MESSAGE ON THE 1ST SUNDAY OF ADVENT (YR A)
Friday 25th November 2022
My dear people,
After conducting the interviews for the position of Evangelisation Coordinator, I am pleased to announce that Nimmi Candappa has been successful in her application as Natasha’s maternity leave replacement. Nimmi comes to us with a great range of experience in working for the church and parishes. She will start on Tuesday 29th November. Over the next few weeks, I will discuss with Nimmi ways in which she will introduce herself to the parish.
Our parish Carols by Candlelight will be held on 18th December from 5:30pm outside the PAC of CRC next door. You are all warmly invited to attend. Apart from carols, there will also be food and drinks available, a jumping castle and face painting to entertain children and great ways to renew the bonds of friendship which unite us.
This Sunday, we will have our Parish BBQ after the 12pm Mass. It will be the last one of the year and you are all invited to attend. Again, this is another way of bringing the parish together for fellowship around food and drinks!
Last Saturday, many of us had the privilege of attending Tien Tran’s ordination to the diaconate. I was extremely blessed to have been asked by Tien to vest him in his dalmatic, the liturgical vestment that he will wear when he assists at Mass. Tien will be here for the Masses of the weekend of 3rd and 4th December. We will have a get-together after the 6pm Mass on Saturday 3rd December to congratulate Tien on his ordination and will present him with a gift from the parish. You are all warmly invited to come. We are asking people to bring something to share. There will be a sheet of paper in the gathering space for those coming to put what they can bring to share with the rest of the parish.
“Steadfast in Hope,” a retreat for young adults aged between 18 and 25 will be held from 9th – 11th December at Pallotti College in Millgrove. This will be a wonderful opportunity for our young adults to go to Jesus to find ‘great calm’ (Mt 18:23-27). There are flyers in the gathering space as well as more information in the bulletin with details on how to register.
I was contacted by some leaders of Family Enrichment Australia last month about the possibility for them to hold sessions here in the parish. FEA is an organisation which is driven by a single goal; to provide parents with the tools they need to reach their full potential as educators of their children, and to develop their very own personal and family plan. They will hold an information afternoon this Sunday in the meeting rooms at 3pm. You are all invited. More information at https://www.fea.org.au.
There are two ministries in the parish where volunteers are needed. We need parishioners to help with flower arrangements and also with looking after the Piety Stall before and after Mass. I appeal to your generosity with these two ministries. There is more information in the bulletin about joining these ministries.
The book of Remembrance of the Departed will continue to be available for a few more days. You are invited to add to the book only names of your deceased loved ones who have died in the last twelve months. Once the names have been included in the book, we will pray for all of them every year. Please note that there is no need to add the same names more than once. Furthermore, as is our parish custom, we will not mention names of deceased loved ones during Mass in November nor have the names in the bulletin since they are included in the Remembrance book. Envelopes for offering Mass for the Repose of the Soul of our deceased loved ones are available on the collection table.
The season of Advent starts this weekend. Advent reminds us that we must prepare for the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas. It also reminds us of the need to prepare for the second coming of Christ, which we profess every week in the creed. May you and your loved ones have a blessed season of Advent this year.
We continue turning to our patron saint, and we ask for her intercession.
St Catherine of Siena, Pray for us.
Yours sincerely in Christ,
Fr Richard Rosse PP