LATEST NEWS

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PARISH LITURGY TEAM REPORT

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Liturgy Team Report

It was good to see quite a few new faces on the team. These were parishioners who had volunteered during the “Workers in the Vineyard” program.

Parish Target

The team looked at the Parish Target. (By the end of 2009 all the people of Our Lady of Mt Carmel Parish Sunbury, through their experiences and through structures of communication and participation, are aware of the value of every person.) This grew out of the program “Journeying Together” in August and September 2006 in which the parishioners arrived at their vision of the ideal parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. With the end of 2009 almost upon us we need some reflection on the target.

Neighbourhood Letter

The final letter to all the parishioners on the parish list will have the theme of “Acceptance and Hospitality” and this will be the theme of this years Advent. As the letters are delivered there will be an invitation to any Catholics who are not on the parish list to consider sending in their details and also a timetable for the Christmas Masses. This invitation will be dropped in all the other letter boxes that don’t get a copy of the Acceptance and Hospitality letter.

Advent

The theme will be “Acceptance and Hospitality”.
An Advent Wreath needs to be organised for Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church.
The Tuesday 9.15am Mass at St Anne’s Church will be cancelled and there will be a 7.00pm Mass at Lady of Mount Carmel Church on Tuesdays instead. This will enable those whose working hours preclude them from attending Mass during the week to be able to come. The Wednesday 9.15am Mass will move from Lady of Mount Carmel Church to St Anne’s Church.
Once again we will have the lighting of the Advent Candles with a community prayer and a community sung response.
There will also be an Advent Hymn.
The audio/visual has been optimised so all the congregation will be able to read from the screens.

Christmas Music

A sub-committee was formed to look at the music for the parish Christmas celebrations, as well as the requirements for Advent. This will involve writing the community prayers, composing the sung responses and composing the Advent Hymn.

Consecration of the New Altar

On February 7th 2010 at 10.30am Bishop Tim Costelloe will come to at St Anne’s Church in order to consecrate the new Altar and dedicate the new Font, Ambo and Presiders Chair. This is an exciting occasion in the Church and the liturgy contains elements that go back through the mists of time to the very early church practices. We hope to be able to inform parishioners of the Why, What, How, etc so that they may get the most from the occasion.

Blessing of the Mount Carmel Bell

This will take place at 9.30am on the 21st March 2010. The Blessing will take place outdoors at Lady of Mount Carmel Church and will then move to St Anne’s Church for the Eucharist Celebration. Afterwards we will gather in the Parish Centre.

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PARISH RENEWAL TARGET

Some time ago we gathered as a parish to look at how we could revitalise and renew ourselves, and through ourselves, our parish. We decided on a target for the parish as follows:

By the end of 2009 all the people of Our Lady of Mt Carmel Parish Sunbury, through their experiences and through structures of communication and participation, are aware of the value of every person.

Earlier this year we gathered for an evaluation of the results so far. A report is available here.

As the end of 2009 is nearly upon us, it’s possibly a good time to reflect on how we have done in the pursuit of the target. Do we need to extend the time? How well do you thing the parish has gone? How far do you think we have gone? What else needs to be done?
One of the things that was requested at the evaluation meetings was a way to give feedback to the rest of the parish. Here is one way. If you have any comments on this or on anything else on this site, just leave a comment at the bottom of the article in a nom de plume or in your own name. I think the parishioners would dearly love to know what their fellow parishioners think.

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R C I A

On Sunday 15 November at 10.30am Mass, we will welcome four people interested in becoming Catholics into our parish community.
Alison Fisher, Eni Saban, Sue & Jason White are Inquirers at present but through the Rite of Acceptance on Sunday 15 November, they will enter the Catechumenate and continue to learn about Jesus and the teachings of His church.
Please keep them in your prayers as they commit to continuing their faith journey.

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DON BOSCO BRUNSWICK YOUTH FOUNDATION FUN & FOOD FESTA

Saturday 21 November 6.00pm at Ferraro Receptions, 14 Onslow Avenue, Campbellfield.
The evening will again feature great food, dancing, drawing of the major raffle, lucky dips, prizes galore and fun for all.
Tickets $45 per person (includes food, drink & music) are available by contacting Foundation Office—9386 3948, Foundation Secretary—9380 8759 or Foundation Treasurer—0411 790 221.

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NEW VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT FUNDING AGREEMENT FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

Last Wednesday, the Premier John Brumby, announced a new funding agreement moving funding from 19% to 22% of the cost of education of students in Victorian Government schools during the next four years.
The increase is about $250 per student annually. Last year our parents strongly campaigned that the Victorian Government lift funding to 25% of the cost of a student in a government school. The increase granted is very welcome and gives us the opportunity to provide more for our students.
Currently, Catholic schools teach 22% of Victorian students.

Fr Kevin

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CELEBRATION OF CONFIRMATION

Last Sunday Archbishop Denis Hart conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation on 137 of our children during two Masses at St Patrick’s Cathedral. Many positive comments have been received and the Parish Religious education team is to be congratulated on the inspiring celebrations.
We thank the Archbishop for his interest and time in meeting the children during their rehearsal on the Thursday beforehand, the Cathedral staff, our servers Michael, Ryan and Stephanie and our cantors Mary Barraclough and Kevin Carville. These five people gave all their afternoon in assistance.

Fr Kevin

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EVERGREENS……FREE CONCERT

Come Along and Singalong
Sunbury Policy Community together with the City of Hume, Sunbury Community Health Centre, Rotary of Sunbury, Sunbury Kiwanis and Gisborne Nites CWA invite you to their free concert.
When: Tue 17 November 11.30am to 2.30pm at Sunbury Memorial Hall.
A basket lunch will be served with tea/coffee.
Huffers & Puffers Band.
Bookings Frances—9744 1999. but no later than Wednesday the 11th November.

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PARISH CENTENARY AND SCHOOL SESQUICENTENARY 2010-2011

The Centenary Committee last Wednesday decided that the first major event of the Centenary Year will be a blessing of the Centenary Bell Tower on Sunday 21 March at 9.30am at O.L.M.C. Church. The liturgy will then continue at St Anne’s Church, and this will be followed by morning tea in the Parish Centre.
Also in the Parish Centre will be an historic display organised by the Parish Historical Committee and the O.L.M.C. School Board.

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BELL TOWER RAFFLE—-DON’T MISS THIS!

Please return your book of tickets sold or unsold by Wednesday to the Parish or School Offices, as the raffle for the Home Theatre Package will be drawn this week. You may have missed the Melbourne Cup, don’t miss out on this.

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VICTIMS OF CRIME AWARENESS WEEK

Prayer Service at St Francis’ Church Melbourne on Wed 11 November at 7.00pm for the recognition and support of persons affected by crime and violence and in remembrance of all victims. All welcome! Refreshments to follow.

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OUR PARISH RETREAT

Our Parish Retreat is on today 25 October from 11.30am to 2.30pm in our warm Parish Centre (cool, wet weather is forecast).
The retreat will cover two aspects of the Spirituality of Communion strongly taught by Pope John Paul II in 2001.
The aspects for today’s retreat are Participation and Prayer.
The facilitators are Jill Gibbs and Father Kevin.
Please bring some lunch to share and your Bible.

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PARISH COORDINATING TEAM MEETING

A report from the meeting of the 22nd Oct 2009

Prayer Led by Jill Gibbs with a reading from 1 Peter Ch5 1-5

Sacramental Program Confirmation organising is fine. We need more resources.(people) The focus is on the students growth and conversion. In the Holy Communion program, First Communion will take place in the middle of the program in order to build towards there being a second Communion, and third etc. We still need animated Neighbourhoods and broad parishioner support and enthusiasm for this to be successful.

Renewal and Parish Retreat This was discussed at length. It was felt that the numbers on Wednesday were somewhat lacking, those that attended felt it was very enjoyable.

Youth Group They have had a couple of gatherings but they, like so many other groups need to become visible so that the Parish can feel a part of their successes.

Mass of Thanksgiving This will be on Nov 22nd at 10.30am Mass. All asked to bring a plate. Some volunteers required to setup the Parish Centre.

National Committee for Professional Standards A sun-committee was set up to investigate a “Code of Conduct” and report back.

Centenary Celebrations Report It will be a busy year with a great range of activities for all. Bulla will be involved, Parish Ball, Car Rally, etc. Raffle tickets and other fundraising will take place after Masses on Sunday 25th.

“Year for Priests” A letter with various suggestions was recieved from Bishop Tim Costelloe. One of our main activities will be celebrating the 40th Aniversary of our Parish Priest on Sunday the 23rd May 2010. Further information on the Year for Priests can be found at this website.

PCT Membership All Neighbourhood coordinators or a permanent representative will be permanent members of the PCT from the Parish AGM on the 27th Feb 2010.

Parish Assembly or AGM Will be held on the 27th Feb 2010 and written reports from all Parish groups will be hung on the walls and each group will be asked to give a verbal report of about half a minute.

Parish Census Neighbourhoods will deliver the cards as they deliver the final letter for the year and it is expected that some will need extra “Posties” to cover their areas. We will need calls for help to be in early and we will need all the volunteers we can get.

Next meeting 25th Nov to setup for the AGM among other things.

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A REPORT FROM THE PARISH RETREAT

Spirituality in Our Times

This year our Parish Retreat was on the theme “Spirituality for our Times” and was led by Father Kevin and Jill Gibbs.

We commenced on Wednesday 21st Oct by exploring the “Spirituality of Communion“. We discussed the difference between a monologue and a dialogue, between being talked at and conversing with. In a dialogue we seek to share our way of seeing and our personal history with others and to try to see their way and their history. It is an attempt to build up the Body of Christ, not tear it down.

Next we talked about the power of silence and how we can use silence to give space to those to whom we wish to listen. In Christian Meditation we use silence to simply “BE” in the presence of God.

On Sunday 25th we took the themes of “Participation” and of “Prayer“.

We saw how things were different in the early days of the Church, when all of the members of the Body of Christ brought their individual gifts to the service of all the other members of the Body. The members had different gifts but all were expected to share in the Whole.The Body grows in this multiplicity of gifts but it is not chaotic or haphazard growth because it has a unifying focus: the growth of the whole Body of Christ. From this point of view participation is a gift of the Holy Spirit. We are called, in our diversity, to participate and contribute to the unity and growth of the Church, the Body of Christ to which we all belong by virtue of our Baptism.

We then talked about the need to make time for prayer in our lives and indeed to make a prayer of our lives. We spoke of personal prayer and community prayer and we read Psalm 139. St Paul’s statement “Pray without ceasing” in the first letter to the Thessalonians was looked at from the point of making one’s life a prayer. Prayer consists of saying “Yes” to God with one’s intelligence and will to the point of identifying oneself with, and freely conforming to, the will of God. It is the “Thy will be done” of the Our Father, of the Annunciation, and of the Agony in the Garden. It is the ordinary Human Life lived in God. It is the “Yes” of the ordinary Jewish girl to her God in which Mary participated in bringing forth the redemption of the world through her son, Jesus.

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VOCATION VIEW

We pray for the souls gone before us, all who have taken their vocation of Christian service seriously. May the Lord’s merciful love purify them completely, that they may look upon the face of God and rejoice forever. A Vocation dwells within us, with the powerful possibility to transform our own lives and make us saints.

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MONTH OF NOVEMBER

November is the month set aside for prayer for our departed faithful. November 2nd is the Commemoration Day of the Departed. Masses will be at 9.15am and 7.00pm both at O.L.M.C. Church.
Memorial Services at Cemeteries

Saturday 7 November 9.00am Sunbury Cemetery
Saturday 7 November 10.00am Bulla Cemetery