The Diocese of Broome, WA, requires volunteers to assist with the work of the local Church on Aboriginal Missions. There are various important voluntary tasks: administration, building maintenance, gardening, shop staffing, cooking, cleaning etc. Placements are preferred for a period of 12 months plus but a reduced time would be considered.
For further details, and an application form, please contact:
Volunteer Coordinator
Phone: 08 9192 1060 or 0415 526 142
Email: volunteers@broomediocese.org
Web: www.broomediocese.org
Mail: PO Box 76, BROOME WA 6725
NEWS FROM SOCIAL JUSTICE GROUP
Caritas Australia Media Release – Crisis spreads in the Congo. Church Leaders say the Democratic Republic of Congo is on the brink of war. Read the Bishops of Africa’s full statement at www.caritas.org.au/media. To support Caritas Emergency response, donations can be made to Caritas Australia Congo Appeal at www.caritas.org.au/donate.
MERCY CONNECT PROJECT
Mercy Works Ltd is currently recruiting volunteers to support refugee students in their educational transitions in Secondary and Primary schools in Melbourne’s northern and western regions.
The volunteer commitment is half a day per week for four school terms. Experience working in an educational setting is required. Retired teachers are encouraged to apply. A training program will be conducted in Feb 2013. Please contact Sr Mary Lewis for an app. form and further info.
Mercy Connect Project 9326 1895 or email somml@bigpond.com.
CHILD ABUSE ENQUIRY
VICTORIAN PARLIAMENTARY ENQUIRY AND NATIONAL ROYAL COMMISSION INTO CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
The first focus is our compassion for the victims. Many of you will know a victim abused by a church person or someone else. Some of my friends are abuse victims and the devastating effects of the abuse can be seen 40 or 50 years later.
My hearing first hand from victims has made me realise how debilitating such abuse is.
The great English Cardinal Newman (1801-1891) wrote “We must face the facts.. we can’t change the facts; we must face the truth.”
“Facing the Truth”, the submission to the Victorian Enquiry from the Victorian Catholic Church has been accepted by the Enquiry and can be viewed on the special website www.facingthetruth.org.au The website has an 8 page executive summary with graphs and the whole report of 155 pages. There are updates on this website.
The Church has three goals:
1. To assist the healing of the victims. In Melbourne, the Church provides special counselling.
2. To deal promptly and effectively with those guilty of abuse.
3. To prevent further abuse in the future.
As we mentioned in March this year, there has been another revision of the Code of Conduct for caring for children in the Melbourne Parishes. Our Parish is implementing this Code, especially in regard to “Working With Children Checks” (WWCC).
In our two primary schools, we are teaching children to be aware, to speak up and be assertive. The FBI states the best defence against predators is assertive children as abusers prey on quiet, isolated children. We have recently installed a higher fence around St Anne’s School. All visitors to our schools must sign in. All classroom helpers and contractors must have a WWCC.
As Jesus taught, “The truth will set you free.”
……..Kevin McIntosh
MELBOURNE OVERSEAS MISSIONS APPEAL
Since its foundation in 1969, Melbourne parishioners have supported our own mission fund to help developing nations. This has marked our Archdiocese for its exceptional generosity. Currently, the major beneficiaries are people in Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Ghana, Pakistan, Botswana, Nigeria and Peru. Archbishop Denis Hart commends the fund to your continuing support.
PARISH COORDINATING TEAM
Last Wednesday, 15 team members (five apologies) met and took up again the proposals from the Annual Parish Assembly. Some members offered their research on what other parishes are doing in hospitality, on what other schools are doing with breakfast clubs, on the needs of AIDS victims in remote PNG and on how technology could assist communication within our Parish.
Recent new initiatives were mentioned; the breakfast club at St Anne’s and the Preps at OLMC having lunch for the Evergreens (Seniors). Our next meeting is in February 2013.
SPECIAL COLLECTION THIS WEEK FOR WORLD MISSION 2012
Countless communities in distress and desperation in the Philippines and across the world urgently need you now. Join with Catholic Mission this weekend to restore hope and share the grace of our loving God. By making a gift to the Catholic Mission World Mission Appeal today or by becoming a “Friends in Faith Partner” with a monthly gift, you will help our brothers and sisters in desperate need.
Further information can be found at catholicmission.org.au/hope or call 1800 257 296.
MANY THANKS
Thanks to the generous people of Sunbury for donating $580 to the Apostleship of the Sea.
SPECIAL COLLECTION NEXT WEEK FOR WORLD MISSION 2012
We are invited to stand in partnership with missionaries in the Philippines and across the world. By sharing the grace of our loving God, faithful missionaries reach out physically and spiritually to the communities in distress, helping them restore hope in life.
Please give so they can work on our behalf.
NEWS FROM THE SOCIAL JUSTICE GROUP
One powerful woman is threatening the future of millions of others. The Grameen Bank has enabled millions of women to lift themselves out of poverty by giving them tiny loans to buy animals or equipment to start earning money. But Bangladesh’s PM, Sheikh Hasina, has fired its Nobel Prize winning founder and wants to seize control of the Bank. This takeover could break the Bank and destroy millions of peoples hope. You can sign the petition at:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/savetheworldbestbank/
A big thank you to all who have been working for justice for Ranjini and her two sons. The High Court has given a just decision and we should continue our work, asking Politician’s to respect both the decision, and underlying principles and immediately release Ranjini, her two sons and all those who have already been found to be genuine refugees.
THANK YOU
Extra good news on the CatholicCare collection. We are sending another $307.70 this week from some late entries, which will make a grand total of $1731.10.
A sincere thank you to everyone who supported this worthy cause.
NEWS FROM SOCIAL JUSTICE GROUP
We celebrate Social Justice Sunday this weekend. The 2012-2012 Social Justice Statement is titled “The Gift of Family in Difficult Times: the Social and economic challenges facing families today.” The Statement affirms the family as the basis of our community of faith and the very foundation of society. Nurturing a family is a vocation, inspired by love, which faces many challenges. The Statement names the social and economic structures of our society that impact in a significant way on the majority of families. These are competing for time, competing for wealth and the pressure these factors put on family relationships. It also ask us to ‘rediscover’ the Sabbath and to show a special concern for the poor and vulnerable families.
“Love is always patient and kind; love is never jealous; love is not boastful or conceited, it is never rude and never seeks its own advantage.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
Social Justice is not just for one day, but every day. People go through bad times and it is comforting that we are not alone at those bad times. As a Catholic Community, we are called to act like Jesus– simply to help others in their times of need. Praying is one way we can support those in need, but also by giving time to help people is very selfless.
Full text (15 pages) is available from www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au
NEWS FROM SOCIAL JUSTICE GROUP
Anti Poverty Week: Human Rights matters. A conference to mark this week will be held on Wednesday October 17, 2012 at Cardinal Knox Centre, Cathedral Room, 383 Albert Street, East Melbourne. RSVP by Monday 8th October. Places are limited. rsvp@svdp.vic.org.au or o3 9895 5935.
For a full program or to book on line http://www.trybooking.com/29676
The recently screened “Go back to where you come from” on SBS is now available.
“Stories that Matter” is available at Sanity or on line.
CATHOLICCARE
CATHOLICCARE will be holding the annual church appeal this week at all masses. This year the focus for the Appeal is the needs of families in the rapidly growing suburbs and communities around the edges of Melbourne and Geelong. These areas typically lack social services and social infrastructure and yet have families with high levels of need.
CatholicCare is seeking to provide a greater presence in these communities.
Info can be found at www.ccam.org.au or call 9287 5555.
SUNBURY ACTION GROUP OF THE LEPROSY MISSION
Sunbury Action Group of the Leprosy Mission is holding an afternoon of Spring Delights on Thursday 20 September 2012 at 1.30pm at St Andrews Uniting Church, Sunbury. Admission is $7. Full details are in the brochure available at the Welcome Desk.
NEWS FROM SOCIAL JUSTICE GROUP
“The Gift of Family in Difficult Times”
The launch of the 2012-2013 Social Justice Statement for the Melbourne Archdiocese will take place on Sunday 23rd September at 10.30 AM in St Mary, Star of the Sea Church, Archdiocesan Shrine of the Holy Family, 33 Howard Street, Melbourne West. Followed by Light refreshments prepared by asylum seekers from the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. For catering purposes RSVP justice@cam.org.au or 99265727 please leave a message.
THE BRIGIDINE ASYLUM SEEKERS’ PROJECT
The Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project warmly invites you to a Discussion Night TUESDAY 18 September 2012 7.30 – 9.30pm at St Joseph’s Hall, 274 Rouse Street Port Melbourne.
PARISH ASSEMBLY 2012
The Annual Parish Assembly was held in the morning of 1 September. The assembly was a very happy, peaceful gathering with a very positive atmosphere. The minutes of the assembly are at the Welcome Desk. Developments from last years assembly were noted, eg. re-introduction of Children’s Liturgy of the Word, further members of St Vincent de Paul Society, better audio visual at OLMC Church, an evangelising letter to 3550 Catholic households four times per year, the international day.
Several groups including our two schools gave reports on the past twelve months.
The schools highlighted religious education initiatives especially in social justice plus the developments in teaching and learning, including use of technology. The Legion of Mary gave their report of their pastoral care to those in aged care. Vinnies gave a report of their practical care to hundreds of people in Sunbury which was so inspiring.
Fourteen proposals were put before the assembly. Seven proposals were requests for more assistance, generally of more workers to existing programmes: Baptismal Preparation team, Bingo workers, Communion ministers to sick and frail, Legion of Mary, RCIA Team, Small Christian Communities and the Youth Group.
Seven new proposals were tabled: assist archiving of Parish Historical material, a bus for the Evergreens, Catholic Education Foundation for parish families; improve acknowledgement plaque; a memorial garden at St Anne’s Church; structure all parish meetings and support a health project in remote PNG.
The fourteen proposals are on the walls of the Gathering space. Please take time to view them and sign up today or next Sunday to the proposals, either as a new volunteer or to go on a sub-committee to investigate one of the seven new proposals. Please sign up on the proposals.
I thank the Parish Co-Ordinating Team for planning the Assembly and Michael McConville for his facilitating the Assembly (and for the photos).
SUNBURY ACTION GROUP OF THE LEPROSY MISSION
SUNBURY ACTION GROUP OF THE LEPROSY MISSION is holding an afternoon of Spring Delights on Thursday 20 September 2012 at 1.30pm at St Andrews Uniting Church, Sunbury.
Admission is $7.
Full details are in the brochure available at the Welcome Desk.
NEWS FROM THE SOCIAL JUSTICE GROUP: THE FIRST PEOPLES ARE NOT ‘THEM’ – THEY ARE ‘US’
Following the very disappointing news that the Strong Futures legislation had been passed by the Senate, the Assembly of the United Church, who were meeting in Adelaide, protested on the steps of the South Australian Parliament. They were not meddling in politics, they were being the church. Four hundred people in total walked in silence from the Assembly venue to hold a vigil on the steps of Parliament House to sing, pray and mourn the continuing disrespect shown to the First Peoples of this land, in a public act of worship and lament.
We are one body in Christ ‘if one member suffers, all suffer’. (1 Corinthians 12:26) This legislation was also strongly opposed by the Australian Catholic Bishops. In the words of Rev Dr Djiniyini Gondarra from the Northern Territory, the Government has declared a ‘war on democracy.’ It has ignored our 43,000 signatures, the 450 submissions made to the Senate Enquiry, United Nations condemnation and even its own Human Rights Committee asking for a human rights test of the legislation.
The full statement by Andrew Dutney, President of the National Assembly of the Uniting Church can be obtained at the Welcome
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Sunbury 
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