IF YOU NEED A PRIEST URGENTLY,
PLEASE CALL THE APPROPRIATE NUMBER:

Business hours 9am-4pm Mon - Fri – Parish Office – 9949 4455

After hours (Evenings and weekends) – 0490 898 464

Bishop AnthonyMy dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Greetings in the Lord as we commence another year. Many people are hoping for a smooth 2022 compared to 2020 and 2021. With the Christmas Season not far behind us, I have not lost sight of the Star of Hope – the symbol and sign of Emmanuel, God-with-us. 

There have been a few disruptions to our ecclesial and social communities already this year. Despite the challenges that continue to emerge during this pandemic, I would like to encourage you to remain strong in your faith and to be vigilant in your love and care for others. We are people of hope, but we are also people of faith and love (cf 1 Corinthians 13:4-13). 

Faith, hope, and love are virtues which prompt us to behave in an honourably good manner. They are often spotted in the smallest acts of tenderness and kindness made towards others; by putting the weak, the sick, or the vulnerable before ourselves. They are also visible when one defends the rights of others, especially when another person may be compromised or injured. For the Christian disciple, faith, hope, and love are also seen when our duties or obligations are met with cheerfulness, honesty, integrity, and compassion.

Fr Dave will be on annual leave from 26 December until 18 January.

Fr Abel will spend several weeks in St Joseph’s Parish, South Yarra, from mid-January onwards.

This weekend’s 9.30am Mass will be livestreamed via the following link and can also be watched at any time after the livestream via the same link:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt8Dxm0ehFt-5r1ie9xOjLw

Link on Parish Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/NorthHarbourCatholic

covid 19

The NSW Government has announced revised COVID restrictions for enclosed spaces which includes Places of Worship until 27 January. Our understanding is as follows:

  • Electronic sign-in REMAINS mandatory in Places of Worship by:
    • QR Code: Preferred method is to use your device to check in with venue's QR Code;

    • Paper sign-in is only permissible in cases where it is necessary due to age or language; please print details clearly because the Parish needs to digitise the records and supply to NSW Health within 4 hours when requested;

  • Face masks are MANDATORY. Spare facemasks are provided but we prefer that you provide your own, please.

Our Parish and Schools Communities have been very blessed in the presence and skilled leadership of departing Principals Fran Taylor (St Cecilia’s) and Michael Gallagher (St Kieran’s). At this time we thank both for their conscientious commitment, good humour and pastoral concern during their years of service in North Harbour. Neither Fran nor Michael could have imagined what was ahead of them these past 2 years but each showed mature and steady leadership and teamwork with staff in responding to the individual and collective, learning and social needs of the children and their families.

catholiccareWe are the social care agency of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Broken Bay

Since 1987 CatholicCare has served the communities of Northern Sydney, Northern Beaches and Central Coast, providing services and supports to more than 26,000 people every year to create a brighter future.

We welcome everyone, regardless of circumstances, religion, ethnicity, age, gender or ability.  Our services are as diverse as the people we serve. The common thread is our commitment to quality and to you, recognising your individual talents and challenges. Whatever assistance you need, we will serve you in justice and love. 

Brochures outlining our services are available in the church foyer.

Our door is open – come on in and find out how we can help.

Augustinian magazine december 2021The December edition of the Augustinian Magazine is available in the Church foyers or from the parish office.

 

broken bay news december 2021Copies of the December edition of Broken Bay News will be  available in the church foyers this weekend, or follow the link:

https://www.bbcatholic.org.au/news/broken-bay-news/broken-bay-news-editions/december-2021

fr peter jones osaA message of Fr Peter Jones OSA, Prior Provincial of the Order of St Augustine: PART 3 OF 3.

Particularly inspiring were some heartfelt interventions in which personal experiences of church were shared. Many of these speakers were young, most were women. While the reflections came from personal experience they represented the hopes and anguish of many.

Thanks needs to be expressed to the Team overseeing the Plenary Council process. In the context of the ever changing Covid environment preparing for the Assembly had its challenges. The Team did well in ensuring that the Assembly was able to occur and flourish.

Where to from here? The fruits of the First Assembly have been entrusted to a Drafting Committee that will prepare resolutions to be considered at the Second Assembly at which those Members who are not Bishops will have a consultative vote and the Bishops will have a deliberative vote. Concern was expressed that the Assembly members not be left out of engagement with the process between the two Assemblies. More significantly, the hope was expressed that there was engagement with the broader Australian church in the period between the two Assemblies.

In all of this, there is now the backdrop of the synodal process initiated by Pope Francis. With its emphasis on walking together there is a confluence between what is happening at the national level here and the movement for renewal in the Church universal.

If you would like to read Fr Peter’s letter in it’s full form, please click on the link below:

https://www.northharbourcatholic.org.au/images/stories/site/downloads/Fr_Peter_Plenary_Council.pdf

kevin mascarenhas

Many thanks for all your support with my music over the years and for taking the time to come see me after mass to let me know what this music has meant to you in mass and throughout lockdown. 

As an Advent song based on Psalm 85, Grant Us Your Salvation is my debut release which is now available on your favourite music share eg Spotify, iTunes etc or at my channel link below. 

I will also look forward to getting more of these Psalms out to you throughout 2022. Kevin Mascarenhas Kevin Masca - YouTube

This week’s BBNeighbourhoods contains a challenging article by Catholic psychiatrist Dr Joanne Wright who recently spoke at a forum on the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill hosted by ‘Health Professionals Say No’, a group of health professionals who oppose the introduction of physician assisted suicide and euthanasia. To read the text of her address, please click here

Thank you wonderful Parishioners for your words and acts of support and encouragement as we travel together through lockdowns and restrictions.  We hope this short video brings you joy. 

As our candles burned during our livestream masses & prayers we were reminded of Christ burning in our hearts and in our community.

https://youtu.be/ATQ4z1m7WEc

If you are feeling hesitant or underqualified, try to remember that:

  • ·God is with you and helps you along the way.
  • ·Your thoughts and personal experiences are unique and of value to others.
  • ·God is longing for you to share His word and your faith with others.
  • ·The children of our parish and their families have chosen Catholic Catechist classes and it would be a shame if there wasn’t a teacher to lead them– we are all volunteers and not professional teachers.
  • ·Often, when we enter a ministry to help others, we end up receiving gifts that we could not have imagined would come to us.
  • ·The Holy Spirit will give you everything you need to do God’s work.

SCHOOL DAYS AND TIMES:

annual reportFeedback on the Parish Annual Report and the short video containing highlights and information on the past year’s activities has been very positive. Parishioners should have received an emailed copy of the Report by now along with the video link. Some hard copies are available in our churches this weekend. Our thanks again to Ed Coney and Jacky Worthington for their work on the video production.

Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgQ36J332S4
Link to written report:
https://www.northharbourcatholic.org.au/images/stories/site/downloads/Parish_Annual_Report_2020-21.pdf

parish libThe recent period of Lockdown has afforded Fr. Abel, with the valued assistance of parishioner John Kiely, the opportunity to refresh our Parish Library by sorting and cataloguing a large quantity of books, donated over recent years, and placing them on the shelves for easier access.

Our Library’s focus is on books of a religious or spiritual nature, including Scripture study, Devotional practice, Theology, Philosophy, Pastoral Care, Psychology, Liturgy, Sacraments, Church history, Saints, Biographies, etc.  Most books are in good condition and available to borrow.

vinniesThis is the link to the Vinnies Metropolitan Schools and Youth Term 4 2021 Newsletter:
bit.ly/VinniesSchoolYouthNewsTerm42021

The 2021 edition of the Mini Vinnies Formation Program (MVFP) for students in Years 4 – 6 is available for those who wish to undertake Social Justice Formation in their own time. For more information please go to https://bit.ly/VinniesMVFP

augustinian logoEach year at this time of the year, the Order in Australia promotes the Augustinian Appeal. The Appeal is being held over 2 Sundays.

We are very aware that many individuals and families in our ministries are struggling so this informing you of the 2021 Appeal is done with sensitivity. There are three causes for which the Order invites assistance – our community in Vietnam, the Augustinian Seminary and Augustinian Volunteers Australia. You are welcome to choose to which of these you may wish to contribute, however our greatest need is support for the community in Saigon, Vietnam. Frs Phu Tran, Minh-Tan Hoang, Quang Tuyen Pham and Michael Sullivan are doing great work in hosting young vocation enquirers learning about Augustinian community life and guiding pre-novices and professed in the formation programme. While of our three causes, this Vietnam Mission Appeal is not able to attract a tax deduction, we hope you will consider helping us in supporting this mission.

Donation envelopes are available in our parishes and can be placed in the collection basket or mailed to the Province Office, or you may wish to make a direct deposit as detailed below: 

If any of our parish families would like some online Catholic resources for their children to use, please go to The Broken Bay Diocese Website (www.bbcatholic.org.au). The CCD Team have created some beautiful online lessons based on the Catechist “Walking with Jesus” learning program. They are very easy for the children to use and beautifully created. The lessons are on Power Point so children can scroll through the lesson independently.

To access all activities, click on the link : Catholic SRE Online         

Dear Friends,

One very significant challenge we face as a Parish is that our income is largely derived from our weekly collections – which of course won’t be taking place whilst our church buildings are closed.

For those on Planned Giving credit cards, we thank you for your continued support.

For those who have supported us for many years by placing your donations or envelopes on the collection plate, we couldn’t exist without you. In our Parish, your contributions make up a significant part of our income.

We ask those able to consider going onto Planned Giving by credit card or making a donation to our bank account (details below). These options can be arranged for only the period when our churches are closed allowing you to resume your usual giving method once things return to normal.  We know that some of you will be experiencing hardship and will not be able to contribute as you have in the past.

Thank you to all those who have made donations to our accounts, please note last week both the Parish and Priory have been issued with new bank account numbers as below.  Please also note inward payments that have already been set up will continue to work.