Friday 7.00pm Rupertswood Stadium—1500 seats under cover: Please arrive at 6.30pm to assist the parking of hundreds of cards and walking several hundred metres from the carparks. Carols will be sung from 6.30pm
Thank you to the parish community for donating $2,106.00 to the recent appeal. Your generosity especially at this time of the year is sincerely appreciated.
Next meeting will be on Monday 20 December at 7.00pm St Anne’s Church.
Setting up will take place on WEDNESDAY from 7.00pm to 7.30pm. In previous years a good team of adults and children can set out the chairs in 30 minutes. Many hands make light work—please give half an hour.
Fr John returned to the Father last week aged 88 years, a Jesuit for 70 years. A country person, he was educated at Assumption College, Kilmore. After gaining his Doctorate in Philosophy in Rome, he came to teach us at Werribee in 1964. He revolutionized the course of studies for priesthood, broadening the course to relate to the modern world. We were so fortunate to have him as dean of studies. I last met him this year at a lecture on the priesthood—he was still learning! Father John was a very loved and loving uncle and great-uncle.
……Fr Kevin
My warmest thanks and appreciation to the parish community for a very memorable and treasured farewell celebration on Sunday 28 November. I particularly thank all those involved in the organization of the day—Fr Kevin, Miss Rosalba Salpietro, Mr Shane Crawford, the parish choir and the PTFA. Your hard work, dedication and meticulous organisation made it a very special day. I will take many memories of my eight years as a member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish and St Anne’s school community with me, and will remember you all fondly.
I thank you for all your support, prayers and commitment to making our community such a warm, special and unique one. My wish is that Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish continues to grow and strengthen both spiritually and as a community.
I take this opportunity to wish you all a very peaceful and blessed Christmas and a safe, healthy and happy New Year.
…..Lucy Jackanic
Thanks for the sterling and arduous work by some of our parishioners with children at O.L.M.C. School over several days, who have laboured at times in the heat to remove old vegetation and planted new shrubs in front of the church and school.
The Jesse Tree comes right out of a classic Advent passage from the prophet Isaiah: ‘A shoot will sprout from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a branch will bear fruit’ (Isaiah 11:1). The Jesse Tree is hung with ornaments representing Old Testament people and events, and lead up to Jesus. The traditional symbols hung on the tree are based on the genealogy of Jesus as recounted by the first chapter of the Gospel of St Matthew on one side of the symbol. The other side is a scene relating to our parish centenary.
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.
(1) A 6 night pilgrimage to Sydney from 19-25 May.
(2) A 3 night pilgrimage from Bacchus Marsh to Hamilton, Portland & Penola from 9—12 September.
Pilgrimages will depend on the number of people interested. To register your interest contact Sr Mary Fermio on 53 672 078, email mary.fermio@sosj.org.au before Christmas. Further details see noticeboard St Anne’s Church.
ABUSE: MELBOURNE CHURCH RESPONSE
A new brochure with updated information on the dealing of complaints, counseling and support is available today at the Welcome Desk.
A number of Catholics wish to collect a petition to be forwarded to the local Federal Member of Parliament. The words of the petition were agreed by the bishops as:
‘As a parishioner of ………………(within your electorate) please consider my position on the meaning of marriage. Given the variety of domestic arrangements available in Australia, I request that you protect the unique institution of marriage as traditionally understood and actually lived as the complementary love between a man and a woman’.
Please forward before 22 December or sign a copy of the petition at the Welcome Desk.
The Parish Coordinating Team is looking at reintroducing morning teas after Mass on a more regular basis as a way of keeping up social ties within the parish community. This was a suggestion from parishioners at the last parish assembly. As an initial start morning tea will be held in the foyer of St Anne’s Church after 8.30am Mass and before 10.30am Mass next Sunday so stay late or come early for a cuppa and chat! Suggestions or queries to Julie—9740 3590 or Mary 9744 1049.
Since its foundation in 1969, Melbourne parishioners have supported our own mission fund to help developing nations. Currently, the major beneficiaries are people in Papua New Guinea, Timor, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Botswana, Nigeria, Haiti and Peru. Archbishop Denis Hart commends the fund to your continuing support. Donations of $2.00 and over are tax deductible.
The Penitential Service will be held on Wednesday 15 December at 7.30pm St Anne’s Church. The Penitential Service held in Lent was very well attended. This is an opportunity to prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord.
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