This week’s story takes us to rural Cambodia where Samon lives with his family. Life here is often a daily struggle. Your generous donations to Project Compassion allow subsistence farmer families to gain skills to increase their household food security and offers hope for a healthier future.
PLEASE COLLECT YOUR PROJECT COMPASSION ENVELOPES OR BOXEXS FROM EITHER CHURCH THIS WEEKEND.
OUR SPECIAL LENTEN EXERCISE FOR 2010
On Saturday 27 February commencing at 9.30am, all are invited to the Parish Centre to experience meeting in small neighbourhood groups so that we can continue renewing our lives as Christians and strengthen our sense of belonging in our large parish. ‘Where two or three are gathered, I am in your midst’, Jesus said.
All parishioners and especially those workers in the Vineyard, those ministering in various ways—parish posties, coordinating teams, are invited. Our facilitator is Jill Gibbs who has been involved with parishes and religious orders for over thirty years worldwide.
The session will include some input, an actual experience of a small group meeting and some practical details. We will spend time together and conclude before 2.00pm. Please bring some lunch to share.
RCIA
Today, the first Sunday of Lent, our Catechumen candidates, their sponsors and families together with the RCIA team will join hundreds of others at the Rite of Election at St Patrick’s Cathedral at 2.30pm this afternoon. The candidates and catechumen are presented on our behalf by their sponsors to the Archbishop and reaffirm their commitment to becoming members of our Catholic community. It is a very moving ceremony which marks the beginning of an intense period of preparation for those who will be received into the Church, by Baptism, Confirmation and reception of the Eucharist for the first time at the Easter Vigil.
If anyone is interested in attending the Rite of Election you will be most welcome.
Just contact Jo Wiegerink on 9744 5788 to arrange transport.
THANK YOU
Thank you for your wonderful response to the Haiti appeal last weekend.
The amount of $2,158.65 was received.
ALERT……………..From Fr BERT
Once a month—on the fourth Sunday of the month—Fr Bert will write a brief article in the parish bulletin on some aspect of the Eucharist. It won’t be a difficult read nor a long read. The series of articles can be called ‘The Eucharist in Small Bytes’. Hopefully, with each read, we will grow in our understanding and appreciation of what it is we do together on the Lord’s Day each weekend. The first article will appear on the fourth weekend (27/28 February). It will be called ‘Gathering in Christ’s Name’. It will be our first byte into the Eucharist and our first step into the mystery of what we do on the Lord’s Day.
Fr Bert
SALESIAN COLLEGE SUNBURY
Applications for Year 7/2011 are currently being accepted and will close on Friday 26 February.
Applications received after this date will be treated as ‘LATE’ and will not be considered in the first round of placement offers.
The College will be holding an Open Day on Tue 23 February for interested parents/students from 9.00am to 12.30pm.
Further info., assistance and Enrolment Application forms are available at the College Office. Please feel free to call in or phone 9744 0000.
BLESSING OF THE BELL TOWER
Sunday 21st March
BLESSING OF THE BELL TOWER
Blessing and Liturgy of the Word at OLMC, 10am
Opening hymn – OLMC school choir – theme of celebration, love of God eg “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord”
Penitential Rite theme of acknowledging past hurt, healing, new deeds
1st Reading – Isaiah 43: 16-21
Psalm as per day-“The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy”
No second reading
Gospel
Homily
Liturgy of the Eucharist at St Anne’s church, 10.30am
PROJECT COMPASSION
Project Compassion promotes peace by pursuing justice.
Please take home a Project Compassion box or envelope today from the Welcoming Desk at St Anne’s Church.
LENT 2010—’CALLED TO BRING HEALING AND HOPE’
Our liturgy planning group last week discussed our theme for Lent as we begin our centenary year. We want to focus in Lent on our need to be healed of the wounds which we as a community have suffered over these 150 years and move on in hope. In Biblical times, a jubilee year (every 50 years) was a time of reconciliation and forgiveness of debts so that a new beginning could occur.
OUR SPECIAL LENTEN EXERCISE FOR 2010
On Saturday 27 February, all are invited to the Parish Centre to experience meeting in small neighbourhood groups so that we can continue renewing our lives as Christians and strengthen our sense of belonging in our large parish.
‘Where two or three are gathered, I am in your midst’, Jesus said.
All parishioners and especially those workers in the Vineyard, those ministering in various ways—parish posties, coordinating teams, are invited. Our facilitator is Jill Gibbs who has been involved with parishes and religious orders for over thirty years worldwide.
The session will include some input, an actual experience of a small group meeting and some practical details. We will spend time together and conclude before 2.00pm. Please bring some lunch to share.
LENT 2010
The season of Lent has two characteristics:
- It recalls for most of us our Baptism or prepares a few of us for Baptism at Easter. It stresses a penitential spirit…..during Lent, penance should not be only internal and individual but also external and social (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Vatican II, Nos. 109/110).
- Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fasting (for those over 18 years and under 60 years) and abstinence from meat (for those over 14 years).
Lent is the season of penance—more time given to prayer, to works of charity and welfare, and more effort at self-denial.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be celebrated in a communal way with several priests on Tuesday 30 March at 7.45pm.
SALESIAN COLLEGE SUNBURY
Applications for Year 7/2011 are currently being accepted and will close on Friday 26 February. Applications received after this date will be treated as ‘LATE’ and will not be considered in the first round of placement offers.
The College will be holding an Open Day on Tuesday 23 February for interested parents/students from 9.00am to 12.30pm.
Further information, assistance and Enrolment Application forms are available at the College Office. Please feel free to call in or phone 9744 0000.
SEMINARY OPENS FOR FORMATION OF OUR PRIESTS
Today our seminary, Corpus Christi College, opens for 2010 with eight new students joining the current 22 students being formed for the Church of Melbourne.
Please keep them and the staff in your prayers.
ALTAR CARE LADIES
Reminders
- No flowers required during lent
- Please collect new roster for O.L.M.C. Church from foyer of St Anne’s Church.
REMINDER
A reminder to all parents from schools other than our two Parish Schools—the first meeting in preparation for First Communion will be held at St Anne’s Church on TUESDAY 16 FEBRUARY at 7.00pm.
DIARY DATES FOR PARENTS AND GUARDIANS—2010
Parents and guardians are invited to attend an Information & Registration session in preparation for their children’s celebration of First Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation. After seeing what is involved, parents and guardians will be invited to enrol their children in the preparation program. Dates for these sessions are:
#For parents and guardians of children at all schools OTHER THAN Our Lady of Mt Carmel and St Anne’s Schools:
Religious Education Program TUESDAY 9 MARCH 2.00pm or 7.30pm
#For parents and guardians of children at Our Lady of Mt Carmel and St Anne’s Schools AND all other schools (in other words……EVERYBODY):
First Reconciliation and First Communion TUESDAY 8 JUNE 2.00pm or 7.30pm.
Confirmation TUESDAY 10 AUGUST 2.00pm or 7.30pm
All meetings will be held in the Parish Centre near St Anne’s Church.
DEDICATION OF THE REFURBISHMENT AT ST ANNE’S CHURCH
Today, 7th February, Bishop Tim Costelloe blessed the new Ambry, Ambo, Font,Presiders Chair, and Altar in St Anne’s Church and con-celebrated Mass with Father Bert, Father Peter, and Father Kevin.
Fr Kevin spoke on the Parish Renewal process that was adopted in order to ascertain the parishioners Values, Needs, and what they considered their Treasures. Several meetings were held, facilitated by Sr Margaret Smith sgs, Very Reverend David Orr osb, and Randall Lindstrom.
Randall Lindstrom then spoke of the ideas and symbols behind the various works, such as the Ambo representing a book being opened to the gathered people of God while the Altar shape represented (among many things) a drawing in towards the centre in Communion of the people.
Bishop Tim started his homily with a promise not to talk for more than 45 minutes but he is such a spellbinding speaker with the gift of drawing all his listeners along with shared enthusiasm, that no one would have noticed the time.
His final point was that the Church, in it’s buildings and in it’s people in Sunbury and surrounds, is like a sacrament. Our parish with our buildings and people are an outward sign of the presence of God in our community. Jesus still helps the poor, teaches those who will listen, and works for the Kingdom of God here today in our community just as he did when he walked through Palestine all those years ago. Today he does it through his mystical body, us. We, the ordinary people of our parish, provide Jesus with his hands and feet in our time.
The Symbology of the Dedication
The Anointing of the Altar
By being anointed with consecrated oil of Chrism, the altar becomes a symbol of Christ, who before all others is called “The Anointed One”; for the Father anointed him with the Holy Spirit and constituted him the High Priest who on the altar of his body would offer the sacrifice of his life for the salvation of all.
Incense
Incense is burned on the altar to signify that the sacrifice of Christ, which is then perpetuated in mystery, ascends to God as an odour of sweetness, and also is a sign that the prayers of the people rise up pleasing and acceptable, reaching to the throne of God. The People of God are incensed for they are the living temple in which each faithful member is a spiritual altar.
The white cloth on the altar
The cloth indicates that the Christian altar is the altar of the eucharistic sacrifice and the table of the Lord; standing around it priests and people, in one and the same action but with a difference of function, celebrate the memorial of the death and resurrection of Christ and partake in the Lord’s Supper. The altar is prepared as the table of sacrificial banquet and adorned as for a feast. This is the Lord’s Table at which all God’s people meet with joy to be refreshed with divine food, namely the Body and Blood of Christ sacrificed.
The lighting of the altar
This teaches us that Christ is “a light to enlighten the nations” (Luke 2:32), whose brightness shines out in the Church and through it upon the whole family of humanity. (Taken from “Rite of Dedication”)
Note: A report on a course run by Bishop Tim for the Northern Parishes and attended by some of our parishioners can be found here.
VOCATION VIEWS
God does not ask you to be successful: God does ask you to be faithful. Put your vocation ahead of your career.
ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY
A volunteer gardener position is available at the Sunbury Centre.
If you are interested and have experience in this field, please call the Centre Manager on 9744 1447
VALE FATHER BRIAN BAINBRIDGE
Vale Father Brian Bainbridge who was ordained for the Church of Melbourne in 1966 and was currently parish priest of Bennettswood. About ten years ago, Fr Brian facilitated the discernment process when our parish was examining where to build the Parish Centre and Offices. Last November, we were both on a priests’ retreat and I congratulated him on the good process and the fine result we now enjoy. He died in his sleep last Tuesday at his Presbytery. When he did not appear at Mass on Tuesday he was found to have entered eternal life…… Fr Kevin
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Sunbury 
You must be logged in to post a comment.