THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD YEAR C 2ND JUNE 2019 Dear Parishioners, Happy Feast of the Ascension! The Ascension calls us not to look up, but to trust that Christ's promise is down and in and around us. Right here. Right now. In St Luke’s ascension account from the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus admonishes his apostles to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Spirit because they are witnesses of his mission and message. When the me for his ascension comes, Jesus blesses them, then “was liſted up” (1:9). We don’t hear the great commission to go out to, preach to, and bapse all naons as we do in Mahew’s Gospel (28:19–20). Instead, Luke’s account leaves us with an image of the apostles joyfully returning to Jerusalem: “They were connually in the temple praising God” (24:53). Returning to Acts, I love that the early disciples’ first order of business - even before Pentecost - was to gather to pray (1:14). St Paul oſten admonished the early Chrisans to pray constantly. He knew that prayer grounds us in the Lord and strengthens us to lay down our lives and carry our crosses. Prayer focuses our aenon on God’s call and our response to it. The Apostles’ prayer opened them to receive the promised giſt of the Holy Spirit and strengthened them for their mission - to let the world know that Jesus is Lord, that the kingdom of God has come, and that we have been restored through the death and resurrecon of Christ. Thus should our week begin: in praise and worship before God, in gathered prayer! Like the disciples in Jerusalem, the Lord will open our minds “to understand the scriptures” (Luke 24:45). We, too, will be filled with the Spirit and be sent out as joyful ‘prayerful’ witnesses to God’s presence and saving work. In these days between Ascension and Pentecost, which form the most ancient novena in our tradion. This is a me when the Church prays in a special way for the giſts of the Holy Spirit, imitang the disciples gathered in the upper room (as the Scriptures today tell us), as well we pray this week in all our Liturgies for Chrisan Unity. Let this be part of our prayer, this week! May we be conscious of spreading God’s love this week, and thereby, pung our faith into acon! Please gather together next Sunday morning at St Mary’s for our Mul-Cultural Mass, and have a good week. Stephen ofm !!! WELCOME TO THE IPSWICH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY !!! If you have any questions or would like to know more about the Ipswich Catholic Community please visit our parish website at www.ipswichcatholic.com We hope you enjoy your time here. Please visit us again soon. OUR CHURCHES St. Mary’s - Elizabeth Street, Woodend St. Brigid’s - Matthew Street, Rosewood Mater Dei - Cnr Ferrett Street and Rowland Tce, Sadliers Crossing St. Joseph’s - 42 Pine Mountain Road, North Ipswich Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal - 33A Robertson Rd, Eastern Heights Immaculate Heart of Mary - 22 Old Toowoomba Road, Leichhardt St Boniface’s - Owens Street, Marburg St Michael’s - 856 Pine Mountain Road, Pine Mountain LEICHHARDT PARISH SCHOOL - During the week we interviewed four people for the posion of ‘Acng Principal’, and I am pleased to announce that Mr Kurt Dutney has been appointed for the remainder of this Term and for all of Term 3. We congratulate Kurt on this appointment and look forward to the energy and enthusiasm he will bring to our wonderful School of Immaculate Heart. Kurt is well known in Ipswich and is presently on Staff at Sacred Heart Booval. He takes up the posion immediately. Welcome Kurt!
Transcript
THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD YEAR C 2ND JUNE 2019
Dear Parishioners,
Happy Feast of the Ascension! The Ascension calls us not to look up, but to trust that Christ's promise is down and in and around us. Right here. Right now. In St Luke’s ascension account from the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus admonishes his apostles to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Spirit because they are witnesses of his mission and message. When the time for his ascension comes, Jesus blesses them, then “was lifted up” (1:9). We don’t hear the great commission to go out to, preach to, and baptise all nations as we do in Matthew’s Gospel (28:19–20). Instead, Luke’s account leaves us with an image of the apostles joyfully returning to Jerusalem: “They were continually in the temple praising God” (24:53).
Returning to Acts, I love that the early disciples’ first order of business - even before Pentecost - was to gather to pray (1:14). St Paul often admonished the early Christians to pray constantly. He knew that prayer grounds us in the Lord and strengthens us to lay down our lives and carry our crosses. Prayer focuses our attention on God’s call and our response to it. The Apostles’ prayer opened them to receive the promised gift of the Holy Spirit and strengthened them for their mission - to let the world know that Jesus is
Lord, that the kingdom of God has come, and that we have been restored through the death and resurrection of Christ. Thus should our week begin: in praise and worship before God, in gathered prayer! Like the disciples in Jerusalem, the Lord will open our minds “to understand the scriptures” (Luke 24:45). We, too, will be filled with the Spirit and be sent out as joyful ‘prayerful’ witnesses to God’s presence and saving work.
In these days between Ascension and Pentecost, which form the most ancient novena in our tradition. This is a time when the Church prays in a special way for the gifts of the Holy Spirit, imitating the disciples gathered in the upper room (as the Scriptures today tell us), as well we pray this week in all our Liturgies for Christian Unity. Let this be part of our prayer, this week!
May we be conscious of spreading God’s love this week, and thereby, putting our faith into action! Please gather together next Sunday morning at St Mary’s for our Multi-Cultural Mass, and have a good week.
Stephen ofm
!!! WELCOME TO THE IPSWICH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY !!!
If you have any questions or would like to know more about the Ipswich Catholic Community please visit our
parish website at www.ipswichcatholic.com We hope you enjoy your time here. Please visit us again soon.
OUR CHURCHES
St. Mary’s - Elizabeth Street, Woodend St. Brigid’s - Matthew Street, Rosewood
Mater Dei - Cnr Ferrett Street and Rowland Tce, Sadliers Crossing St. Joseph’s - 42 Pine Mountain Road, North Ipswich
Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal - 33A Robertson Rd, Eastern Heights Immaculate Heart of Mary - 22 Old Toowoomba Road, Leichhardt
St Boniface’s - Owens Street, Marburg St Michael’s - 856 Pine Mountain Road, Pine Mountain
LEICHHARDT PARISH SCHOOL - During the week we interviewed four people for the position of ‘Acting Principal’, and I am
pleased to announce that Mr Kurt Dutney has been appointed for the remainder of this Term and for all
of Term 3. We congratulate Kurt on this appointment and look forward to the energy and enthusiasm he
will bring to our wonderful School of Immaculate Heart. Kurt is well known in Ipswich and is presently on
Staff at Sacred Heart Booval. He takes up the position immediately. Welcome Kurt!
Wed 5 June Prayer Group Meeting 5.00pm, St Mary’s Parish Centre
Fri 7 June Meditation Group Exercise Group
7.45am, St Mary’s Parish Centre 9.30am, Mater Dei
Sun 9 June MULTICULTURE MASS 8.30AM, ST MARY’S, IPSWICH
Sat 14 Sept WOMEN’S BREAKFAST 7.00am, St Brigid’s School Hall
WEEKDAY MASS TIMES
MONDAY, 3 JUNE - CHARLES LWANGA & COMPANIONS
7.00am St Joseph’s, Nth Ipswich 10.00am RSL Retirement Village
Grange Road
TUESDAY, 4 JUNE - TUES OF THE 7TH WEEK OF EASTER
9.00am Immaculate Heart, Leichhardt 10.30am St Mary’s Hostel, R/view
WEDNESDAY, 5 JUNE - ST BONIFACE
9.00am St Mary’s, Woodend 9.30am Cabanda Nursing Home
THURSDAY, 6 JUNE - THURS OF 7TH WEEK OF EASTER
9.00am St Joseph’s, North Ipswich
(School Mass)
9.00am St Mary’s, Woodend
9.30am Villa Maria Nursing Home,
Robertson Road
6.00pm St Boniface’s, Marburg
FRIDAY, 7 JUNE - FRIDAY OF THE 7TH WEEK OF EASTER
8.00am Chapel Mass, St Mary’s
College
9.00am Leichhardt Feast Day Mass
9.00am St Brigid’s, Rosewood (School
Mass)
9.00am OLMM, Eastern Heights
NATIONAL RECONCILIATION WEEK is a time for all Australians to reflect on progress we’ve made in building better relations between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous Australians. Australian churches began this week decades ago as a time of prayer for reconciliation. National Reconciliation Week runs from May 27 (the anniversary of the 1967 referendum, which recognised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as citizens) to June 3 (the anniversary of the High Court’s decision in the Mabo case on native title in 1992).
God of Holy Dreaming, Great Creator Spirit, from the dawn of creation you have given your children
the good things of Mother Earth. You spoke and the gum tree grew. In the vast desert and dense forest, and in cities at the water’s edge,
Creation sings your praise. Your presence endures as the rock at the heart of our Land.
When Jesus hung on the tree you heard the cries of all your people and became one with your wounded ones: the convicts, the hunted, the dispossessed.
The sunrise of your Son coloured the earth anew, and bathed it in glorious hope.
In Jesus we have been reconciled to you, to each other and to your whole creation.
Lead us on, Great Spirit, as we gather from the four corners of the earth;
enable us to walk together in trust from the hurt and shame of the past
into the full day which has dawned in Jesus Christ. Amen
The Ipswich Catholic Community acknowledge, the Traditional Owners
who have walked upon and cared for this land for thousands of years.
We acknowledge the continued deep spiritual attachment and
relationship of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to this
country and commit ourselves to the ongoing journey of Reconciliation.
what’s happening in the Ipswich Catholic Community ...
ARE YOUR TEENAGERS INTERESTED IN BECOMING CATHOLIC OR DO THEY NEED TO CATCH UP ON THEIR SACRAMENTS? RCIT or the Rite of Christian Initiation for Teenagers is a program for children between the ages of 13 and 17, parishioners and non-parishioners, and Catholics or non-Catholics, who are interested in receiving Sacrament preparation. Teenagers interested in this program are usually either unbaptised or were baptised in a non-Catholic church,
or who are catching up on missed sacraments. Our pilot 6 week RCIT Program starts in late July / early August. We already have 10 students from St Mary’s who have expressed an interest. There will be an RCIT Information Evening on Wednesday, 6pm—7pm Wandiny Room at St. Mary’s College. Don’t miss out!
FORMATION & ACCOMPANIMENT
NEW SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN (APPLY TO ENROL NOW)
Each year we invite parents to enrol their children to celebrate their next Sacrament. This is an important milestone for families as the children enter into a relationship with Christ more fully. This is also an important event within our community. Over the last few months we have been looking at how we run our Sacramental Program and are making a few enhancements. Some of these are outlined below:
1. Our new program runs for 3 years so children only need to be enrolled once! This means less paperwork and ensures greater connection and support between the Sacraments.
2. Previously, the suggested donation per child for all three Sacraments (Confirmation, Communion, Penance) was $150 over the 3 years. This has now been reduced to $100 per child for all three Sacraments, as we have tried to cut cost, making the program now more accessible to families. Payments are made at enrolment.
3. Most of the enrolment and payment process is now online, reducing the cost and work to administer the program, allowing more time supporting families and children.
Sacrament of Confirmation - 2019
Parents with children in Grade 3 or above who have not celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation are invited to apply for enrol now. Enrolment closes Thursday, 18th July.
Enrolment Form: www.bit.ly/ipswichsacraments
Further information: www.ipswichcatholic.com/children Enquiries: [email protected].
Phone: 07 3281 2133
SAFEGUARDING THE IPSWICH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY Over the next 2-3 months the parish office will undergo an internal review of all the Safeguarding practices and the registers held for our community. With the recent changes to Safeguarding Training (Level 1 & Level 2), and with the start of the Archdiocesan audits, it is timely that we too do a review to ensure we are compliant in all areas. Over the coming weeks more information will be shared with volunteers and our wider community. In the meantime, we have just launched a new webpage for safeguarding. The link has been added to the side menu and below.
www.ipswichcatholic.com/safeguarding
PLENARY COUNCIL 2020 - 2ND PHASE ABOUT TO BEGIN The Church in Australia is in preparing to commence the second phase of the Plenary journey: Listening and Discernment. This follows on from the Listening and Dialogue phase which saw over 220,000 Australian participate in sharing what they felt God is asking of us in Australia today. This next phase will commence with the release of the national themes on June 9. All Australians will be invited to engage once again, but this time through a process of communal discernment on the national themes. BRISBANE ASSEMBLY 2019 Through a process of ‘Listening and Discernment’ continue the Plenary journey with the Archdiocese of Brisbane and help develop the agenda for the Plena-ry Council in 2020. The Brisbane Assembly is just one of a number of ways you and your parish can participate in the Listening and Discernment process occurring between July 2019 to April 2020. Date: Friday October 4 to Saturday October 5 2019 Venue: Edmund Rice Performing Arts Complex, St Laurence’s College - South Brisbane. Registration opens in July.
This weekend we welcome children and families from St Brigid’s Primary School to the Rosewood Mass. The School children have
prepared the Mass and we thank all those who have helped and prepared the celebration. The Prep class worked with Fr Stephen to make a special cloth for the Altar .... the School will be preparing a Mass each Term.
PENTECOST MULTICULTURAL MASS AND CELEBRATION
All members of the Ipswich Catholic Community are invited to share the Spirit of Pentecost at St Mary’s Church, Woodend on Sunday June 9th at 8:30am, by attending our Multicultural Mass. Each and every one of us possess our own unique cultural identity, and we encourage you to share yours with us so that together we may celebrate unity in diversity. You are invited to represent your culture by bringing a small national flag to Mass or through your attire, whether that be by wearing a dash of green as a nod to your Irish ancestors, or by wearing your traditional cultural clothing, no gesture is too small. Following Mass, celebrations will continue with a light morning tea after mass followed by some performances in
the St Mary’s Primary School hall and a potluck multicultural brunch which will be served at 11am. We invite everyone to bring a plate of food only to share. It is set to be a vibrant celebration of our wonderful community.
Come and pray the Rosary before Wednesday morning mass at St Mary’s. Rosary begins at 8.40am - followed by Mass at 9.00am. ALL ARE WELCOME.
ANNIVERSARY: Clarrie Kopelke, Ray Grading, Frank and Rose Hogan, Barry Gee, Rose Susan Maguire, Tom Kelly, Angela Kelly, Pearl and Michael Kelly, May and Tom Bourke, Cecily Molloy, Tricia Erhardt, Elespeth Davies, Ken McGrath, Susan, Massie, Sam Patia, Matua, Nga Florence Gorring.
CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION 2019 Let us publicly honour Our Lord through the streets with the Corpus Christi Procession from 2.00pm on Sunday June 23rd. Bishop Finnigan will begin the procession this year and bring it to a conclusion with a homily and Benediction in the Cathedral. For information regarding parish bus timetables to bring people into the CBD please visit the website
ANNUAL MASS FOR THE DECEASED - The Annual Mass for Deceased Christian Brothers, Teachers, and Old Boys of St Edmund's College will be held at CWL house, 35 Waghorn Street, Ipswich on Tuesday 23 July 2019 at 7.00 pm. All are invited. If you wish to remember a deceased Old Boy, please contact Andrew McGrath on 3389 6858.
NIGHTFEVER is an open night of prayer and Eucharistic Adoration. It involves the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament while volunteers outside invite people to come in and light a candle. During this they can enjoy warming music, engage in Christian fellowship or take a moment of peace all before the presence of the Lord. There is also an opportunity for confession, to talk to a priest or to converse with others happy to share the Faith. For some visitors it may be their first time in a Catholic church, for others, it may have been some time away or another regular Church visit.
I n f o o n t h e n i g h t : The evening begins with Mass for Nightfever at 6pm in St Stephen’s Cathedral. The night will wrap up with Benediction & prayers at 10pm.
FROM THE HIVE: Youth Group - Friday, 14th June, 7pm-9pm, Mater Dei Church, Sadliers Crossing. Dessert, Discipleship and Distraction from Assignments. Contact us: 0478 150 103
Young Adults - Mass, Dinner, Social on Sunday, 16th June. Join us with Darra Jindalee Young Adults. Beginning with 6pm Mass at St Mary’s. Dinner at Nando’s Riverlink from 7.15pm. Bring a friend along. All are welcome. Contact us: 0478 150 103
WHO CELEBRATES THE LITURGY? Public Lecture by Professor Tom O’Loughlin. Born in Dublin, Fr Tom is a priest of the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton on England’s south coast. He is a specialist in the early Church and the early medieval period, but his work is not dry Church history. Rather he draws on the experience of Christian living and believing in the past to understand what is important for Christians today to make sense of their faith. Liturgy and Sacraments is a key focus of his work. Fr Tom sees one of his key tasks as communication - taking the fruit of academic research and communicating its insights to a wider public. His visit to Brisbane will bring us the best of liturgical scholarship and make it accessible to everyone.
Fr Tom O’Loughlin’s work in Brisbane will focus on the simple question of “Who Celebrates the Liturgy?”. It will help explore the meaning of the Vatican II liturgical principle of full, conscious, active participation in the liturgy by the whole assembled people of God. What is the role of the priest in the liturgy? How should we celebrate Sunday Mass? His presentations will help us rethink ministry and Christian life for the present age.
The Lecture will be held on Wednesday evening 26 June 2019, 7.00pm to 8.30pm in the Hanly Room at St Stephen’s Cathedral (parking available - enter via Charlotte Street). Please purchase tickets online: $10 individual. $40 parish or school group (contact the office if you wish to form a parish group). Go to www.liturgybrisbane.net.au If you are interested please leave your name at the Parish Office and we can go as a group from the ICC.
