Parish News
St Mel’s Parish is a welcoming and caring community that helps all people grow stronger in our Catholic Faith!
St Mel’s Parish
18 Hamilton Street,
Shepparton Vic. 3630
Telephone: (03) 5831 2194
Email: sheppartonsouth@cdos.org.au
Parish Priest: Fr Peter Taylor
Christ the King Church
Mass Times
Sunday: 9:30 am and 5:30 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am
Tuesday: 5:15
Wednesday to Friday: 9:15 am
Administration Officer: Ainsley Etuale
Secretary: Debbie Elliott
Office Hours: Tuesday to Friday 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Parish Pastoral Council Chair: Xavier Tanner
Bereavement Team: Maureen Matthews
Liturgy / Music: Maureen Munro
Being part of the parish
St Mel’s Parish encourage all members of our community to join in and engage in whatever manner you can. We are currently looking for readers, ministers of the eucharist and general volunteers. Please call the office for more information.
Sacramental Program 2019
Parents wishing their children to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation and Eucharist in the St Mel’s Parish Sacramental Program are advised that registration for enrolment is on Sunday February 17th and 24th , after Mass at 9.30am and 5.30pm.
An information night for parents will be advised when the programme dates has been finalised. Further enquiries please contact St Mel’s Parish Office on 58312194.
A thought from Fr Peter
Does God play favourites?
It is often easy to go through life and have our favourite people and friends in and around our lives. It's a natural understanding of who we are. So to be with people who we find challenging to be with may keep us away, because they may threaten us. God sees it differently. Luke's Gospel (6:17,20-26) tells us who God's favourites are. The ones we know who are poor, who mourn, who face their persecution for doing the right thing. Sure God loves everyone equally, yet the scriptures show time and time again, God's actions favour the powerless.
The word 'blessed' in a sense means 'favoured' . Jesus is intent on these phrases as constructing a world where the powerless rise from their lowly position. Ours is very much a time where we need voices encouraging for a more blessed time for humanity and where the reign of God is open for all. I was fortunately recently to have heard Fr. Frank Brennan S.J. speak in our Shepparton community. One thought he related was the tragedy facing the Murray-Darling Basin system - a moral tragedy of our time. There is a feeling of outrage as to what is happening to our ecosystem. Even the cattle are facing their moment in areas of North Queensland. So the creative presence of God in our world is under som attack.
We take our cur through Luke's Gospel where suffering gives way to a new blessed hope. From this we gleam a new favour where past abuses are removed and where the creative instincts we are open to, allow for God's favour to come through.
Enjoy a blessed week of God's favours with you. Fr. Peter
Luke: 6:17, 20-26
He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon.
Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.
“Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
“Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
“Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.
“Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.
“Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.”
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