PASTOR’S PERSPECTIVE – ‘LENT – Season of Conversion and Grace!
Dear Friends,
Each time the Season of Lent comes around, I find a simple statement very helpful in focusing on the weeks ahead, such as, ‘Live your Baptism more truthfully.’ Lent helps us refocus as we are often reminded through the Alpha, RCIA and Sacramental Programs of that journey to Faith that challenges us at every age, young and old.
Two key words for Lent are conversion and grace as we open our hearts to being reawakened to the God within us, in whose name we were baptised. That’s the outcome of the RCIA journey of course and one of the reasons we admire converts. My mother was a convert from the Anglican Church and a most remarkable woman of faith, prayer and trust in God. Yes, we admire converts, but then aren’t we all supposed to be converts? Conversion is not just for the ‘others’, it is for each of us.
The Holy Father speaks of Lent as ‘our path of conversion as individuals and as a community’ and quotes St Paul: ‘For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich’ (2 Cor 8:9). The power of the Liturgy lies in what we do together and there is power too in our taking our Lenten journey together – as parish, as family and so on – the unique dynamic of ‘our path of conversion as individuals and as a community’.
Information about the current Sacramental Program
- Welcome to the Sacramental Program 2019-2020
- Registration Form 2019-2020
- Photocard
- Parish News
- Baptism of Young Children Program
- Nurturing Faith
- Stations of the Cross
Sacramental Program News
Close to 175 children are participating in our 2020 First Reconciliation Program. The children and their parents are attending Family Group Sessions around the parish during February and March and will celebrate their First Reconciliation in March.
Practice for First Reconciliation Tuesday 10 March at 4pm in SK Church OR Wednesday 11 March at 7pm in SC Church;
Our Baptism of Young Children Program (for children aged 7 – 11 years) will commence on Sunday 15 March 2020, prior to the beginning of the 2020 – 2021 Children’s Sacramental Program. Please contact Janette for the program dates.
For further information please contact Janette on 0408 866 521 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
PARISH LENTEN PROGRAM – ‘Grace’
Parishioners who signed up to join the 2020 Lenten Program are advised that the group will be held in the Parish Centre on Thursday evenings during Lent, commencing on 5 March at 7.30pm. The program is called ‘Grace’ and has been prepared by the Diocese of Wollongong. Program booklets are available for a small donation.
Making the most of Lent
Sometimes our biggest challenge is to approach Lent positively. Self-denial and penance don’t come easily to us but the Church invites us to do penance – to interrupt the usual comforts of life, to rediscover in prayer the saving love of God, and to practice charity and justice towards those in need. The Lord walks with us and helps us to discover new life, a fresh way of seeing things. Lent lasts from Ash Wednesday until the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday.
Church custom favours fasting and abstinence from meat and this applies on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Under normal circumstances, those who have completed their 18th year and have not yet begun their 60th year are to fast and those who have completed their 14th year are to abstain.
Lenten penance isn’t just about us but something we do in the name of the Church and of the world. Church teaching leaves room for our own responsible choices and so we need to decide carefully what is most appropriate for our own circumstances and growth in the Christian life. Some practical ideas for Lent are as follows:
AUGUSTINIAN FORMATION ASSOCIATION (AFA)
DATE: Wednesday, 18 March 2020 TIME: 10:30am
VENUE: Hayden Orpheum, 380 Military Road, Cremorne
MOVIE: Military Wives
COST: $15 per person (which includes the movie, biscuits with coffee or tea in the beautiful Cremorne Orpheum)
RSVP: Please book and leave your payment (CASH)
at the Parish Office before Monday, 16 March
If you have any enquiries please contact
Adriana Bowyer on 0402 099 746
EVERYONE IS WELCOME & WE WILL BE HAVING OUR USUAL RAFFLE and these tickets can be purchased on the morning before the movie commences & the raffle
will be drawn at the end of the movie
Hospitality Volunteers required for 9:30am Mass at St Kieran’s Church
We are looking for volunteers to serve tea, coffee and bickies after the 9:30am mass at St Kieran’s Church. You are welcome to volunteer just once a year or more if you can manage it. It is a very easy way to volunteer and keep the community spirit alive in our parish. Setting up takes 15 minutes before mass and serving/cleaning up after mass takes about 30/40 minutes.
It is very easy and everything is provided, including training!
I hope to hear from some parishioners as it is a lovely part of our Sunday morning gathering as well as a great way to meet more parishioners.
Have a wonderful day Ursula 0423 595 204 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Friends of St Augustine
Friends of St Augustine
Next Gathering
Thursday 5 March 7.30pm Parish Centre
Exploring the themes that emerged from last year’s Joy In Believing Congress join us as we focus on God’s love in Scripture and in Augustine’s writing. Always asking:
“What can we learn from Augustine about living in the 21st century?”
All Parishioners Welcome
Are you looking for a real-world unit in THEOLOGY?
Fr Paul Maloney osa and Paul Wilson are offering 2 online post graduate courses in Theology over the next 2 trimesters through Broken Bay Institute commencing this week. As these are online courses, they can be done in your own time. Details are available on posters around the church and on the parish website. You stand to gain 2 units of a Grad Cert/Masters in Theological studies.
As a result of the partnership between the Augustinians and BBI, your registration fees for these courses return in part to the Augustinians. Here is a chance to improve your appreciation of a: CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING (trimester 1) and
b: AUGUSTINIAN SPIRITUALITY FOR JUSTICE (trimester 2) Fr Paul and Paul are keen to welcome interested parishioners to their courses. Book by phoning Broken Bay Institute on 9847 0030 or Paul Wilson 0438 646 294 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
PARISH LITURGY RENEWAL
TRAINING FOR READERS - REGISTRATION INFORMATION!
All readers and other parishioners interested in joining the roster in 2020 are invited to ‘Speaking Awesome Words’, an inservice program for Readers being offered to our Parish by Australian Catholic University’s Centre for Liturgy on Saturday 29 February. Session Times and venues are as follows:
10.00am - 12 noon – St Kieran’s Church
2.00pm – 4.00pm – St Cecilia’s Church
Please sign up for one session only by contacting the Parish Office. We are keen to balance the numbers at each session.
NATIONAL BIENNIAL LITURGY CONFERENCE – 12-14 MARCH 2020
The National Biennial Liturgy Conference will be held at the Novotel Sydney Parramatta Hotel, 12-14 March 2020. Interested parishioners are encouraged to attend. Fr Paul Turner from the USA will be keynote speaker and there will be a variety of workshops.
Registration is $370 (Ex GST) before 1 February or $450 (Ex GST) after 10 February). Some subsidy will be available from the Parish – please contact Fr Dave for details.
For more information, consult the posters in our churches or the Conference website or google “national biennial liturgy conference”
Children's Liturgy - new volunteers needed
The children’s liturgy ministry is always looking for new mums, grandparents and carers to be involved in this wonderful and rewarding ministry. Being a volunteer in this ministry involves helping with children’s liturgy that takes place on Sundays at the churches of St Cecilia and St Kieran’s. You will be placed on roster alongside another volunteer who is currently doing children’s liturgy to help out about once to twice a term.
Vinnies Bushfire Appeal
Thank you for your thoughtful and compassionate prayers and donations to the Vinnies Bushfire Appeal held over the Australia Day weekend. Donations can still be made online. A link is included on https://www.bbcatholic.org.au/give/bushfires
There are additional prayers, reflections and resources available including a link to the Catholic Emergency Relief Australia website at https://www.bbcatholic.org.au/give/bushfires/resources for those wishing to volunteer or provide additional assistance.
The Vinnies Bushfire Appeal has raised $12.5 million to support people impacted by bushfires in NSW, Queensland, Victoria, SA and the ACT. Vinnies has distributed more than $2.4 million nationally with a further $250,000 already processed for distribution in the coming days – totalling $2.65million from the Appeal funds already distributed. In addition, we have disbursed significant amounts of material goods including food, water, clothing and bedding. No administration fees are taken from this appeal, meaning the money raised goes directly to the relief and recovery effort.
The Vinnies BushFire Appeal has reached $4,560—an excellent result!
PLENARY COUNCIL 2020 – INVITATION TO ‘CONVERSATION’
Our conversation dates for the Plenary Council 2020 continue and we are considering the themes of God’s call to us to be a Christ-centred Church that is:
A Joyful, Hope-filled and Servant Community - Sunday 8 March 2020
All are Welcome
Message from Bishop Anthony re Novel Coronavirus
In light of the risks associated with the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, Bishop Anthony has issued some temporary guidelines relating to reception of Holy Communion until the end of March. For the time being, the chalice will not be shared at any Masses but is reserved for the Celebrants only. All Ministers of Communion are to ensure that they use hand sanitizer prior to the distribution of Communion.
Guidelines regarding the outbreak of the novel coronavirus from Bishop Anthony
HELPING THE AUGUSTINIANS—DONATIONS AND BEQUESTS
AUGUSTINIAN APPEAL
Each year, supporters of the Augustinians from our ministries and elsewhere contribute generously to the work of the Province, particularly to the formation of our seminarians and our social justice outreach. Augustinian Seminary Trust Fund – These funds are used exclusively for the ongoing provision for our seminarians. Envelopes are available in our parishes and you can make a donation by cash, credit card, or direct deposit to
BSB: 082-146 Account No: 13-610-4220.
Other ways you can support the Province’s ministries are by donations to:Augustinian Volunteers Australia Trust Fund, or Bequests. Mailing address is:
Order of St Augustine , PO Box 7278, Warringah Mall, Brookvale NSW 2100.
For further information, please contact the Province Office on (02) 9938 0200 or Anna Heath at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Thank you for your generous support!
Donations are tax deductible
He Who has given us the gift of being also gives us the gift of being good. He gives it to those who have turned back to Him. He even sought them out before they were converted and when they were far from His ways. [St Augustine, On Psalm 103 (4), 2]
From St Augustine
St Augustine—
My God, let me remember You with thanksgiving and proclaim
Your mercies to me.
Confessions 8, 1
