Parish Bulletin
St Mary’s Parish Prayer
God our Father, as we thank you for the blessings, we ask you to bless this Parish of yours, so that
we may love you more.
Encircle our families with your loving care.
Help parents to be good examples to their
children and our youth to grow in strength as good Christians.
To the sick grant health, to the aged bring serenity and to those in sorrow, joy.
May we grow stronger in faith and may
our love for one another become deeper
in our daily living.
We make this through the intercession of our Mother Mary. Amen
UPDATED - Paris Office Hours
Tuesday and Thursday, 9.00am to 4.00pm, But Brenda may be working from home for some of those hours. Important parish issues will be addressed and you are welcome to call directly on 0466 830 682 if the parish number 5825 2034 is unattended.
Bulletin notices are welcome and can be phoned to 5825 2034 or emailed to the office
mooroopna@cdos.org.au
OUR CHURCH IS CLOSED
In view of the Premiers announcement
regarding Stage 3 “stay at home”
restrictions, Bishop Shane has advised
that we must close our churches from
Thursday 6th August.
Sadly, this means that we are unable to
conduct our daily and weekend masses.
NO WEEKDAY MASSES
NO WEEKEND MASSES
LIVE-STREAMING ONLY
FUNERALS—maximum 10 people
Mons Peter will continue to video a mass each week and up to 5 helpers
can assist.
As we prepare for this new period of increased distancing, let us renew our commitment to ongoing connection with one another and with our communities, and especially supporting those who are facing illness and the loss of loved ones during this pandemic.
Updated - On the Lighter Side
I asked children what’s best about being back at school: their classroom interaction, being with friends, kicking the football at playtime, more subjects. Then what was good about remote learning: being close to the fridge; having sleep breaks anytime. But school was best!
New - Saints of the Week
This coming week we have Solemnities, Feasts and Memorials: Assumption of Mary; St Lawrence; St Clare, St Jane Frances de Chantal, Maximilian Kolbe. An optional memorial, which often gets overlooked, is on Thursday 13 August‑that of St Pontian, pope and martyr, and St Hippolytus priest and martyr. They are celebrated together but they were not always together when alive. Hippolytus was the first antipope. He opposed Pope Callistus and was installed as an “alternative pope” After the election of Pope Pontian they reconciled but then both martyred under the Emperor Maximinus in 235. St Hippolytus gave us the basis for Eucharistic Prayer II in our missals today.
NEW - Prayer for the Week
The hand of the Lord feeds us: he answers
all our needs. Ps 144:16
New - 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
The theme of the readings this week, according to Fr Brendan Byrne SJ, is the boundless generosity of God. 'The miraculous feeding [of the five thousand – Matt 14:13-21] and the Eucharist which it foreshadows make clear that what God wants to do for humanity is simply be a most generous Host at the banquet of eternal life'.
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to rage, perhaps it's timely to ask ourselves whether we're responding with the generosity of Christ in our dealings with family, friends and in the community. Are we doing our utmost to keep others in our community safe?
Lord …….
May your love and light shine in and through me today
In a way that no mask can hide.
May my eyes dance with the laughter and joy
Replacing my hidden smile.
May my actions of care and concern
Speak louder than my muffled voice ever could.
And may the generosity of my heart
Radiate out through who I am
And how I respond to the world around me
So that others may not see my mask
But your image shining out
Moving in and through me today.
Amen
By Michael Herry fms
New - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
The readings this week bring much comfort, especially as the threat of Covid-19 seems to be strengthening rather than abating.
Fr Brendan Byrne SJ says the Gospel on Sunday (Jesus walks on the water, Matt 14:22-33) recognises that there will be times of stress and danger when faith will be tested and sometimes fail. 'But this does not mean that "Emmanuel" is not with us.' This idea of an ever-present God who reaches out to us and brings peace is reiterated in the scripture reflections: 'Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid'.
This week let us go about our tasks knowing that God is with us.
NEW - Looking at the Readings
The Liturgy of the Word this Sunday opens with a wonderful account of the Prophet Elijah experience with encountering God. A theophany akin to Moses’ experience of God at the burning bush (Exodus 3). We read in English: [that God was heard] in “the sound of a gentle breeze.” (Jerusalem Bible - Australian Lectionary) or in “a sound of sheer silence” (New RSV). The Carmelites translate the Hebrew “qôl démåmâ daqqâ” as “a sound of thin silence” and offer us this commentary: “Elijah’s ineffable experience had found expression in an oxymoron that has, for centuries, frustrated scripture scholars as much as it has delighted Christian mystics. What does silence sound like? And thin silence at that! The biblical author provoked centuries of reflection”.
May we continue that reflection in light of today’s Gospel particularly in the final verse: “And as Jesus and Peter got into the boat the wind dropped. The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, ‘Truly, you are the Son of God.” It was not Jesus walking on the water but his calming of the storm and in the quietness of the sea that they recognised him as the Son of God”.
We need silence in our daily life to allow God into our lives. During the COVID-19 restrictions with working from home, having enough of screen time with remote conferencing and schooling; less outings for shopping and visiting we find we have “New Time”. We may not have church time but we do have prayer time and reading time.
NEW - PROJECT COMPASSION 2020
Project Compassion concluded at the end of the financial year. As has been said many times, 2020 is a year like no other! Sadly, Project Compassion was cut short and, as expected, donations are well down. Nationally, Project Compassion raised $8 million which is a loss of $3 million - a decrease of 27%. Sandhurst Diocese can be very proud of its contribution to that total, $393,000 compared to $496,000 last year which is a decrease of 21%. THANK YOU for your particular part in this.
Overall, it was an amazing result given parish & school closures, event cancellations, and the economic effects of COVID as well as the impact of bushfires.
Thanks to the Diocese and Parishes who continued to show the PC Films following live-streamed Masses and those who continued publicizing the Project Compassion/COVID 19 Appeal via Parish Bulletins and Facebook pages, right up to June. The success of this was shown in our increased online donations. Last year $189,000 was donated online but this year that increased to $247,000 – a very significant jump.
From Kerry Stone, Diocesan Co-ordinator.
NEW - VINNIES, Mooroopna
Advise that the shop will be closed from
Monday, 8th. August until Monday, 15th September, Due to the current restrictions.
MASS with MONS PETER now on YouTube
Thank you to Tom Diamond from St. Mary’s School who is videoing the mass each week and uploading to YouTube. Just copy the link below and you can enjoy it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=sWGR2TNpGqU&feature=youtu.be
Sandhurst Youth Ministry Weekday Morning Prayer
If you are aged between 15 and 30, and would like to be involved in Weekday Morning Prayer Video session, please get in touch with Ruth Lawlor
ruth.lawlor@sandhurst.catholic.org.au
These sessions are posted on the Sandhurst Youth You Tube Channel.
Live Services From Sandhurst With Bishop Shane
12.10pm every weekday and 10.00am Sundays
OTHER OPTIONS FOR YOU AT HOME -
DAILY TV MASS Livestream from the National Catholic Broadcasting Council of Canada: https://dailytvmass.com/ and
Facebook: ‘Daily TV Mass’
ST MELS PARISH LIVE STREAMING
This takes place every Sunday at 9.30am. To be part of this you must email their parish office on :-
sheppartonsouth@cdos.org.au
and register your interest and they will send you a link each week.
Bulletin Advertising
The Parish are currently calling for businesses that are interested in advertising in the Parish Bulletin and the School newsletters. We have 2 vacancies available.
If you are interested in discussing this, please contact Brenda at the Parish on 5825 2034 or The school Office on 5825 2858
Parish Sponsors
