PDF version of this parish newsletter here:
Also, you can access an online copy of the newsletter *here*
“I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’” (1 Corinthians 11:23-24)
Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. Illustration ID: 2067556364 - Hand-drawn watercolour illustration or drawing of Jesus Christ with disciples at last supper - Illustration Contributor: Bernardo Ramonfaur
Please note that our new parish number is (07) 56717388
(the old parish number 5572 5433 will still divert -hopefully- to the new number for about a year and then it will cease)
PASTOR’S POST. Trivial Pursuits
Do you ever wonder what we did before mobile phones, laptops and television remote controls? Answer: we planned more, we moved more and we rushed less and generally had an easier pace to life. We were more creative and imaginative. We talked more and enjoyed company more productively and we knew more about each other because we talked. We laughed more, frowned less and probably cared more about our appearance because we were seeing people face to face. As much as we relish the convenience of these devices, we have slowly convinced ourselves that life is now easier and more satisfying now that we have them. If so, why do we feel more rushed, more stressed and tired and generally lazier? Or is it just me?
Many of us were fortunate to have lived in a time when these labour-saving devices were only found in sci-fi movies. I say ‘fortunate’, because even though I never take for granted that we utilise these splendid inventions every day, they do come at a price. That price being that we want to have more things, without valuing what we already have. I remember once seeing in a movie a telephone with hands-free speaking, thinking at the time, how fantastic it would be not to have to hold the receiver to your ear. As though that was a strenuous task. Now a flash of time later, and I am now making and taking calls in my car (hands-free, of course), or perhaps listening to an audio book, or discovering where to find the cheapest petrol all while keeping under the speed limit, so as to avoid the reminder buzzer in my car that lets me know when I am about to break the traffic laws.
No longer do we have to heave ourselves out of the comfy lounge chair to change the channel or adjust the aerial, to be able to get what now seems like hundreds of channels, at the press of a button. Some families even have multiple remote controls to go with their multiple televisions. Gone are the days of having to wait for “the set” to warm up. If we don’t get the high definition picture before us in under three seconds, we call a technician. And when did it become necessary to have a television screen that filled the entire lounge room wall, or as many homes now have, “the media room”. In my day it was called a “rumpus room”, a place where we were banished to for the entire holiday season, only to emerge for the luxury of a Devon sanger and a glass of Quik. (Look it up)
I came from a family who were fanatical card-players. I think I actually learnt numbers by learning to play Five Hundred, Euchre, and Canasta. But more than that, it was the family history and local gossip that occupied each shuffle of the cards that I fondly remember. We only had the 15 inch black and white telly with three channels, so family legends were heaps more entertaining. When going on holidays we took a box of board games which came out at every opportunity. I actually recall a game of Monopoly that went for two days, pausing only for minimal sleep. Trivial Pursuit also got a run, although it was eventually nabbed after causing too many arguments. By today’s standards it would be called, wasting time, but why do I recall it with such fondness and comfort. A comfort I can’t quite get from Netflix.
It all seems rather trivial and unsophisticated now, but so are hours spent Facebooking, Googling or Instagramming. Give me a pack of cards any day.
Fr Peter Dillon PP.
STELLA MARIS 7AM SUNDAY MORNING MASS FOR 3RD JULY -
CANCELLED - (For that Sunday only)
Please note that due to the Gold Coast Marathon on Sunday 3rd July, the usual 7am Mass at Stella Maris will be cancelled for that Sunday only. There will be no Sunday masses as Stella Maris, but the usual Saturday night 5pm Vigil at Stella will continue even on that weekend. This is the only church to be affected by the Marathon.
AROUND THE PARISH
It was wonderful to catch up with Stella Maris parishioner Ray Burton and fellow parishioners at Ray’s home the other week. From left to right: Rob Fearnley; Bob Sherlock; Ray Burton; Shirley Condon; Pat O’Donnell (standing)); June O’Donnell; Charlie Zerafa (at the back); Anna Zerafa; Don Williamson;Fr Paul; Bob Hodson.
ENROL NOW FOR CATHOLIC EARLY EDUCATION CARE AT ST KEVIN’S BENOWA. (CLICK THE PICTURE BELOW FOR THE CONTACT LINK).
FAMILY FESTIVAL - St Stephen’s Cathedral, Brisbane
(please click the link below for a link to tickets)
Family Festival free tickets here:
SURFERS PARADISE CATHOLIC PARISH - NEW TIMES FOR WHEN THE TWO COLLECTIONS ARE TAKEN UP DURING WEEKEND MASSES-
For Masses within Surfers Paradise Catholic Parish - effective from now.
Surfers Paradise Parish has changed the times of the Collections during Sunday Mass.
First Collection at the Offertory time (when the previous Second Collection took place)
Second Collection after Communion when everyone is seated the celebrant often reads some notices.
These collection times are less intrusive in the flow of liturgy and allow some space in between each collection. Many thanks, Fr Peter Dillon, PP
PARISHIONER PHOTO - St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Toyoma, Japan.
Here is a nice statue of St Francis of Assisi which stands outside the entrance of this modest catholic church in Toyama (a regional city on the west coast of Honshu).
Translation of the inscription: "Let us praise the Lord by virtue of His creations"
also this beautiful statue of Jesus (below) -
If you look closely, you can easily see Jesus’ Sacred Heart is depicted by a single Japanese character meaning "LOVE". As we are always reminded that God is Love, we thought you would appreciate this. The inscription is the Gospel of Matthew 11:28 "Come to me all who are burdened and I will give you rest."
The front of the church.
Sent by Paul & Akiko Mullins
Star of the Sea - Catholic Primary School - Merrimac -
Initially Prep to Year 3, with an extra year level being added each year until 2026. The school is master-planned to accommodate approximately 550 students. - Website: Star Of The Sea Merrimac and Facebook Page: Star of the Sea
SHARE IN REFLECTION FOR AN UPCOMING WEEKEND'S SCRIPTURES:
In order to deepen our appreciation of God's Holy Word, each week you are invited to read the Scriptures for Sunday Masses a few weeks ahead. After you have prayerfully read these texts from the Bible, spend some time in silent contemplation and prayer over these texts. Then read the Scriptures over again slowly and meditatively. Write down anything in the readings that delights you, intrigues you, confuses you, challenges you and so on. Also, write down any thoughts that come up to you about these texts and what they are saying to you. You are welcome to share these thoughts in the feedback process in this link. Please come to this site every week and engage in this advanced preparation and immersion into God's living word which cuts finer than any knife and is lifegiving and nourishing for our lives here and now. Please visit the following link and join in the process. An insight, question or observation may end up in the weekly homily too. https://scripturereflectioninprogress.blogspot.com/
Plenary Council Second Assembly-Walking in the Spirit
The Framework for Motions for the second assembly of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia has been published this morning. It emerges from more than four years of listening, dialogue, discernment, reflection and prayer within the Catholic Church in Australia. Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, the Plenary Council's president, says the document “will form the backbone of our reflection, discussion and decision when we gather” for the second of two assemblies, to be held in early July. You can download the Framework for Motions at: https://bit.ly/FrameworkForMotions.
The People of God are invited to make a prayerful journey towards the Second Assembly of the Plenary Council through the Walking in the Spirit prayer campaign.
Walking in the Spirit runs until the second Assembly, which opens on Sunday, July 3.
Find out more at: ww.plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au/walkinginthespirit
MASS TIMES: SURFERS PARADISE MASS TIMES
NOTE RE THE ITALIAN MASS WITHIN THE PARISH
The celebration of the Italian Sunday Mass at the Sacred Heart Church Clear Island Waters WILL BE SUSPENDED FOR THREE MONTHS (JULY, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER 2022) and will resume regularly as from Sunday 2nd October 2022.
Fr Angelo Cagna, the present Chaplain will be on sabbatical leave for six months (30 June 2022 - 31 December 2022). Fr Savino Bernardi, a Scalabrinian priest from Sydney, will supply the Italian Sunday Mass for the months of October, November and December 2022. For any other matters regarding the Italian Chaplaincy and / or Community, Giovanna Santomauro (Mob 0418 198 437) will be the liaison officer.
A VOCATION VIEW:
Jesus asked, “Why do you not give them something to eat yourselves?” What do you have to offer to the hungry world? (Luke 9:11-17). To talk to someone about your vocation, contact Vocation Brisbane: 1300 133 544. vocation@bne.catholic.net.au and www.vocationbrisbane.com
STEWARDSHIP REFLECTION -
“They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets.” (Luke 9:17)
The story of the Loaves and Fishes shows us that when you share what you have, even if it doesn’t seem like that much, miracles can happen! Do not think that your gift is too small or insignificant! Each of us has a role in God’s plan; you just need to place your trust in the Lord. Nothing is impossible with God. You may be the answer to someone else’s prayer.
The vision of Stewardship speaks in every aspect of life, inviting everyone to be thankful, generous and accountable for what each has been given.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE SICK: Ray Burton, Don Williamson, Michael & Denise Tracey, Betty O’Connell, Margaret Cook, Fred Grioli, Lynn Nunan, Elaine Casonati, Michael Murtagh, Kim Parkes, Cecily Cellinan, Barry James Edmonds, Kevin Brennan, Margaret Cusack, Fabiola Menzs, Peter O’Brien, Rachel Raines, Mary Jackson, Nenette Csundo, Vince Shanahan, Ilene Simpkins, Claire Perera, Jayani Antony, Panfilo Bantugan, Sandii Wall, Kath Kiely, Joanne Mooney, Therese Mullins, Michael Connell, Zeb Deane, Miriam Hill, Amando A. Mirasol Jr., Gus Reeves, John & Molly Robinson, Laila Mikael, Jean Di Benedetto, James Goodwin, Scott Mitchell, Malcolm Ward, John O’Brien, Ludwig Mueller, Kent Vince, Colleen Grehan, Carmelita Dulu, John Davis, Bobby Courtney, Lisa Mangan, Robyn Skein, Kye Oh, Olga Hamshari, Roy Ferraro, Margaret Haerse, Milka Barac, Rodney & Norma McLennan, Lois & Doug Wood, Duncan Dawson, William Franklin, Maria Mihalic, Annie Scicluna, Anne Logan, Margaret Thompson, Patricia Moor, Helen Bohringer, Savannah Ayoub, Baby Maeve Lombard, Arthur Haddad, Joanne Parkes, Michelle MacDonald, Mary Kerr. And all suffering from Covid-19 and its effects.
RECENTLY DECEASED: John Vincent Davis, Muriel Lynch, Maryanne Vanek, Agata (Tina) Zammit, Frances Collins, Therese Hunt, Bill Gilmore, Jacqueline Lesley Pannekoek, Constantin Francisc "Frank/Ferry” Onea, Adam Alfred McGuffie, Shirley Ellen Pettiona, Margaret Mary Milton, Mary Ashton, David Falvey, Margaret (Peggy) Lyon, Elizabeth Cheetham, Gerald O’Halloran,Dr. Albert Lapid, Milka Marusic, Colgero (Joe) Misuraca, Jill Carlyle, Karen Tansey,Tony Weinand, James (Jim) McCloskey, Michael James, Hans Gringel, Sr Mary Teresa, Tony Ghusn, Bill Heuston, Cathy Cooper, Rosario Lazzaro, Lucena Gabriel, Brad Holman, Mieko Kanayama, Fr Patrick Cassidy, Fr Ian Howells SJ.
ANNIVERSARY OF DEATH: Francesco Cafolla, Luigi Zuppicchiatti, James William Fuller, Paul Patrick Reeves, Leroy Bevan Muir, Anthony James (Tony) McCudden, Ronald Donovan, Mary Reid, Albert Lapid, James Anthony Borg, Dorothy May Joan Gray, Cornel Zarie, Benjamin Joseph Moore, Kel Hamilton, Ellen Walker, Helena Barbara Hodges, John Wood, Hedy Triffett, Ljuban Pilic, Roza Masa, Francis Weston, Ines Vittoria Fauretto, Linda Marilyn Arlington, Brian Aubrey Swaddling, Mary Josephine Dillon, Antoninette (Toni) Moon. And Also: Rainer and Reuben Empen, Alfonso Lim, Fr Charlie Casey, Aileen Pettersson, Maria Silve Ri-Fiore, Valma Sudgen, Andrew Hale, Mary John On, Stephen Gallagher, Mary Reid, Francis (Frank) Kevin Stephens, Jean Anne Burgess, Annette Mary Anning, Lorna Sabina Wheeler, Don Cope, Lorna Sabina Wheeler, Helmut Kaltenthaler, Raymond Victor Assaisso, Rita Woodhouse, Teck Lim, John Cooper, James Mark Tamai, Anthony Teck Lee Lim, Amelia Catherine Limbert, Grazyna Zyner, James William Fuller, Pearl Agnus MacCartney.
TAKE FIVE FOR FAITH: The purpose of power
We can use power to help others—or to help ourselves. Jesus chooses to feed the multitude and invites his followers to do the same. Lord John Acton (1834-1902), an English Catholic historian, counselled caution with our authority: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Acton also noted, "Liberty is not the power of doing what we like, but the right to do what we ought" and “The will of the people cannot make just that which is unjust.” Pray for parents and others to act wisely and lovingly when exercising their authority. [Jesus] said to them, ‘Give them some food yourselves.’ (Luke 9:11b-17)
The only measure that matters: When you were a kid, did your parents measure you by marking your height on a wall each birthday? Perhaps later report cards and sports trophies were a measure of your progress. In adulthood, do you measure yourself by the rungs you’ve climbed on a corporate ladder, or by the increasing figures in your bank account? Some measures are less quantifiable—and far more important. Are you becoming more forgiving, more patient, more giving, humbler, more faithful? Are you getting closer to God? Comparison to others is no measure at all when God knows your heart completely and is helping you grow. “The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.” (Matthew 7:1-5). SIGN UP FOR "TAKE FIVE" DAILY ww.takefiveforfaith.com/subscribe.
MASK WEARING
People should not feel the need to explain and apologise for continuing to wear masks and we ask that people respect their choices and needs. The risk of Flu and of Covid is still present, and there are quite a few vulnerable people in our community, so using hand sanitiser and reasonable social distancing where possible is still highly prudent.
BAPTISM for Children in Surfers Paradise
Baptism is the first of three Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. Surfers Paradise Parish follows the policies of the Archdiocese of Brisbane as it welcomes each person into the family of the Church through the waters of Baptism.
Infants and children are baptised at the request of parents. Within the Baptism ritual, parents promise to accept the responsibility of training their children in the practice of the faith and to raise their children to understand and live God’s commandments. Parents can request baptism for their child by filling out an enrolment form, available on our parish website www.surfersparadiseparish.com.au Once the online baptism form has been received, the Parish Office will email details for preparation for the Sacrament of Baptism and confirm the online booking.
Two primary school-age children are currently preparing for Baptism. Although their personal stories vary, each of the children has asked their parents to organise their initiation into our Catholic Faith. For our part, may we keep these children and their families in our prayers, especially throughout the upcoming Easter Season?
Sacrament of CONFIRMATION 2022
Baptised children who are in Year 3 or greater are invited to be included in the 2022 Preparation for Confirmation group. Parents are asked to go to the parish website at www.surfersparadiseparish.com.au and complete an online enrolment application. Please use the drop-down menu under Sacraments and click on Confirmation (under Sacraments). Then scroll down to and click on CHILDREN’S SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM APPLICATION FORM (in the blue box). Once you click on SUBMIT, you will receive an automated response so that you know that your completed application has been received.
By the end of June, all families that have completed an online application for their child will receive an email reminding them of the information that follows here: Parent Meeting which is to be held either Monday, July 11 at 6 pm or Tuesday, July 12 at 6 pm in Sacred Heart Church. (Parents are asked to choose to attend one of these meetings but do not need to attend both. Only children who are represented by a parent at one of these meetings will be included in the Confirmation Preparation Program.) After the Parent Meeting, parents will be emailed copies of the At Home Preparation for Confirmation Program to be completed by the child and their parent/s, and then returned to the Sacramental Team. The Final Meeting which includes the rehearsal for Confirmation will be held on Monday, August 29 at 6 pm or Tuesday, August 30 at 6 pm (Children and parents are required to attend one of these meetings, not both.)
The Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation will take place in Surfers Paradise Parish on Friday, September 2, 2022.
Sacrament of PENANCE - RECONCILIATION
If you missed the March opportunity for your child to celebrate their First Reconciliation, we would like to offer you another opportunity this year. The First Rite of Reconciliation will be celebrated on Thursday, October 20, 2022, at 5:30 pm in Sacred Heart Church.
Reconciliation is a Sacrament of Healing. The Children’s Sacramental Program follows the Sacraments of Initiation. That is, Reconciliation, also known as Penance, follows Baptism, Confirmation and First Communion.
The Surfers Paradise Sacramental Team has prepared a program similar in style to the Confirmation and First Communion At Home Preparation Programs. If your child was previously enrolled in the Surfers Paradise Parish Sacramental Program and then was either Confirmed or made their First Communion in Surfers Paradise, there is no requirement for you to complete a new online enrolment form. Children making their First Communion in June 2022 will also be eligible to participate in this Preparation for Reconciliation.
If you are unsure if your child will be included in the group, please email our Sacramental Coordinator, Cathy Anderson at andersoncm@bne.catholic.net.au
THIS WEEKEND’S GOSPEL -
-To listen to the whole Sunday Mass each week (including homily) from Surfers Paradise Catholic Parish, including the Easter Mass - please visit this link:
Liturgy for you at Home (by SPCP) - https:- soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks.
This is such a beautiful feast day, the Body and Blood of Christ…. Or "Corpus Christi", as it is also known…..
The Eucharist is so central to our church and to our faith…..
A priest I worked with once described regular Eucharist as like the piers on a bridge…. The Length of the bridge represents the journey of our daily and weekly lives…. The upward support pylons of the bridge are what support the length of the bridge…. to keep the whole thing standing.
Similar to the image of a bridge, we need regular Eucharist as our weekly, (for many people a daily) support, along the whole length of our life journey; lest the whole thing "caves in," under the weight of the world. ….
It is so fitting to be celebrating this feast, a couple of weekends after many young people in our parish have celebrated their first Holy communion and (around this time) many parishes around the country and the world are doing so at this time too…..
Once confirmation and communion are received, the children have now been fully initiated into the life of the church… and the action that completes their full initiation is that they receive Holy Communion…
And, by receiving Holy Communion they truly are ONE with Jesus, united with God, and united with all of us, .. We are truly "in communion" of heart, mind, and soul with God and one another…..
I love to tell First communion candidates that "First Holy Communion is a truly very special moment. ....There is only one thing better than first holy communion, and that is "second holy communion," and there is only one thing better than second holy communion and that is "third"….. and so on……. This sacrament makes the best sense when it is the beginning of a pattern for one's weekly life…. (And most certainly may it NOT be the first and last time one ever comes to communion…and also, may it not be the first and the rarest of times that one occasionally comes to communion). Eucharist is participating in the fullness of our membership as a disciple of Jesus.
God comes to us in a 'touchable' (tangible) form and that is a gift of priceless value that we need to cherish by participating in regularly….
I remember when I was only about five or six…. In Church at Canberra… (and by the way, my earliest memories of the church are not in a 'church' building… In Canberra in the seventies, they had virtually no churches… and there were many new areas and growing areas… so we had masses at the local school assembly hall.. which was transformed into a church for the Sunday Masses … God was present in the midst of the church, literally the 'ecclesia' - "the People of God" gathered by God…
The only permanent piece of furniture at that time was a tabernacle built into a wall and kept safely locked to store the blessed sacrament.
I remember as a six-year-old being in awe and wonder about the Mass. Even then I KNEW that Jesus came to us in a real way during the Mass.. and made his home in our hearts…., though I got a little confused about HOW this happened, as I was too young to receive communion at this time… …. I somewhat confusedly thought that Jesus was released into our hearts when they went to open the tabernacle at communion time… As a child, I thought that Jesus was in the tabernacle, locked away and at communion time the minister would go and unlock the tabernacle and Jesus would fly out and fill our hearts… Well, I didn't connect that the host given and the chalice given to people was Jesus truly coming into our hearts.. in a real way.. as real nourishment… Isn't it wonderful how the child's mind works…
It is wonderful that God knows that we are physical beings who need tangible ways of connecting to God who is bigger than we can see or touch…. So, Our Lord gives us the gift and mystery of his Body and Blood. Real food and real drink for our spiritual journey and our connection to Christ.
The other thing I remember as a little child was the words of the priest… "the Lord be with you… and we would say, (at that time and also with you" now of course we say.. "and with your Spirit"…. Then the priest would say, as we still do…. "Lift up your hearts…"
…….and I, as a six-year-old, would strain to lift up my chest as high as I could… I wanted to really "lift up my heart" to the lord …SOOO high……!!!
Even as adults… we want to lift up our hearts and lives to the Lord… we have so much to be grateful for… including our families, friends and fellow parish members,..… who, by their lives and their example, have done what saint Paul has so beautifully written in this weekend's Second reading… "We hand on what we, in turn, have had handed on to us … the message of Jesus".. The gift of Holy Communion…. And the proclamation of our membership as God's sons and daughters…..
May the blessings of the sacrament fill our hearts and lives… so that WHAT we profess with our lips will be proclaimed by the loving ways we live our daily lives….. "We become what we eat"… As we take in the Body and Blood of Christ, we become more and more the Body of Christ …. A real sacrament and sign of God's constant care and presence amongst us….always…
To listen to the whole Sunday Mass each week (including homily) from Surfers Paradise Catholic Parish, please visit this link: Liturgy for you at Home (by SPCP) - https:- soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks.
(REFERENCES: FR. PAUL W. KELLY).
[Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. Vector ID: 619558265 - Eucharist symbols of bread and wine, chalice and host. Modern stained glass window style first communion vector Contributor: Thoom]
FATHERS DAY - IN UK, USA, FRANCE… ETC
Although here in Australia, Father’s Day is the First Sunday of September, in many other parts of the world this present Sunday is Father’s Day. So, for all those whose cultural or national calendar celebrates Father’s Day, we join you in saying Happy Father’s Day to all Dads. May God bless you and keep you in his care. May the Lord’s grace have deeply impressed your children through your love and care. God bless.
(IMAGE - Photo by Mohamed Awwam on Unsplash)
St Paulinus of Nola
“It is not surprising if, despite being far apart, we are present to each other and without being acquainted, know each other, because we are members of one body, we have one head, we are steeped in one grace, we live on one loaf, we walk on one road and we dwell in the same house.”
“To my mind, the only art is the faith, and Christ is my poetry.”
Sacred Heart:
I take Thee, O Sacred Heart, for the sole object of my love, the protection of my life, the pledge of my salvation, the remedy of my frailty and inconstancy, the reparation for all the defects of my life, and my secure refuge at the hour of my death. Be Thou, O Most Merciful Heart, my justification before God Thy Father, and screen me from His anger which I have so justly merited. I fear all from my own weakness and malice, but placing my entire confidence in Thee, O Heart of Love, I hope all from Thine Infinite Goodness. Annihilate in me all that can displease or resist Thee. Imprint Thy pure love so deeply in my heart that I may never forget Thee or be separated from Thee. I beseech Thee, through Thine Infinite Goodness, grant that my name be engraved upon Thy Heart, for in this I place all my happiness and all my glory, to live and to die as one of Thy devoted servants. Amen. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
St Bernard:
Ingratitude is the soul’s enemy. It is a burning wind that dries up the source of love, the dew of mercy and the streams of grace. Spend today in a spirit of thanksgiving for God’s many gifts and blessings which, all too often, we take for granted - St. Bernard
Saint John the Baptist:
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” - St John the Baptist
St. Aloysius Gonzaga
“It is better to be a child of God than the king of the whole world!” ― St. Aloysius Gonzaga
St John Fisher:
“A good man is not a perfect man; a good man is an honest man, faithful and unhesitatingly responsive to the voice of God in his life.” - St John Fisher
Saint Thomas More:
“I die the king's faithful servant, but God's first!” - St Thomas More
APPEAL FOR THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE - Caritas International (Catholic)
Ukraine Crisis
Over 2.6 million people have fled their homes in Ukraine, and there have been at least 1,581 civilian casualties.
You can help the Caritas Ukraine staff on the ground to provide families with emergency food, water, shelter and hygiene support.
POPE FRANCIS:
Those who pass through the period of old age can discover a new mission in the light of the Gospel: to be signs and instruments of God's love that indicate what the definitive goal is to which we are called, eternal life with God.
I encourage all of you to invoke the Holy Spirit often during the day. His good and creative strength allows us to go out of ourselves and to be a sign of comfort and hope for others.
I was deeply saddened to learn of the horrific attack at Saint Francis church in Owo in #Nigeria. #PrayTogether for all those affected by this act of unspeakable violence and for the conversion of those blinded by hatred and violence.
Mary is the Mother who gives us her Son Jesus. Mary is the path that guides us to the Heart of Christ, who gave his life for love of us. This is why we love her and venerate her. #MotheroftheChurch
The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of love, fills us with love, makes us feel loved, and teaches us how to love. He is the “motor” of our spiritual lives. #Pentecost
https://vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2022/documents/20220605-omelia-pentecoste.html
A sound and sustainable ecology, one capable of bringing about change, will not develop unless people change, unless they are encouraged to opt for another style of life, one less greedy and more serene, more respectful and less anxious, more fraternal. #WorldEnvironmentDay
(source: https://twitter.com/Pontifex - Pope Francis official Twitter site @Pontifex)
(Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. Photo ID: 292821470 - TURIN, ITALY-JUNE 21: Pope Francis celebrates the Mass in Turin June 21, 2015 in Turin Italy - Photo Contributor: miqu77).
RELIGIOUS GOODS SHOPS
The June edition of the Catholic Leader is available now at the Religious Goods Shops and the rear of Stella Maris Church. Buy your religious reading material this weekend for only $4.
ST. VINCENT’S CHURCH READER’S TROLLEY
Have you ever noticed the book trolley in the foyer at St Vincent’s Church ?
It holds a selection of Religious Books and now a new section has been added with general reading fiction/non-fiction books, all available for your reading pleasure.
Browse our selection of books this Sunday after Mass.
FOUND LADIES READING GLASSES AT ST VINCENT’S CHURCH, can be collected from R G Shop
FOUND READING GLASSES AT THE SACRED HEART COLUMBARIUM, can be collected from the Parish Office, weekdays 9am -12pm.
BLACK MAKE-UP PURSE FOUND IN THE SACRED HEART CAR PARK, can be collected from the Parish Office, weekdays 9am -12pm.
BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP GROUP LUNCH 23/6/22
The Bold and the Beautiful Church Friendship Group is meeting for lunch 12 noon Thursday 23rd June at RQ’s Tavern, Cnr Robina Parkway & Markeri St, Robina. Everybody welcome just turn up. Leona Ph: 56308206
COMMUNION TO RESIDENTS AT NURSING HOMES. HELP NEEDED!
We have had to reduce our visits with Holy Communion to the residents at Nursing Homes, and urgently require more people to assist with this service. Can you spare 3 hours per month for this important Ministry?
Listed below are Nursing homes with their Day and time of visitation.
Lady Small Haven, Benowa. Tuesdays 9.30 am to 11.00 am
Merrimac Park Private Care, Merrimac. Wednesdays 1.30 pm to 3.00 pm
Bupa Nursing Home, Merrimac. Thursdays 9.30 am to 11.00 am
Tricare, Mermaid Beach Nursing Home, Mermaid Beach Fridays 10.15 am to 12.00noon
Tricare, Cypress Gardens Nursing Home, Clear Island Waters. Sundays after 9.00 am Mass Sacred Heart to 12.00 noon
For further information ring the Parish Office, or Maxine Sela on 0421051193.
MEDITATION PRAYER GROUP
In the Morris prayer room Tuesdays from 10 am to 12 noon. The Meditation Group would very much like to welcome new members. All enquiries please phone Pam Egtberts 0428090703
ART AND CRAFT GROUP - Every Wednesday in the PHC from 9 am until 12noon.
The Group meets in the Parish Hospitality Centre on Wednesdays, 9 to 12. Activities include art, (watercolour, oils, acrylics, pen and ink drawing etc), as well as various kinds of Craftwork (Knitting, Embroidery, Crocheting, Cardmaking, Sewing etc.), making Rosary Beads (later sent to the missions), and any other activities that individuals may have an interest in. We come together to enjoy each other's company in a relaxed environment. New members, both men and women, are most welcome to join. For further information, phone John 0412 759 205, or the Parish Office.
Praying the Rosary - Our Lady’s Statue in the Parish
Details of the statue of Our Lady which is going around the Parish. If you would like to have her in your home and say the Rosary:
please contact Maxine or Pat on 0412 519 404
The Roster for the next four weeks:
20/6/2022 Mary Winters and Family
THE SACRED HEART BRIDGE CLUB- (20 Years Young)-
Meets at the Sacred Heart - Parish Hospitality Centre, Fairway Drive, Clear Island Waters.
Playing Bridge keeps your brain active and increases your social network! So why not give us a try?
Learn to play Bridge at “Our Friendly Club” - Free Lesson. “Introduction to Bridge”
Easy to learn format, no previous card playing experience is necessary. All are welcome.
For more information and to enrol, Please phone: Cheryl 5538 8821 or Mob 0417 772 701
SILENT DAY RETREAT at MARIAN VALLEY
Visit with Mary 16 July 2022
Contemplative day
to reflect on who Mary is for you
When: 9.30am for prompt 10am start – 3pm Saturday 16 July 2022 RSVP : 8 July 2022
Where: Marian Valley Retreat Centre, 2541 Beechmont Rd, Witheren. Via Canungra Qld 4275
What: Program for quiet individual time and a group spiritual conversation.
• Optional: hill walk and individual Spiritual direction for those interested.
• Tea & Coffee provided
• BYO lunch, water & picnic chair
Cost: $15 suggested donation
Who for: All welcome
Who by: St Mary’s Coomera Retreat Team
Contact: Catherine : csmith3183@gmail.com phone 0401070821 or Lynne: lynne.head.weir2@gmail.com phone: 0409198545
or Anne Marie : amoconnor54@hotmail.com Phone : 04294915
or Mareece : mareecem@hotmail.com Phone: 0413071552
Worldwide Marriage Encounter:
A weekend experience for married couples, priests and religious, away from the distractions of everyday living. Take time out of your busy schedule, to invest in your most precious asset and revitalise your Sacrament. This is a unique opportunity to reconnect, rekindle and refresh your relationship. It gives you the opportunity to grow in your relationship with your spouse or your community.
Our live-out weekend will be held at Siena College, Sippy Downs from 1 to 3 July – going home on the Friday and Saturday evenings. Our COVID-SAFE live-in weekends will be held from Friday evening 14 October to Sunday afternoon 16 October (including Mass) at Santa Teresa, Ormiston. For bookings/details contact Maria and David Murphy: 0481 307 821 qldbookings@wwme.org.au Watch Archbishop Mark Coleridge’s support video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o_Wp6qGB44
Information website: www.wwme.org.au
EXERCISE CLASS - LOW IMPACT - FOR HEART HEALTH -
Spring has sprung! Join Rochelle for a fun functional exercise class at Casey Hall. Low impact cardiovascular exercises for heart health, improve strength and balance- an all-around fitness class for over 65’s. Stretch and strengthen the whole body, make new friends and feel great. Tuesday mornings @9.30 Beginners welcome. Contact Rochelle for further information on 0438 333 308.
YOGA AT THE PARISH HOSPITALITY CENTRE-
Come join us for our friendly class in the Parish Hospitality Centre next to the Parish Office. Classes run every Tuesday at 10:45 am. Learn to relax, yet gain greater flexibility, inner strength, body awareness and concentration, all while increasing your breath support and general wellbeing. Ruth is an IYTA accredited instructor with wide experience and runs a caring, carefully monitored one-hour session costing $10 (new attendees need to arrive by 10.30 am to prepare adequately for class). For more information, call Ruth on 0421338110.
Position Vacant – Parish Secretary - Camp Hill Parish
Applications are open for the above position at the Camp Hill Parish. The position is part-time 30 hours a week Monday to Friday. The parish requires a candidate with administration and finance experience.
For additional information, please visit the Archdiocese of Brisbane website https://brisbanecatholic.org.au/ and to careers.
Applications close on 20 June 2022.
Position Vacant – Parish Secretary Booval Parish
Applications are open for a position at the Booval Parish. A person with excellent administration and secretarial skills is required for a part-time 3-year contract position of Parish Secretary for 20 hours per week, 5 hours on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. For additional information, please visit the Archdiocese of Brisbane website- https://clientapps.jobadder.com/68451/aob-internal-career-opportunities. Closing date – 5 July 2022
The Archdiocese of Brisbane has standards of conduct for workers to maintain a safe and healthy environment for children. Our commitment to these standards requires that we conduct working with children checks and background referencing for all persons who will engage in direct and regular involvement with children and young people (0 - 18 years) and/or vulnerable adults. The organisation is fully committed to child safety and has zero tolerance for abuse of children or vulnerable adults.
SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY OF POPE FRANCIS’ GROUNDBREAKING LETTER - LAUDATO SI’ - An excerpt from the Pope’s groundbreaking Encyclical.
Saint Francis of Assisi
10. I do not want to write this Encyclical without turning to that attractive and compelling figure, whose name I took as my guide and inspiration when I was elected Bishop of Rome. I believe that Saint Francis is the example par excellence of care for the vulnerable and of an integral ecology lived out joyfully and authentically. He is the patron saint of all who study and work in the area of ecology, and he is also much loved by non-Christians. He was particularly concerned for God’s creation and for the poor and outcast. He loved and was deeply loved for his joy, his generous self-giving, and his open heartedness. He was a mystic and a pilgrim who lived in simplicity and in wonderful harmony with God, with others, with nature and with himself. He shows us just how inseparable the bond is between concern for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to society, and interior peace.
11. Francis helps us to see that an integral ecology calls for openness to categories that transcend the language of mathematics and biology and take us to the heart of what it is to be human. Just as happens when we fall in love with someone, whenever he would gaze at the sun, the moon or the smallest of animals, he burst into song, drawing all other creatures into his praise. He communed with all creation, even preaching to the flowers, inviting them “to praise the Lord, just as if they were endowed with reason”.[19] His response to the world around him was so much more than intellectual appreciation or economic calculus, for to him each and every creature was a sister united to him by bonds of affection. That is why he felt called to care for all that exists. His disciple Saint Bonaventure tells us that, “from a reflection on the primary source of all things, filled with even more abundant piety, he would call creatures, no matter how small, by the name of ‘brother’ or ‘sister’”.[20] Such a conviction cannot be written off as naive romanticism, for it affects the choices which determine our behaviour. If we approach nature and the environment without this openness to awe and wonder, if we no longer speak the language of fraternity and beauty in our relationship with the world, our attitude will be that of masters, consumers, ruthless exploiters, unable to set limits on their immediate needs. By contrast, if we feel intimately united with all that exists, then sobriety and care will well up spontaneously. The poverty and austerity of Saint Francis were no mere veneer of asceticism, but something much more radical: a refusal to turn reality into an object simply to be used and controlled.
12. What is more, Saint Francis, faithful to Scripture, invites us to see nature as a magnificent book in which God speaks to us and grants us a glimpse of his infinite beauty and goodness. “Through the greatness and the beauty of creatures one comes to know by analogy their maker” (Wis 13:5); indeed, “his eternal power and divinity have been made known through his works since the creation of the world” (Rom 1:20). For this reason, Francis asked that part of the friary garden always be left untouched, so that wild flowers and herbs could grow there, and those who saw them could raise their minds to God, the Creator of such beauty.[21] Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise.
My appeal
13. The urgent challenge to protect our common home includes a concern to bring the whole human family together to seek sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change. The Creator does not abandon us; he never forsakes his loving plan or repents of having created us. Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common home. Here I want to recognize, encourage and thank all those striving in countless ways to guarantee the protection of the home which we share. Particular appreciation is owed to those who tirelessly seek to resolve the tragic effects of environmental degradation on the lives of the world’s poorest. Young people demand change. They wonder how anyone can claim to be building a better future without thinking of the environmental crisis and the sufferings of the excluded.
14. I urgently appeal, then, for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. We need a conversation that includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affects us all. The worldwide ecological movement has already made considerable progress and led to the establishment of numerous organizations committed to raising awareness of these challenges. Regrettably, many efforts to seek concrete solutions to the environmental crisis have proved ineffective, not only because of powerful opposition but also because of a more general lack of interest. Obstructionist attitudes, even on the part of believers, can range from denial of the problem to indifference, nonchalant resignation or blind confidence in technical solutions. We require new and universal solidarity. As the bishops of Southern Africa have stated: “Everyone’s talents and involvement are needed to redress the damage caused by human abuse of God’s creation”. [22] All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to his or her own culture, experience, involvement and talents.
Commitment To Child Safety and Vulnerable-Adult Safety
See further below
Acknowledgement of Country
This is Kombumerri Country - The Traditional Custodians of this region.
We respectfully acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First People of this country. We pay our respects to the Kombumerri people, who are the traditional custodians of the land, waterways and seas upon which we live, work and socialise throughout this Catholic Parish of Surfers Paradise. We acknowledge Elders, past and present and emerging, as they hold the memories, traditions, culture and hopes of our Indigenous people. We pay tribute to those who have contributed in many ways to the life of the community. We affirm our commitment to justice, healing, and reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
(see further: The Kombumerri People)
Commitment To Child Safety and Vulnerable-Adult Safety
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