LATEST NEWS

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BE AWARE

While attending 6.00pm Mass prior to Christmas, parishioners who had parked their 4WD on Council land facing St Anne’s Church returned to find the bumper bar had been dismantled and removed by thieves.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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1911—2010: A HUNDRED CHRISTMAS MASSES

On 1 January 1911, Archbishop Thomas Carr established the parish of Sunbury.  Hence, today is the 100th Christmas Mass celebrated by parishioners of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. 

Our celebration today is yet another fulfilment of God’s promise to be with us on our journey of life and faith.  In Matthew’s gospel last Sunday we heard of the prophecy of Christ’s birth

‘Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet’ (Isaiah 7:14);  ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel, a name which means “God-is-with-us”’ (Mat. 1:23)

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In St John’s gospel, we read

‘The Word was made flesh, he lived among us’.

  Today as we gather to celebrate the Incarnation of our God among us, we remember how God has been beside us on our journey for a hundred years in good times and in bad.

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1911—2010: A HUNDRED CHRISTMAS MASSES

On 1 January 1911, Archbishop Thomas Carr established the parish of Sunbury.  Hence, today is the 100th Christmas Mass celebrated by parishioners of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. 

Our celebration today is yet another fulfilment of God’s promise to be with us on our journey of life and faith.  In Matthew’s gospel last Sunday we heard of the prophecy of Christ’s birth

‘Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet’ (Isaiah 7:14);  ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel, a name which means “God-is-with-us”’ (Mat. 1:23)

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In St John’s gospel, we read

‘The Word was made flesh, he lived among us’.

  Today as we gather to celebrate the Incarnation of our God among us, we remember how God has been beside us on our journey for a hundred years in good times and in bad.

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CHRISTMAS FAMILY MASSES

CHRISTMAS FAMILY MASSES 2010

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

Friday 10.00pm St Anne’s Church

Saturday       8.30am St Anne’s Church

Saturday 10.30am St Anne’s Church

SUNDAY MASSES

Sunday 8.30 & 10.30am St Anne’s Church

Sunday 5.30pm Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church

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THANK YOU – FROM ST VINCENT DE PAUL

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.

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VALE FR JOHN BEGLEY S.J.

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

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THANKS FROM LUCY JACKANIC

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

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THANKS

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.

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THE JESSE TREE

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.