Cathedral Parish, Bathurst in Bathurst, New South Wales | Church

Cathedral Parish, Bathurst

Locality: Bathurst, New South Wales

Phone: +61 2 6331 3066

Address: Presbytery-100 George Street, 2795 Bathurst, NSW, Australia

Website: http://www.cathedralparish.org.au

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25.01.2022 Great to be able to join the Catholic Bishop of Bathurst, the Rev Michael McKenna and David Fisher from Housing Plus at the official opening of John Therry Ho...use at Kelso. The Church and Housing Plus are partnering to transform the former Kelso Nursing Home into a safe and secure facility for the homeless and people in need. Its hoped to have the building fitted out and up and running by October.

25.01.2022 PARISH BULLETIN - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time - 26th July 2020 Parish Bulletin is now available here: https://www.cathedralparish.org.au//upl/files/bulletin.pdf

25.01.2022 The people that longs to see your face +Michael McKenna Bishop of Bathurst When the Saints go marching in, it will be a massive crowd, according to the last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation (also called the Apocalypse). A huge number, impossible to count.... This should give us some hope, that we could be in that number, if we belong to the people who long to see God’s face, as we are praying today in response to the Psalm. Every year, on All Saints Day, we read the Beatitudes as found in Matthew’s Gospel. (There is a similar, though shorter version in Luke 6). They are both a description of the Kingdom that is to come and an invitation to begin living like that now. They are both a promise and a blessing. The Beatitudes go against the wisdom of the world: they turn it on its head. The wisdom of the world can give us quick gratification, but it will be temporary. The wisdom of the Beatitudes shows the way to fulfilment, giving us hope in that promise if we begin living it today. What has the wisdom of the world brought us? Corruption and injustice; division and war; exploitation and damage to this earth, our common home. The wisdom of the Beatitudes teaches us to acknowledge our poverty; to act gently; to embrace the realism of mourning; to want what is right, not easy; to unclutter our hearts in order to see God’s face; to make peace; to accept persecution and criticism because we follow Christ. Whether they know it or not, all God’s children long to see his face. Until Christ comes in glory, our mission as his Church is to show his face. Lord, I want to be in that number, when the Saints go marching in.

23.01.2022 PARISH BULLETIN - 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - 30th Aug 2020 Parish Bulletin is now available here: https://www.cathedralparish.org.au//upl/files/bulletin.pdf

23.01.2022 Each year, on Fathers Day, we have a special collection in support of our retired priests. They have given years of service to Gods people and many continue, ...as health and strength allow, as ministers of Word and Sacrament. They continue to help our local church with their prayers. I encourage you to give generously to this appeal. +Michael McKenna Bishop of Bathurst Given that we are still limited to the number of people who can attend Mass and collections are not currently being taken up, this years Fathers Day Appeal will move to an ONLINE format that you can donate to here: https://www.bpoint.com.au/pay/CATHOLICDIOCESEOFBATHURST

22.01.2022 Use it or lose it +Michael McKenna Bishop of Bathurst The parable that Jesus tells in today’s Gospel has given us the word talent. Originally simply a weight measurement of cash, talent has come to mean any gift that a person has been blessed with: an ability they simply have, not one they have earned, though it can be either developed or neglected by them. ... When I was at school, this story was sometimes used to exhort us to work harder; not to let our gifts, whether academic, sporting or artistic, lie idle, but to develop them through application and use. That is reasonable advice, as far as it goes, but I think Jesus is talking about something bigger. I believe that he is talking about the greatest gift a human being can receive: the gift of faith. We cannot earn it, but we can choose whether or not to accept it, and whether to develop or neglect it. This gift is not merely a feeling or a mentality, though both are part of the total experience of faith. It is a reliance on God; a confidence in God; a trusting surrender to God: which enables us to risk acting in his will; and which increases as we use it. A beautiful image of the Church is as the bride of Christ. The picture of the perfect wife we read today from the Book of Proverbs may be a good description of what we as the Church should be looking, through living our faith, to become. Lord, let me see you, not as a hard taskmaster, but as the One who pours blessings on his beloved and desires for me the full riches of the life that only you can offer.

21.01.2022 Choosing The Twelve Fr Mathew Humtsoe As we celebrate the feast of Simon and Jude, it is appropriate to reflect on the choosing of the twelve. It was undoubtedly an important choice. Jesus chose twelve to carry on and continue his saving mission. He would enlighten them, empower them and then commission them to go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News of the Gospel. The choice came after he had filtered it through a whole night of prayer, when he called his discip...les and chose twelve of them to be his apostles. He called them by name, he called them with their strengths and also their weaknesses, as time would tell. We are not one of the twelve apostles but we are all disciples of Jesus and he called us with our strengths and weaknesses. Every baptised Christian has been given power and authority. This is God’s promise, so we have nothing to be afraid of, in spite of our weaknesses. It’s important to know that I am a disciple, a learner, and thus I need to go on learning and not let him down. It’s an important lesson; the choices and decisions we make for ourselves and others must be filtered through prolonged personal prayers. Lord, we see comfort in Peter’s frailty, reassurance that your love and confidence extends to both strong and frail. Grant us the strength of body and of spirit to offer you the sacrifice of our lives, to be worthy disciples. Amen.

19.01.2022 PARISH BULLETIN - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - 6th Sep 2020 Parish Bulletin is now available here: https://www.cathedralparish.org.au//upl/files/bulletin.pdf

19.01.2022 PARISH BULLETIN - 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time - 13th Sep 2020 Parish Bulletin is now available here: https://www.cathedralparish.org.au//upl/files/bulletin.pdf

18.01.2022 NAIDOC Week was rescheduled to 8-15 November this year and we encourage all Catholics to take the opportunity to reflect, acknowledge and engage with First Nations Catholics. Resources for NAIDOC Week can be found here: https://www.natsicc.org.au//november-booklet_final_web_red

18.01.2022 , ? - Fr Greg Kennedy When I was a child, it never crossed my mind that my mother wouldnt be there, that there wouldnt be a meal every night. I have friends that I trust without fear will always be there for me; but Ive never really been in a situation like the widow of the first reading - giving out the last scrap I own and trusting that I would be OK.... Trust can be a tricky thing, particularly trusting God when we cant see through a stressful or painful time. Mary MacKillop trusted in God, even when the official Church seemed to be against her, when her health failed and when problems seemed insurmountable. Trust, of course, doesnt mean I just sit back and wait for God to come good with what I need. St Ignatius Loyola said: Pray as though everything depended on God; act as though everything depended on you. I think trusting God means I believe God will work with me, in me and through me to overcome any difficulty. We set our sights on the Kingdom, the reign of God in our hearts, and let life unfold as it will. , . . . .

18.01.2022 PARISH BULLETIN - 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time - 23rd Aug 2020 Parish Bulletin is now available here: https://www.cathedralparish.org.au//upl/files/bulletin.pdf

17.01.2022 SACRAMENTS OF RECONCILIATION & FIRST EUCHARIST 2021 This year we will prepare for and celebrate the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Eucharist as we did in 2020. The process will be:... 1. Completion of the Preparation Course for the Sacrament. 2. Completion of the 2021 Sacrament Request Forms (available from the Parish Office) with supporting documentation attached: 1. For Reconciliation: 1. 2021 Request Form. 2. Birth Certificate. 3. Baptism Certificate. 2. For First Eucharist: 1. 2021 Request Form. 2. Baptism Certificate. Note that both parent(s)/Guardian(s) have to sign the Request Forms (In cases where that is not possible contact Fr Paul and let him know). 3. Arranging for reception of the Sacrament by contacting Cathy at the Parish Office 6331 3066. 1. For Reconciliation: arranging a suitable place and time to meet with one of the Priests. 2. For First Eucharist: arranging for reception of the Sacrament at a weekday or weekend Mass of the families choice. Note well: We will keep to a maximum of 5 families at any one weekday or weekend Mass so that we can adhere to the 2 sq metre rule. Whatever Covid restrictions apply to our Churches at the time of the celebration will determine the numbers able to attend. Be alert to sudden changes of these restrictions.

16.01.2022 PARISH BULLETIN - 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time - 2nd Aug 2020 Parish Bulletin is now available here: https://www.cathedralparish.org.au//upl/files/bulletin.pdf

16.01.2022 Today, we celebrate The Fifth Glorious Mystery. Mary is crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth; a feast established by Pope Pius XII, the year I was born. The feast day is the natural progression from the Feast of the Assumption that we celebrated eight days earlier. The windows of the Eastern wall above the choir loft of St Patricks Church, Wellington feature a splendid image of the enthroned Queen of Heaven. The readings speak of heavenly images; visions of the glory of God, th...e voice of God and the house of God. Images that are often beyond our comprehension and imagination. Perhaps it is worth sparing a few moments for contemplation of our personal image, understanding of, and relationship with God. Our sometimes superficial view of life can influence our connection with God. We become distanced from him and in turn, he, in our perception, distances himself from us. We fail to feel his presence in our daily lives, missing opportunities for an intimate encounter with it. Our relationship with God is anything but superficial, as it was with the Pharisees. They put themselves above God by using the law to alienate others from their vision of who he was. Jesus put God where he is, among his people in their ordinariness. He opened their eyes to the faith that is within each of us; the Spirit that lifts us up and brings us to the inner court of the temple that we were created to be. . , , . , , ; , . , , , ? , . . ! , . (St. John of the Cross) Rev. Mike Williams Deacon, St Brigids Parish, Dubbo Connect@home

16.01.2022 HAPPY FEAST DAY OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Todays Reflection - A vision of hope Fr Karl Sinclair... When Premier Berejiklian this week declared that NSW was on a knifes edge with COVID-19, my heart sank. I felt the glimmer of hope, for some of the things I was hoping to be able to do before the year is out, begin to fade. COVID-19 has made it very difficult for us all to imagine what life in the future will look like. Many people are unable to find work, as there are less and less jobs. The long-term effects of the disease are only starting to be known and in the short term, many are dying from COVID-19 in Australia and hundreds of thousands more around the world. One could easily fall into despair. Today we celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, wherein at the end of her earthly life, she was taken up body and soul into heaven, so that she may be more fully conformed to Jesus, her son. Her Assumption is a singular participation in the Resurrection of Christ and through it she anticipates the resurrection of the body that God has in store for us. The Assumption of Mary reminds us that grace is ever present in our human experience. It is through Jesus becoming human that we are able to experience Gods grace, and there is no better witness to that grace than Our Mother Mary in her Assumption into Heaven. In her humanity, she was embraced wholeheartedly by God. Our current reality reminds us that we too, need Gods grace, and we too, need only look to God for our comfort. Loving Father, Through the Assumption of Mary, we see your grace at work in the midst of our human reality. Make us more aware of your loving care as we continue to grapple with the fallout of COVID-19. Amen.

15.01.2022 The Kingdom of Heaven is like this Fr Laurie Beath Gerard Hughes wrote a spiritual guidance book called "God of Surprises". The book takes one into a deeper reflection on how God surprises us in so many ways, that we can be initially unaware of. He shares with us the suggestion that, "what we value in life lies deep with our inner life. It is our inner life which affects our perception of the world and determines our actions and reactions to it".... The story Jesus tells today of the ten bridesmaids has a dramatic twist. The bridesmaids are waiting, when suddenly some of them are caught out. They think they will have enough oil, but theres a delay and they run out. By the time theyre back, its too late and the wedding party has gone in without them. We might wonder about these bridesmaids. How could the wise ones refuse the last minute request of the foolish ones? It doesnt seem to be the fault of the bridesmaids that the wedding party is delayed. But Jesus is reminding us to be ready at any time for what God might ask of us, or how God might simply surprise us; to be open at all times to the voice of God. It might not be dramatic or an amazing twist in our life story. It might be a quiet moment of courage, the patience to sit with someone who is distressed, or a smile that tells someone that she or he is welcome into our space. We should not let the opportunities for our God to surprise us pass, but be ready and open. Father, We do not know what our lives will hold, how long they will be, or who will cross our path. Help us to be ready for whatever comes, by paying attention to the words of your Son and responding in goodness and openness. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

14.01.2022 PARISH BULLETIN - 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time - 11th Oct 2020 Parish Bulletin is now available here: https://www.cathedralparish.org.au//upl/files/bulletin.pdf

14.01.2022 Sunday Mass from St Raphaels Cowra

14.01.2022 WHEN DID WE SEE YOU? +Michael McKenna Bishop of Bathurst Before I came to Bathurst, I was looking after the parish of Fitzroy, in inner Melbourne. It was a place with a varied population: some people were wealthy, some were poor, and some were among the poorest of the poor.... Whenever we had Benediction in our church, there was a beautiful extra line added to the Divine Praises. After Blessed be Jesus in the most holy Sacrament of the Altar, we prayed: Blessed be Jesus in the poorest of the poor. Like St Paul writing to the church of Corinth, we look for Jesus to come again in triumph over sin and death, recreating our broken world in the glory of God’s Kingdom. Although he has already won the victory, we do not yet experience it fully, though we can taste it in faith, hope and love. In the ordinary daily life of our community of Word and Sacrament, his bride the Church, he is with us already. And he is with us in in everyone who is poor or afflicted: hungry, thirsty, alien, exposed, sick, locked up In the judgment scene described by Matthew, both the blessed and the cursed ask the same question: Lord, when did we see you like this? The love that led the blessed to feed and give a drink, to welcome the stranger, clothe the unprotected, visit the sick and the prisoners: led them to Christ. The indifference and neglect of the cursed kept them away from him. Lord, let me see you

14.01.2022 CONFIRMATION 2020 Read here: https://www.cathedralparish.org.au/confirmation-2020/

14.01.2022 TEAR THE HEAVENS OPEN +Michael McKenna Bishop of Bathurst The great prophet for many Advent readings is Isaiah. The book that bears his name covers the time before, during and after the Babylonian exile of the Jewish people. He speaks directly in the earlier chapters of the book, while the later chapters carry his message through his successors, responding to the developing story.... It is a good book for us to ponder, because we are all exiles. Together with the whole human race, we are exiles from the Garden of Eden, awaiting the Saviour who will bring us back to Paradise. In fact, as Christians we believe that the new relationship with our Creator will be more intimate and complete than it was before the Fall, because the Son of God has entered his own creation as our brother. This is the answer to the impassioned plea in the song of lament and repentance that is today’s first reading: Our Redeemer is your ancient nameO that you would tear the heavens open and come down! The Gospel gives us Jesus, just before the Passion, talking to Peter, James, John and Andrew. He warns them of coming troubles and finishes with a parable about keeping watch. It is a message for all his disciples, including us. Stay awake, yes; but more than that: do what you have been entrusted to, making the house ready for your master’s return. Jesus, fill the longing in our hearts with faith in you, with hope that you are coming, and with love to work at preparing your way.

13.01.2022 There is an old saying that we will tire of sinning before God tires of forgiving us. This is what Jesus is saying to Peter in todays Gospel, in reply to his question how often must I forgive my brother when he wrongs me? Peter wonders if it is seven times? Thats quite a lot, really, but all the same a limited number. No, says Jesus, seventy times seven: in other words, unlimited, which is how Gods forgiveness is. The first reading and the parable that Jesus tells brin...gs home a powerful message: when we refuse to forgive, it harms us. Because forgiveness belongs to God; and refusing to forgive blocks our participation in this divine activity, which includes our own acceptance of the mercy that God is offering you and me. It isnt always easy to say yes to forgiveness. I have met many people who say they cannot forgive others for the wrongs they have done them. When you hear their stories, you can understand how they feel. And, in fact, you and I cannot forgive: it is Gods work, which he invites us to let him do, in and through us. A man once told me that he could not bring himself to forgive someone who had hurt him. I asked: Do you want to forgive them? No, he replied. Do you want to want to forgive? I suppose I do. It started there, and God did the work. Father of mercies, release my heart to unite with your unlimited love. Forgive my sins, as I forgive those who sin against me. +Michael McKenna Bishop of Bathurst

13.01.2022 The sons of Zebedee press Christ: Promise that one may sit at your right side and the other at your left. What does he do? He wants to show them that it is not a spiritual gift for which they are asking, and that if they knew what their request involved, they would never dare make it. So he says: You do not know what you are asking, that is, what a great and splendid thing it is and how much beyond the reach even of the heavenly powers. Then he continues: Can you drink the cu...p which I must drink and be baptized with the baptism which I must undergo? He is saying: You talk of sharing honours and rewards with me, but I must talk of struggle and toil. Now is not the time for rewards or the time for my glory to be revealed. Earthly life is the time for bloodshed, war and danger. Consider how by his manner of questioning he exhorts and draws them. He does not say: Can you face being slaughtered? Can you shed your blood? How does he put his question? Can you drink the cup? Then he makes it attractive by adding: which I must drink, so that the prospect of sharing it with him may make them more eager. He also calls his suffering a baptism, to show that it will effect a great cleansing of the entire world. The disciples answer him: We can! Fervour makes them answer promptly, though they really do not know what they are saying but still think they will receive what they ask for. How does Christ reply? You will indeed drink my cup and be baptized with my baptism. He is really prophesying a great blessing for them, since he is telling them: You will be found worthy of martyrdom; you will suffer what I suffer and end your life with a violent death, thus sharing all with me. But seats at my right and left are not mine to give; they belong to those for whom the Father has prepared them. Thus, after lifting their minds to higher goals and preparing them to meet and overcome all that will make them desolate, he sets them straight on their request. Then the other ten became angry at the two brothers. See how imperfect they all are: the two who tried to get ahead of the other ten, and the ten who were jealous of the two! But, as I said before, show them to me at a later date in their lives, and you will see that all these impulses and feelings have disappeared. Read how John, the very man who here asks for the first place, will always yield to Peter when it comes to preaching and performing miracles in the Acts of the Apostles. James, for his part, was not to live very much longer; for from the beginning he was inspired by great fervour and, setting aside all purely human goals, rose to such splendid heights that he straightway suffered martyrdom. (From a homily on Matthew by Saint John Chrysostom, bishop Sharers in the suffering of Christ)

12.01.2022 You are the source of life, O Lord. Your love, Lord, reaches to heaven; your truth to the skies. Your justice is like Gods mountain,... your judgements like the deep. O Lord, how precious is your love. My God, the sons of men find refuge in the shelter of your wings. They feast on the riches of your house; they drink from the stream of your delight. In you is the source of life and in your light we see light. Keep on loving those who know you, doing justice for upright hearts. Psalm 35:6-11

12.01.2022 Stay Awake - Fr Owen Gibbons There is great practical wisdom in Jesus words in todays Gospel; ever the master storyteller and teacher. To be ready and prepared for the expected and the unexpected. But how can we prepare for what we dont know will happen? One of the best pieces of advice I have ever been given was in my first year of seminary training. "As a priest, you have to be able to respond to the demands of the present moment". So often in life, our best-laid plans ...for that day can be scuttled. However, if our day is given to the Lord in prayer, then we can have a serenity in the chaos and the strength to respond, for God is with us at all times. Simple prayer grounds us to our loving God in Jesus. If we stay awake in prayer, we will be ready for whatever comes. It may be a surprise to us but wont overcome us, for we are anchored in prayer to Jesus. That prayer could be the prayer of St Monica, whose memorial we celebrate today. She persevered in prayer for many many years for her wayward son Augustine, who eventually became Bishop of Hippo. It could be the thanksgiving prayer of St Paul in our first reading, "I never stop thanking God for all the graces you have received...". It could be a prayer of praise, as in our Responsorial Psalm, "I will praise your name forever, Lord". Whatever our prayer, however simple it may be, it will help prepare us to meet not only the Master when he returns but the expected and unexpected alike, each day. Lord, I know that nothing will come across my path today that you and I together cannot handle. Amen.

12.01.2022 The restoration of the Cathedral of St Michael and St John has progressed to its final stage. The Cathedral precinct has been transformed into a bustling works...ite, with the external grounds currently undergoing extensive earthworks, and renovations progressing on the inside of the building. A visual update of the current program of works underway is available to view here: https://issuu.com//cathedral_restoration_update_july_2020_

12.01.2022 YOUTH MINISTER: Full-time Temporary Position commencing 27.01.2021 17.12.2021 A great opportunity for a student who might be finishing Year 12 and looking to... work during their gap year, is available at each of the following schools within the Diocese of Bathurst (6 positions): MacKillop College, Bathurst St Raphaels Catholic School, Cowra St Johns College, Dubbo La Salle Academy, Lithgow St Matthews Catholic School, Mudgee James Sheahan Catholic High School, Orange The core role of the Youth Minister is to assist in the animating of spirituality and faith formation of youth and promote attitudes based on Gospel values. The Youth Minister is to provide faith formation and leadership opportunities to youth within the parish, school and throughout the broader community, as well as develop a strong sense of faith amongst youth, drawing them into, and allowing them to identify with, a nurturing and supportive faith community. There are a few things that you will need to download from the CEDB website to apply. Sorry - this part is a bit clunky, but were here to help and have provided the links below: 1. Download the position description and selection criteria for here: http://www.bth.catholic.edu.au/Employment---Position-Select 2. Complete an application form (Non-Teaching Position) available here: http://www.bth.catholic.edu.au/Employment---Application-For 3. Obtain a valid Working with Children Check Number; this is required for this position and must be provided at the time of application. To apply for a Working with Children Check Number visit www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au 4. Send your completed application with a covering letter to Dr Angelo Belmonte by email: [email protected] by 3.00pm, Friday, 11 September 2020. Catholic Education Diocese of Bathurst is an is an equal opportunity employer.

12.01.2022 We are changing the release schedule of the Plenary Council Discernment Papers. This is our third release: How is God calling us to be a Christ-Centred Church i...n Australia that is Missionary & Evangelising? We commend to you this discernment paper and look forward to the fruits of your reflection, prayer and the lived witness of your response.

11.01.2022 https://fb.me/e/1rtkHjuGa

11.01.2022 Wishing you a happy and joyful retirement Pauline!

10.01.2022 Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to sympathise with them over their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet him. Mary remained sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus, If you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you. Your brother said Jesus to her will rise again. Martha said, I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day. Jesus said: I am the r...esurrection and the life. If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? Yes, Lord, she said I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.

08.01.2022 The Cross - the tree of life Rev Dr Joshy Kaithakulangara CMI The Exaltation of the Holy Cross is a feast of our Lord which celebrates the lifting up of the Son of Man on the cross into glory. It also celebrates the paradox of the cross - a sign of humiliation and death becomes the source of victory and life. ... The tradition holds that St Helena discovered the true cross in Jerusalem on September 14th 326 AD. The cross, which was a means of executing a criminal and a symbol of shame, is transformed by Jesus into the greatest symbol of Gods love and glory. When we look on the cross of Jesus with the eyes of faith, we see the power and wisdom of God. Jesus revealed Gods love all through his life; but he revealed Gods love, as well as his glory, most powerfully on the cross. The cross indicates suffering, humiliation, defeat and death; but the triumph of the cross is the triumph of love over hatred, of life over death. When we look upon the cross, we are looking upon the glorious revelation of Gods love and glory. The cross has been celebrated as the tree of life. The Eucharist that we celebrate makes this love present to us in a special way. God so loves the world that he continues to give us his Son in the Eucharist. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise you; because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world. Help us to understand the love, the life, the power, the wisdom, and the glory hidden on the cross. Amen.

07.01.2022 Listen, and your soul will live +Bishop Michael McKenna The miraculous feeding of the hungry crowds, related in Matthews Gospel today, caused wonderment among the disciples of Jesus. At the time, though, they didnt understand what it meant.... We too could simply read it as a spectacular demonstration of divine power that happened long ago; and fail to listen to what God is saying to us in his scriptures today. Listen, and your soul will live. I suppose that Jesus could easily have fed the crowds any way he wanted to. But notice how he brings the disciples into the action. First, he calls them out of their indifference to the needs of the people. The disciples are thinking: its their problem, not ours. But Jesus gets them to pay attention. Listen, and your soul will live. The few loaves and fishes they have seem utterly inadequate for the need at hand, but Jesus calls them to entrust that small gift to him: and he makes of it an abundance. The hunger that so many of our brothers and sisters on this planet endure every day, now worsening because of the pandemic, can seem so vast that we dont want to think of it. Their problem, not ours? Listen, and your soul will live. Whether it is hunger for bread or the hunger of our world for the Gospel we are sent to share, we can feel that our resources are inadequate. But Jesus is in our midst, calling us to pay attention, entrust what we have to him: and he will make abundance. Lord, help me listen and live!

07.01.2022 The latest podcast from Deacon Josh Clayton and Fr Karl Sinclair, Assistant Priest at St Mary's and St Joseph's Parish, Orange, is now available. The 'Connection: Faith and Life', podcast provides a channel of communication to God's people in the Diocese and further afield, sharing initiatives and providing an opportunity to hear from people working in church ministry and agencies. The format is simple, with Deacon Josh and Fr Karl discussing international, national, and loc...al issues relating to faith and life, in a relaxed manner. It can be found at the links below. Don't forget to subscribe, that way you will get each episode automatically and for free! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1gSaMBUyS1dHHY5xsndBzZ Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com//connection-faith-/id1512315851

06.01.2022 A blessing for all fathers

06.01.2022 The Chrism Mass was celebrated on Monday 19th October at St Brigid's Church, Dubbo. Given the Cathedral is currently closed for renovations, Bishop Michael and ...the priests of the Diocese gathered in Dubbo to celebrated the Chrism Mass, postponed from April due to COVID. During this Mass, the Oils of Catechumens and the Sick were blessed and the Chrism Oil was consecrated. These are the oils that will be used in the coming year. The clergy gathered to concelebrate this Mass and during it, they renewed their priestly commitment. Bishop Michael and the priests then attended a celebration dinner to mark priestly jubilees, including Fr Pat Ruane's 60th anniversary since being ordained.

05.01.2022 Word&Faith@home will take place several times a week throughout Advent via Zoom and take around 30 minutes. It will commence on 25 November on Wednesdays at 7:0...0pm, Fridays at 11:00am and Saturdays at 2:00pm. Everyone is welcome to take part in these gatherings, which will focus on the upcoming Sunday's readings. Use the QR Code below to join the sessions or go to: https://bthcatholic.zoom.us/j/4582615130 For more information, contact Deacon Josh Clayton on 0458 261 513.

05.01.2022 Gospel of the Day Jesus put a parable before the crowds: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the biggest shrub of all and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and shelter in its branches. He told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like the yeast a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour till it was leavened all through.... In all this Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables; indeed, he would never speak to them except in parables. This was to fulfil the prophecy: I will speak to you in parables and expound things hidden since the foundation of the world.

04.01.2022 PARISH BULLETIN - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time - 9th Aug 2020 Parish Bulletin is now available here: https://www.cathedralparish.org.au//upl/files/bulletin.pdf

04.01.2022 Growing in Tradition - Fr Paul Devitt VG In todays Gospel for the feast of St John Vianney, the Pharisees and scribes challenged Jesus on leading his disciples away from the tradition of the elders. Their words indicate that by tradition, they meant something that was set fast in concrete and shouldnt change. Jesus doesnt bother entering into much of a debate with them, because they are the blind leading the blind. He knows that to argue with a fool is two fools argu...ing. Jesus was steeped in tradition - one like what Janet Soskice was to describe as: To stand in a tradition is not to stand still but to stand in the deep, loamy soil that feeds further growth. Jesus stood here - in the deep loamy soil of the law and the Prophets, wisdom, and his prayer book, the Psalms. Here he grew in profound knowledge of, and relationship with, his Abba, and experienced the depth of a parents love. Jeremiahs You shall be my people and I will be your God is Gods reminder of the depth and faithfulness of Gods love for us - always and forever. God spells it out unequivocally through Jeremiah: I have loved you with an everlasting love, and I am constant in my affection for you (31:3). Jesus proclaimed and witnessed Gods love in word and deed and calls on disciples of every age to do the same. He invites us to stand in his tradition, that deep loamy soil of Gods love and Gods word, to feed our further growth. Lord, As I stand in the deep loamy soil of your tradition, your teaching, your example, cast light on my blindness. Grow me into a disciple that can lead others to the one true light. Amen.

03.01.2022 The birth of Mary: the dawn of salvation Rev. Dr Philip Filby Parish Priest, St Ignatius Parish, Oberon I suppose we often find the feasts of this Church are weighted towards the northern hemisphere; but now in these early days of Spring, we have the Feast of Our Ladys Nativity, a sign of hope to humanity, a sign of Gods concern for his people, a welcome respite for troubled hearts and minds.... This week, the birth of our Lady from whom is born the Christ reminds us of Gods saving purposes for his people. As Micah says: "He will be peace; mysteriously present in this infant the harmony God desires for humanity". This indeed will be a gradual process working through the channels of human birth, growth, maturation until one will stand in the synagogue of Nazareth and, having read from Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me, will put aside the sacred text and proclaim: these words are being fulfilled even as you hear them!" Indeed the thanksgiving of which Mary has given expression that "his mercy reaches from age to age to those who fear him!" Her heart rejoices: We too are called upon to rejoice in this hope of new life and through our trusting prayer to draw from these springs of salvation. Lord and Father, we rejoice in the promise of the dawning of our salvation in the birth and eventual choice of this elect one to be the Mother of your Son! May this dawn of salvation bring new hope to your people, new light to our eyes, that all might ever rejoice in your guidance to the fulfillment of these promises. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

01.01.2022 + The passage from Matthews Gospel that we are reading today follows on from last Sundays. How quickly St Peter changed from accepting and proclaiming Gods revelation then, to resisting it now! Once again, we can see ourselves in Peter: connected to God one minute, disconnected the next.... In his letter to the Romans, St Paul reflects on this dynamic in the Christian life: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God. Peters example, the experience of Jeremiah, and Pauls advice, teach us not to be discouraged when we slip into ways of thinking which are not of God. Stumbling is part of the disciples journey. The Spirit we have received will always put us back on track if we say yes. The way of the world is to grab on to what we think is life, but Jesus tells us: let go. The hands that are grasping something small cannot open to receive a greater gift. Those who want to save their life will lose it; those who lose their life for my sake will find it. These words will sound crazy to some: but they ring true to those who make a daily offering of their lives to God and find their minds renewed. , . , , .