THE BISHOPS LENTEN REFLECTION
The Lenten Reflection 2011
If you are looking for ways to enrich your personal Lenten experience, or even to undertake something that will bring family and friends together in a new way during the Easter journey, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (Commission for Mission and Faith Formation) invites you to join in their innovative program – The Reflection.
Launched last year, the success of The Lenten Reflection 2010 was overwhelming.
Just click on the website http://thereflection.vividas.com and click on “Click to install” then launch the welcome videos or go to the 2010 program which also has a link to the “Mary,first disciple” series of talks. Or wait untill 7th March for this years series to start.
This program became an integral of my Easter preparation last year and I can’t recommend it enough.
Click on this line to go to Archdiocese website for more information.
Better still, just go to http://thereflection.vividas.com and watch the welcome video.
FIRST SECOND AND THIRD WEEK NOW OUT
PARISH STEWARDSHIP MEETING
Last Tuesday night Stephen Littleton was a guest of our parish to launch the Stewardship Program. We started with a welcome from Fr Kevin who led us in the Stewardship Prayer. Stephen Littleton then took over and summarised Christian Stewardship. He said it is primarily a personal call to renew ourselves, a call to holiness, worship, and action. Having renewed ourselves over the years it may be easier to visualise as refreshing ourselves through our prayers, our efforts, and our sharing, in love, of ourselves with others. I see Stewardship as carrying on with that which Jesus asked of us when he said: “I have called you friends” and “I chose you, and I appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”
In this same spirit Stephen Littleton went over the recent history of our parish. What had been achieved in the way of bricks and mortar at our churches and our schools and what we needed to be concerned with in the future. Things such as the pastoral care of a much greater population, the foundation of one or more schools, increased ministry to the elderly and so many other functions required by a greater and greater community. All of which costs more money than we currently have. Our expenditure on maintainance, salaries, utilities, loan repayments etc is more than our envelope collection each week. Our average envelope amounts to $8.44. The message was that in order to meet our present costs and future expansion, we need to boost our income, but as followers of Jesus. We can’t get caught up in how little some give as that’s not our concern. Remember Jesus in Luke’s Gospel with his reaction to the widow who gave all she could, small as it was. Our reaction as the friends Jesus left behind to carry on as his stewards should first be to pray about it. Maybe we could ask what we should do, ask the Father for help. As Jesus said in the Gospel of last Sunday, “enter into your inner room……..and pray to your Father”. We will be answered in some way or other. It could be to take the message to others, to ask for the help of others, to contribute more ourselves, to pray more for the parish community, to put more effort in to the workload of the parish. We also evangelise by our example.
Stephen Littleton then threw the meeting open for questions and then Fr Kevin closed the meeting with a prayer.
CHARISMATIC RENEWAL
Charismatic Renewal will hold a Western Regional Day at St Paul’s Church, 230 Sunshine Avenue, Kealba on Sat 19 March from 9.30am to 4.00pm.
It will include Mass at 11.00am. BYO lunch.
For further info. please contact Lambert & Elaine van der Weerden on 9744 4029.
ASH WEDNESDAY 9 MARCH
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast and abstinence. The law of fasting binds those who have completed their eighteenth year, until the beginning of their sixtieth year; the law of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year (CCL 97, 1251-52)
OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL PARISH CENTENARY
STEWARDSHIP 2011
Today we shall hear a brief introduction to our program during March.
Our speakers are: John Bracher, Michael McConville, Trish McCourt and Karen Rose.
Last Wednesday a group of eleven parishioners met to begin the program.
ON THE NOTICEBOARD
Archdiocesan Office for Youth—free lecture series for young adults interested in learning more about their faith.
THIRD NATIONAL FAMILY GATHERING
This will be held in Melbourne 15-17 April. A brief meeting will be held next Tuesday 15 February at 7.30pm at Thomas Carr Centre 278 Victoria Parade, Melbourne. Our parish needs some representatives to promote this conference. Enquiries Penny 9287 5579
Bishop Eugene Hurley, Chairman of the Australian Catholic Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life says on the website www.sharethedream.org.au
I am delighted to invite Catholic families throughout Australia to participate in this National Catholic Family Gathering.
Share the Dream echoes the call of the late Pope John Paul II to families – to become what you are – the communities of life and love which make the presence of our Lord real to those around us.
God himself affirmed the importance of the family. Born into a human family, Jesus lived the greater proportion of his life among us following the universal path from childhood into the daily routine of home and work as he “grew in wisdom and stature” (Lk 2:52). So we are reminded that it is through the family that the natural bonds of God’s own love hold firm that foundation upon which our society depends.
The Marriage and Family Council together with the Melbourne Life, Marriage and Family Office have brought together an inspiring line up of speakers and interactive workshops to help participants to reflect on family life, gain new skills, and be encouraged in living family life.
Please come and join this celebration of family life.
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.
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.
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
THE LAST SUNDAY OF 2010
Our centenary year has been full of activity and celebrations. In early February Bishop Tim Costelloe, our regional bishop, dedicated the new altar and font in St Anne’s Church in a moving ceremony. In March we blessed the new Bell Tower at O.L.M.C. Church to house the bell first rung in 1911. In April over 450 attended a real Bush Dance in a huge shed on a local farm. In May 121 children were admitted to the Eucharistic Table of the Lord in ten sessions. In late May I celebrated with thanksgiving forty years of ordained priesthood. In June the adults tested their knowledge at a trivia night in a packed Parish Centre. In August the long process of selecting a new principal, Noelene Hussey, for St Anne’s School concluded. In September our Parish Ball at the Calabria Club was a great success. Late September we gathered for Mass in the Bulla Hall to remember how Catholics first met in homes (nearby in Oaklands Road) for Mass from 1852 with the priest coming by horse from Coburg. In November we had the blessing and opening of the new classrooms and other facilities at St Anne’s School. In December we farewelled Lucy Jackanic as she completed her term as principal. This year 141 Baptisms were celebrated in our church. In 1911 Fr. John Gallivan P.P. celebrated 13 Baptisms.
As we look back on 2010, let us be grateful for all we have received from our generous Lord and from each other.
We have had opportunities to pray together daily in one of our churches. We rejoice in the canonisation of our Melbourne Saint Mary Mackillop. We have been supported by the prayers of those housebound or in care. We have been blessed with new school facilities at our three Catholic schools. Our parishioners have been generous in Thanksgiving Offering so that we have paid off $140,567 from our debt leaving us with a current debt of $620,105. We have also paid for our running costs.
We also give thanks to those who gave their time and shared their talents this year: altar servers, Baptism prepararation teams, bingo workers, church cleaners, crib erectors, collection counters, communion ministers to sick, education board, finance committee, flower providers, gardeners, Legion of Mary, liturgy ministers, liturgy planners, maintenance people, music ministers, neighbourhood coordinating teams, parish posties, parish coordinating team, P.T.F.A. (2), Parish Centre management committee, parish photographer, school helpers, those who set up for Masses, and website manager.
As I told Archbishop Hart, we have such a great team here.
Fr Kevin
PARISH MASS WITH ANOINTING OF THE SICK & ELDERLY
Wed. 22 December 10.00am St Anne’s Church, followed by morning tea in the foyer provided by the Legion of Mary.
OUT OF KENYA
This Sunday we were privileged to have Fr Antony return to us from Kenya along with Fr Patrick. They celebrated Mass with us this weekend. Fr Antony gave a talk about his activities since he was here for WYD a few years ago. He discussed a partnership program that he was hoping we would be able to join in with his parish and school in (near?) the Masai Mara in Kenya. More information will be published as it comes to hand. Anyone interested in joining a committee to kick some form of inter-parish partnership off, contact the Parish Office.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Sunbury 
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