A working bee will be held at St Anne’s Church on Saturday 6 February, 9.00am to 12 noon for a general clean up inside and outside. Please bring any equipment required.
All welcome.
DEDICATION OF ALTAR AT ST ANNE’S – TWO WEEKS TODAY
The Dedication within the 10.30am Mass will begin with the blessing of the baptismal font, followed by the renewal of our baptismal vows; then the blessing of the presider’s chair; the blessing of the ambo, the Table of the Word. The readings will be specific for this occasion. After the homily, we will pray the Litany of the Saints, then the relics of some saints will be installed in the altar; our relics are Bishop St Francis de Sales, the widow St Jane Frances de Chantal and the nun St Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Then follows the spectacular ceremony of anointing and incensation of the altar. Then the Liturgy of the Eucharist commences with the Procession of gifts. After Holy Communion is distributed the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament will be inaugurated. Please all bring a plate of finger food to share for a light lunch together in the Parish Centre at 12 noon.
SCHOOL DAMAGE
Victoria Police have taken possession of very clear CCTV evidence of five youths breaking into our school at 2.30am on Friday and damaging the children’s’ sports equipment.
PROGRESS REPORT ON WORKS
- Last week the external of the permanent and temporary classrooms of O.L.M.C. School was painted in heritage colours. All classrooms have been cabled for power, data and security.
- At St Anne’s, internal painting and plastering has been proceeding in the ¾ level area.
- The steel roof of the bell tower has been fabricated
The Year of the Priest: June 2009 – June 2010
In recent years, studies have shown how happy priests are. The Presbyterian sociologist Dean Hoge:
“the level of happiness among Catholic priests is fairly high”.
In 2001, 88% said they would choose priesthood again. The Catholic sociologist Fr Greeley wrote in 2004
“priests score higher on measures of satisfaction than do doctors, lawyers, faculty members and Protestant ministers”.
92% said they would choose priesthood again.
These professional studies show that priests are not ‘unfulfilled emotional wrecks’ as sometimes portrayed.
Hoge listed three top personal problems for priests: low authority exercised in the church, too much work and thirdly unrealistic expectations by lay people.
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THE BEGGINING OF THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR
Last week those who did VCE in 2009 received their tertiary education places. Those I have spoken to are happy with their places.
This week , the school year commences – Wednesday for staff, beginning with Mass at St Anne’s on the feast of St Angela Merici. All are welcome to this Mass.
Our three schools: O.L.M.C., Salesian and St Anne’s now have major building programmes totalling about $11 million. These works will substantially improve facilities for our children.
FOUNDATIONS FOR PASTORAL MINISTRY
This Program is for those in parish ministries and other settings to enable them to learn more about their faith and to assist them in their Christian ministries. Brochures of courses beginning in February are at the Welcome Desk.
The entire life of the disciple is marked by learning and growth. Life long growth in faith is an essential Characteristic of adult catholic life. John Paul 11
CONSECRATION OF ALTAR AT ST ANNE’S CHURCH
The Consecration of the Altar at St Anne’s will be within the 10.30am Mass on 7 February with Bishop Tim Costello, Bishop of the Northern Region presiding. The ceremony is very rich and takes about one and a half hours. There will be no Baptisms that Sunday.
PROGRESS REPORT ON WORKS
At O.L.M.C School, demolition of two classrooms is proceeding where four new classrooms will be constructed with a lift included has continued.
The Bell Tower to house the restored bell at O.L.M.C. Church is proceeding well.
At St Anne’s School, plastering and other fitting out is progressing in the 3/4 Level Block.
The road marking in St Anne’s car park has been repainted. Please observe the changed markings on the road.
VOCATION VIEW
Come on, continue your Baptism by baptising others in the Holy Spirit and fire. “You are my beloved child,” says the Lord!
ST VINCENT DE PAUL
Do you have a few hours to spare every week and would like to make some new friends? Come and volunteer at our Sunbury Vinnies Centre. Our centres raise funds for the Society to provide those in need with recycled clothing, furniture and other goods. We are looking for retail volunteers to help out in our Sunbury Centre, 156 O’Shanassy St. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain personal satisfaction from making a positive contribution to St Vincent de Paul Society as well as to learn new skills. If you can help please contact the manager on 9744 1447.
SOMETHING HOPEFUL IN COPENHAGEN—HOLY SEE
Copenhagen, Denmark, Dec 18 2009 (Zenit.org) – the biggest climate change talks of history wrapped up today amid a general sense of disappointment, but the Holy See had something hopeful to say.
Archbishop Celestino Migiliore, the leader of the Holy See delegation in Copenhagen and its permanent observer at the United Nations, said Thursday that the conference reiterates just how long it takes to come up with clear and firm political will.
But he said in his address to the conference, ‘society and local authorities did not wait for the expected political and legally binding conclusions of our meetings, which takes such an incredibly long time. Instead individuals, groups, local authorities and communities have already begun an impressive series of initiatives’.
The Archbishop gave some suggestions about why it is so hard for international leaders to come to a consensus.
‘Is this political will slow in taking shape due to the complexity of the interlinking issues that we must tackle’? he asked. ‘Is it mainly a problem of conflicting national interests? Or is it the difficulty in translating into numbers the by-now acquired principle of common and differentiated responsibility? Or is it still the predominance of energy policies over care of the environment’?
It’s all of the above, the prelate asserted. Regardless, he said there are two cornerstones of the response to climate change: adaption and mitigation. ‘While technical solutions are necessary, they are not sufficient. The wisest and most effective programs focus on information, education and the formation of the sense of responsibility in children and adults towards environmentally sound patterns of development and stewardship of creation,’ the prelate contended.
And according to Archbishop Migliore, these initiatives ‘have already started to build up a mosaic of experiences and achievements marked by a widespread ecological conversion. These new attitudes and behaviours have the potential to create the necessary intra-generational and inter-generational solidarity and dispel any sterile sense of fear, apocalyptic terror, overbearing control and hostility toward humanity that are multiplied in media accounts and other reports’.
PARISH OFFICE
The office will be staffed on weekdays from 9.00am to 1.00pm during January school holidays.
OUR SOARING INSURANCE COSTS
There is a 25% increase in our premium for insuring our parish property for 2010, our premium being $25,937.00 which is paid out of our Thanksgiving Offering.
In addition our two schools paid $66,884 in insurance premiums last year which was paid from school fees.
THANK YOU
Thank you for your generosity towards the collection for Melbourne Overseas Mission last month when you gave $1,178.00, an increase of 13% on the 2008 collection.
THE DEGRADATION OF OUR ENVIRONMENT
A moral problem threatening peace and human life…..Benedict XVI: On 15 December, Pope Benedict issued a message to world leaders for World Peace Day…..
’Can we remain indifferent before the problems associated with such realities as climate change, desertification, the deterioration and loss of productivity in vast agricultural areas, the pollution of rivers and aquifers, the loss of biodiversity, the increase of natural catastrophes and the deforestation of equatorial and tropical regions’?
‘It is becoming more and more evident that the issue of environmental degradation challenges us to examine our lifestyle and the prevailing models of consumption and production, which are often unsustainable from a social, environmental and even economic point of view’.
Pope Benedict XVI (full story Catholic News Service 15 Dec 09).
SOME EVENTS IN 2010
On 7 February at 10.30am Mass, Bishop Costelloe, Bishop of the Northern Region, will dedicate the new altar and font at St Anne’s Church.
On 21 March we will celebrate 150 years of O.L.M.C. School beginning a year of celebrations for the school and the centenary of our parish in February 2011.
FINANCE
Our parish debt is $690,120. In addition, our combined debt on both our schools is just over $2 million. Thanks to our 997 donors who gave an average of $7.50 a week in Thanksgiving Offering.
THANKS
Thanks to all who have supported the activity of our parish by their giving generously of their time and money to support the activity of our parish;
- worship rosters
- church cleaning
- flowers
- church setting up
- counters
- maintenance men
- bingo workers
- catechists
- ministers of communion to the house-bound and those in aged care
- music ministry
- neighbourhood coordinators
- parish posties
- finance committee
- school boards
- liturgy planners
- Thanksgiving Committee
- parish coordinating teams
- parish website, etc.
Thanks also to all those employed in our parish office and our two schools as pastoral, secretarial, support and teaching staff for their wonderful contribution throughout 2009.
HIGHLIGHTS OF 2009
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Parish Renewal—sessions of spiritual renewal were offered in April and October. We continued on our target of giving all 14,000 Catholics of our parish a sense of belonging. To assist this, our infrastructure of 22 neighbourhoods was strengthened. We were invited by the Archdiocese of outline our process to other large outer Melbourne parishes in November.
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During the first four months, we worshipped in the Parish Centre while a new ceiling, heating/cooling, a new altar, a new font, new ambo, new ambry, audio loop were installed in St Anne’s Church.
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In May a proper access ramp was constructed at O.L.M.C. Church.
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In November a gala auction dinner and raffle raised sufficient finance to restore the bell tower at O.L.M.C. Church hopefully by the time of the sesquicientary in March. The steel has arrived in the factory.
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In March, Paul Hogan, Deputy Principal at Essendon, was appointed Principal at O.L.M.C. School. In June, Shane Crawford—Deputy Principal at Heidelberg was appointed Deputy Principal at St Anne’s School. Sadly, we lost Helen Williams, a staff member for 26 years, in October as she entered eternal life.
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During the third term, the carpark at St Anne’s Church was asphalted with a new bus terminal. The Federal Government granted $200,000 and the school took out a ten year loan of $142,000.
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Painting of the exterior of St Anne’s Church—was completed over five days under the expert guidance of Santo Munafo. Sincere gratitude to the 20 parishioners who willingly gave their time earlier this month.
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123 parishioners were baptised into the Body of Christ and brought into the life of our Church.
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Confirmation was conferred at St Patrick’s Cathedral on 8 November—two sessions to accommodate the 137 Confirmands.
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27 weddings were celebrated at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church.
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32 funerals took place in our churches.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Sunbury 
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