a choice of times and dates (2nd and 3rd March) to try and spread as wide a net as possible. It is then to be hoped that the attendees will take the information back to their neighbourhoods, groups, friends etc. and assist the whole parish to become an active participant in the upcoming Assembly.

The Dedication of the Altar, Ambo, etc. at St Anne’s Church was discussed, as was the working bee for cleaning up around the church on the 6th Feb from 9.00am to 12.00. Indeed a group from the local Knights of the Southern Cross were out shortly after this meeting removing dead wood etc from the St Anne’s grounds.

The next item was a discussion of activities for the second half of the Year for Priests. Tenative proposals were for a dinner on the 23rd May and a working bee around the presbytery.

Finally there was a report back on the Parish Centenary Book (………a work in progress), and a suggestion that an A3 signature booklet be produced in full colour (4 X A4 pages) containing information about the parish and some of our timeline as well. The plan would be to get this publication incorporated into the “Home-Buyers Pack” that is handed out by local real estate firms.

The next meeting will be on the 4th March, immediately following the “Building Communities” formation sessions.

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THE SYMBOLISM BEHIND THE DEDICATION CEREMONY

The Anointing of the Altar

By being anointed with consecrated oil of Chrism, the altar becomes a symbol of Christ, who before all others is called “The Anointed One”; for the Father anointed him with the Holy Spirit and constituted him the High Priest who on the altar of his body would offer the sacrifice of his life for the salvation of all.

Incense

Is burned on the altar to signify that the sacrifice of Christ, which is then perpetuated in mystery, ascends to God as an odour of sweetness, and also is a sign that the prayers of the people rise up pleasing and acceptable, reaching to the throne of God. The People of God are incensed for they are the living temple in which each faithful member is a spiritual altar.

The white cloth on the altar

Indicates that the Christian altar is the altar of the eucharistic sacrifice and the table of the Lord; standing around it priests and people, in one and the same action but with a difference of function, celebrate the memorial of the death and resurrection of Christ and partake in the Lord’s Supper. The altar is prepared as the table of sacrificial banquet and adorned as for a feast. This is the Lord’s Table at which all God’s people meet with joy to be refreshed with divine food, namely the Body and Blood of Christ sacrificed.

The lighting of the altar

Teaches us that Christ is “a light to enlighten the nations” (Luke 2:32), whose brightness shines out in the Church and through it upon the whole family of humanity. (Taken from “Rite of Dedication”)

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DEDICATION MASS AT ST ANNE’S CHURCH NEXT SUNDAY AT 10.30AM

Bishop Tim Costelloe, Bishop of the Northern Region of Melbourne, will preside at his first liturgy in our parish. In recent weeks we have described the ceremony which is very beautiful, full of symbolism and good music. After the Mass finishes about 12noon, we are invited to lunch together in the Parish Centre, please bring some lunch to share. Tea and coffee will be provided.

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FOUNDATIONS FOR PASTORAL MINISTRY

This Program is for those in parish ministries and other settings to enable them to learn more about their faith and to assist them in their Christian ministries. Brochures of courses beginning in February are at the Welcome Desk.

The entire life of the disciple is marked by learning and growth. Life long growth in faith is an essential Characteristic of adult catholic life. John Paul 11

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PROGRESS REPORT ON WORKS

At O.L.M.C School, demolition of two classrooms is proceeding where four new classrooms will be constructed with a lift included has continued.

The Bell Tower to house the restored bell at O.L.M.C. Church is proceeding well.

At St Anne’s School, plastering and other fitting out is progressing in the 3/4 Level Block.

The road marking in St Anne’s car park has been repainted. Please observe the changed markings on the road.

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OUR SOARING INSURANCE COSTS

There is a 25% increase in our premium for insuring our parish property for 2010, our premium being $25,937.00 which is paid out of our Thanksgiving Offering.
In addition our two schools paid $66,884 in insurance premiums last year which was paid from school fees.

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THANKS

Thanks to  all  who  have  supported  the  activity of our parish by their giving generously of their time and money to support the activity of our parish;

  • worship rosters
  • church cleaning
  • flowers
  • church setting up
  • counters
  • maintenance men
  • bingo workers
  • catechists
  • ministers of communion to the house-bound and those in aged care
  • music ministry
  • neighbourhood coordinators
  • parish posties
  • finance committee
  • school boards
  • liturgy planners
  • Thanksgiving Committee
  • parish coordinating teams
  • parish website, etc.

Thanks also to all those employed in our parish office and our two schools as pastoral, secretarial, support and teaching staff for their wonderful contribution throughout 2009.

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HIGHLIGHTS OF 2009

  • Parish Renewal—sessions of spiritual renewal were offered in April and October.  We continued on our target of giving all 14,000 Catholics of our parish a sense of belonging.  To assist this, our infrastructure of 22 neighbourhoods was strengthened.  We were invited by the Archdiocese of outline our process to other large outer Melbourne parishes in November.

  • During the first four months, we worshipped in the Parish Centre while a new ceiling, heating/cooling, a new altar, a new font, new ambo, new ambry, audio loop were installed in St Anne’s Church.

  • In May a proper access ramp was constructed at O.L.M.C. Church.

  • In November a gala auction dinner and raffle raised sufficient finance to restore the bell tower at O.L.M.C. Church hopefully by the time of the sesquicientary in March.  The steel has arrived in the factory.

  • In March, Paul Hogan, Deputy Principal at Essendon, was appointed Principal at O.L.M.C. School.  In June, Shane Crawford—Deputy Principal at Heidelberg was appointed Deputy Principal at St Anne’s School.  Sadly, we lost Helen Williams, a staff member for 26 years, in October as she entered eternal life.

  • During the third term, the carpark at St Anne’s Church was asphalted with a new bus terminal.  The Federal Government granted $200,000 and the school took out a ten year loan of $142,000.

  • Painting of the exterior of St Anne’s Church—was completed over five days under the expert guidance of Santo Munafo.  Sincere gratitude to the 20 parishioners who willingly gave their time earlier this month.

  • 123 parishioners were baptised into the Body of Christ and brought into the life of our Church.

  • Confirmation  was  conferred  at St Patrick’s Cathedral on 8 November—two sessions to accommodate the 137 Confirmands.

  • 27 weddings were celebrated at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church.

  • 32 funerals took place in our churches.