Recent items added to the Parish Website are a history of Our Lady of Mt Carmel Church and the memories of some parishioners. Over time further “Memories” will be added from the many oral histories on file. We would like to hear from any parishioners who would be interested in sharing their memories of parish.
“Memories” can be found here.

19 November 7.30-9pm at Knox Lecture Theatre. Further info is on the Noticeboard in St Anne’s foyer or call The Ecumenical and Inter-faith Commission Office on 0400 978 938 or email eic@cam.org.au.

Victorian Parliament Prayer Network will be holding a public prayer meeting for the election at Parliament in Queens Hall on Saturday 15 November from 1-3.15pm at Parliament House, Spring St, East Melbourne.  Please continue to pray for all the works that happen in Parliament and for our city. Australia is named the “Great Southland of the Holy Spirit”.

The first feast day of St John Paul II is 22 October and to celebrate don’t miss The Jewelers Shop, a profoundly beautiful play on human love and marriage written by St John Paul before he was elected pope (even before he became a priest!). As specifically indicated by St John Paul II, the play will be staged in a unique style of the Polish underground theatre with no sets or props and performed in a recitative style (reading only).
Melbourne has one show only:
Friday 24 October, 7.30pm Kaleide Theatre, 360 Swanston St, RMIT University.
Tickets from $20 bookings essential.
Ph, 1300 790 250 or www.theword.org.au
Brochures are available on the Welcome Desk in St Anne’s Church.

The need for foster carers has become urgent for Anglicare. An information session will be held in Sunbury on Monday 27 October. For further details call 93015200.

On 23 August, Jordanian Muslims and Christians walked hand in hand to denounce violence in the Middle East. Starting from a mosque next to the Coptic Orthodox Church, they carried banners “Muslims and Christians are together” as the muslim call for prayer and church bells were heard at the same time to show the unity of Jordanians. (Report in “Jordan Times”)

The next gathering of parish groups is on Wednesday 8 October at 7.30pm in St Anne’s School.

Next gathering of parish groups is on Wednesday 8 October at 7.30pm in St Anne’s School.

FEAST OF SAINT MARY OF THE CROSS MACKILLOP

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Friday a week ago the Universal Church celebrated 105 years since the death of St Mary of the Cross, MacKillop. Pope Benedict XVI on 17 October 2010 described her as “a holy woman who with courage and zeal, perseverance and prayer, dedicated her life to the needs of the young.” For the first time in the 2000 year history of our beloved Catholic Church, we could see an Australian– one from our own soil– a Saint of God! In the Canonisation ceremony, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop was introduced as: “an Australian responsive to the will of God and totally trustful in Divine Providence; an Australian who lived in the presence of God from an early age; an Australian who had intense devotion to the Mass. She nurtured a love of the Blessed Sacrament and other devotions of her time, especially devotion to St Joseph; an Australian whose holiness was expressed in Christian virtues, especially the Catholic education of children of the poorer classes, the pastoral care of women prisoners, prostitutes and the fail elderly and orphans.” Even at her death in 1909 there were signs that the people of her time realized her saintly holiness: the Archbishop of Sydney at this time, Cardinal Moran stated, “I believe I have this day attended the death bed of a saint… her death will bring many blessings.” St Mary surely radiated God’s loving kindness in imitation of Jesus, gave light and hope to the marginalized ones of her time who lived in the shadows. May we do the same, as we now have our own Australian Saint to intercede for us and help us all to be characterized as people of loving kindness, trusting in Jesus alone.

During the past three years the prayers of the Sisters of St Joseph have been realized in the fusion (merging) of four of the Federation of Josephite Congregations, (Perthville, Tasmania, Canberra-Goulburn and Whanganui) with the Central Congregation, the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. With it brought many changes, but through prayer and listening to the voice of God, we are enjoying the richness we all share and the joy of living with Sisters who share the Josephite charism as given to Mary MacKillop and Fr Woods.
God, we praise you for the blessings that come to us here at Sunbury through St Mary MacKillop’s Sisters since 1916.

……..Sr Jose` Noy

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has announced that it will be holding a public hearing commencing on Monday, 18 August 2014 to examine the Melbourne Response. The Royal Commission has allowed two weeks for the hearing. The scope and purpose of the hearing is to inquire into how the Melbourne Response has responded to victims of child sexual abuse and allegations of child sexual abuse against personnel of the Archdiocese, the experience of people who have engaged in the Melbourne Response and any other related matters. It is anticipated that the Royal Commission will hear from victims who have used the Melbourne Response, Archbishop Hart and Cardinal Pell who established the Melbourne Response whilst Archbishop of Melbourne as well as the Independent Commissioners, Compensation Panel and Carelink. The Archdiocese respects the Royal Commission and is committed to full cooperation with the inquiry being undertaken by the Royal Commission. Information about the involvement of the Archdiocese with the Royal Commission will be provided in further emails and available at www.cam.org.au/Royal-Commission. Our prayers are with the victims and their families and those entrusted with the conduct of the Royal Commission.

In light of the recent tragedy of Flight MH17 and the loss of Sunbury Residents, Albert & Maree Rizk, Noel Mitaxa from Sports Chaplaincy Australia, has written a short document to help the Sunbury community through this difficult time. Noel led a minute of silence for the Rizk family at the Ballarat football game last weekend. The document speaks of how to recognize grief, ways to show practical support to each other, and a prayer for the family of Albert & Maree. Copies are available at the Welcome Desk in St Anne’s foyer and at OLMC Church. Copies can be obtained from the Parish Office if required.

School Age Baptisms will be celebrated at 6pm Mass on Saturday 2 August.

Study Tour and Pilgrimage: “The Experience of Catholic Culture” 3 September – 3 October 2015 Ireland, Scotland, England and Italy. Tour Leaders: Rev. Prof. Austin Cooper omi AM and Dr Frances Baker rsm.
Details on College website at  www.ctc.edu.au
Information Session at Catholic Theological College: Saturday 26 July at 2.00pm
RSVP & further information: Jenny Delahunt T: 9412 3314
E: jenny.delahunt@ctc.edu.au

Our bishops put out a statement on 8 May 2014 speaking to the entire Australian community urging respect for the rights of asylum seekers. The bishops questioned is there an underlying attitude of racism and also of the selfishness of the rich. The bishops call on parliamentarians of all parties to turn away from harsh policies to the path of a realistic compassion that deals with both human need and electoral pressure. They “call on the nation as a whole to say no to the dark forces which make these policies possible. The time has come to examine our conscience and then to act differently”. The full text is available on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference website.
The Australian Council of Priests endorsed the bishops’ statement on 14 May 2014.