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Bellerive-Lindisfarne Catholic Parish

Phone: +61 3 6245 0501

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25.01.2022 Dear Parish Family, There have been a number of charity appeals in recent times, with various diocesan collections along with the Good Friday Collection being pushed to this end of the year as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. October is also mission month, where we are asked to donate to the work of Catholic Mission in the developing world. All of these are worthy causes and I thank you for your ongoing generosity. Closer to home, the resources of the St Vincent de Paul ...Society have been stretched significantly. In addition to the usual demands are the needs of temporary visa holders such as international students and seasonal workers who are unable to return home due to the pandemic. These workers and their families receive minimal government support, and are turning to local charities for the first time. Our local parish St Vincent de Paul conferences are therefore in desperate need of support. In the comments below this post is a list of non-perishable food items that can be brought to Mass over the coming weeks and left in the foyer to be distributed to people in need in our community. In addition, cash donations can be added to the usual collection basket in envelopes labeled St Vincent de Paul. For many in our community with family members on the mainland, the sense of distance seems more significant than usual, but for these international students and seasonal workers, the sense of isolation is so much greater. Your generosity is appreciated. Thank you. Our school communities welcome a short holiday break in what has proved to be a demanding year. I wish everyone a restful couple of weeks to restore their energy levels for the final term of the year. Fr Richard

25.01.2022 Hello Everyone, There appears to be some technical difficulties with a handful of internet providers and the delivery of this weekend's newsletter via e-mail. Apologies in advance if you have not/do not receive your usual e-mail. Please remember that you can access the newsletter via facebook (as per below) or on our website: www.cdtas.org.au/bellerive. You can also collect a hard copy, along with other hard copy reading materials, from the table outside the parish office.... If you are not currently on our e-mailing list and would like to be, please e-mail: [email protected]

23.01.2022 Apologies all we are going to try and livestream 10.30am Mass from Corpus Christi!

22.01.2022 Dear Parish Family, As the Church begins a new liturgical year, I return from holidays greatly refreshed and energised. Here’s hoping it lasts long into the New Year! My thanks to Fr Fidelis and to the acolytes, sacristans and secretaries who took on extra responsibilities over the last couple of weeks while I was on leave. The beginning of Advent reminds us that Christmas is upon us and it is time to make preparations, not just on the practical level but to prepare our hear...ts to recognise and receive Christ when he comes. In the first week of Advent we light the Prophet’s candle as a reminder of the HOPE that was harboured by God’s people throughout the centuries before the coming of Christ. The victory of light over darkness continues to be the source of our hope today. In order to comply with government restrictions imposed due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Archbishop has announced that there must be a registration system for all Christmas Masses so that we do not find ourselves turning people away from Christmas services. The Archdiocese will coordinate this process for each parish, and we will make every effort to ensure the smooth facilitation of this registration process especially for our regular parishioners. Please talk to your families and decide which Christmas service you would like to attend, and we will try to ensure everyone gets their preference. Thank you for your cooperation, there will be more information in coming weeks. Let the ADVENTure begin! Fr Richard

21.01.2022 22 November 2020 - Solemnity of Christ the King

20.01.2022 "We belong to one another in family, in community, in society" You can see Fr Richard's article below posted on the Archdiocese of Hobart website - a short follow up to the Dear Parish Family and homily from a few weeks ago with reflections in response to the proposed 'Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2020'

20.01.2022 Dear Parish Family, In these days of uncertainty concerning health and wellbeing, not to mention economic uncertainty, can I once more thank you for your patience, understanding and generosity in your interactions with and support for the life of our parish. Our COVIDSafe volunteers are very committed to providing a safe experience for us all, and the majority of parishioners are being very supportive of their efforts. I understand that we are creatures of habit and do not li...ke moving out of our comfort zone, but when it comes to the seating arrangements especially at the more popular Mass times, can I again ask for your cooperation. The ushers are working to a seating plan which will enable the largest number of people to be safely accommodated in our churches, so I respectfully ask that you please just sit where they ask you to. When under the pressure of a waiting queue, entering into negotiations with each person about the merits of this seat or that one is becoming tiresome. Please remember that these people are volunteers acting under direction from me, and if they decide to opt out of their role we will not be able to open for Mass at all, or only with significantly reduced numbers of people admitted. It is not only your health and safety and that of the wider community we are trying to protect, we are trying to avoid having to turn people away as well as to avoid the $10,000 fine that applies should we be found in breach of the published protocols. Again, thank you for your support. Thanks to the Catholic Development Fund, we now have access to a contactless tap and go facility in our churches. The machine is pre-set at a donation of $10, and it is simply a matter of tapping your microchip-enabled card against the wi-fi sign on the face of the machine. It then takes a few seconds to give you a tick and declare the transaction successful with four green lights. The donation is anonymous, as the CDF are bound by privacy law and cannot pass on any identifying details, but the donation will still come to the parish. Obviously, if you wish to donate more than $10, you can tap multiple times!! Direct debit, planned giving envelopes and loose cash are also still valid ways of supporting the parish. Praying God’s blessings for the week ahead, Fr Richard

19.01.2022 6 September 2020 - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

19.01.2022 Today we begin the season of Advent, four weeks marking a period of waiting and preparation in anticipation for the joy, hope, and peace that the arrival of Christ brings to the world. We light the first candle, which is a symbol of hope, also known as the 'Prophet's Candle'. Lighting it, we remember the prophets, in particular Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ, bringing hope to God's people centuries before the coming of Christ. In the lead up to Christmas, and in this first week of Advent, we remember this hope that the world had in anticipation for the coming of Christ. The victory of light over darkness continues to be the source of our hope today. Where do you see hope for the world today? #advent #hope #prophets #1stweek #isaiah #christmas #adventwreath #doyouhaveone #wheredoyouseehope

18.01.2022 Second Round Call for Volunteers! Would you like to join the ranks of our esteemed and talented covid safe volunteers?? We are looking to induct a new round of volunteers to include on the roster and ensure our current volunteers can have a weekend off here and there! We'll be having a briefing soon, so be sure to e-mail the parish office asap and let us know if you'd be willing to help: [email protected]... *Volunteers need to be U70 and in good health with a strong (not compromised) immune system.

17.01.2022 Dear Parish Family, Happy Father’s Day to all the dads in our community. I hope you are feeling appreciated for the valuable role you play in the lives of your children, and in the lives of all who benefit from your presence and love. It was lovely watching the excited children from our parish primary schools expectantly approaching the Father’s Day stalls hosted by Parents and Friends groups. I hope the coffee mug or pair of socks is received with an appreciation of the lo...ve with which it was selected! Have a lovely day! As we consider others in our community who we have called Father over the years, I bring your attention to the annual appeal for the Sick and Aged Priests Fund. Envelopes are available at the Parish Office, or details are elsewhere in this newsletter if you wish to make a donation. The Gospel this weekend highlights a mechanism for achieving meaningful reconciliation in a community. This provides a wonderful backdrop as we celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time with 60 of our young parishioners this week. Please keep these young people and their families in your prayers as they experience the mercy and unconditional love of God in this beautiful sacrament, and feel the healing power of the Holy Spirit at the deepest levels of their souls. The Year 7 students at MacKillop College will be on retreat on Thursday and Friday this week, and we pray that this experience will prove stimulating and insightful for these young people. We pray also for the staff who guide these students, that they will be authentic witnesses of the Gospel message they share. I invite you to think back on some of these formative experiences in your own life, and the people who modeled for you the added dimension the gift of faith brings to the experience of life. As we give thanks for our fathers, we also remember all those who have nurtured the faith in our hearts and lives. May God’s blessing be with you all, Fr Richard

17.01.2022 Dear Parish Family, 2020 has been a year like no other! At the start of this year, my second year in this parish, I started out full of optimism with plans and hopes for the year ahead. What a different experience it has been. There has been a significant sense of loss and disappointment for so many in our community, along with anxiety about what we might still have to deal with in regard to this virus. It has been a demanding and challenging year at many new and unexpected l...evels and it is still only August. There is hopeful talk of a vaccine sometime in 2021, but nothing is clear or certain by way of an end to this endurance event in which we find ourselves. The Pastoral Council considered this reality at our meeting last week. We are aware that for families with children and other close relatives on the mainland and/or elderly relatives in aged care homes it has and continues to be a very anxious time. The economic impact is only just beginning to be felt across the community, as unemployment and financial uncertainty bites deeper. I believe we are all carrying additional stress and anxiety at this time, and that many are feeling fragile, fearful or frustrated. The best comfort we can offer is to know that we are not alone. We are all affected to some degree by this virus and the necessary response to it in our community. Perhaps there is an invitation to us in today’s Gospel that the way you think is not God’s way but man’s. We often like to think that we are in control of the outcome in our lives, and that if bad stuff happens we generally deserve it. That is not God’s way! The scary thing about taking up our cross and following Jesus is that we are called to go where he goes, however unwelcome and unwise that might seem. Just maybe through this experience of vulnerability God is reminding us that we are not in control but that we are invited to trust in his presence and love, as the final words of Matthew’s Gospel ring in our ears: that God is with us always even to the end of time. Go gently! Fr Richard

17.01.2022 29 November 2020 - 1st Sunday of Advent

14.01.2022 Dear Parish Family, The celebrations of First Reconciliation held during the week were very special experiences for our parish. Most memorable for me were the obvious pride and love of the parents and the nervous eagerness of the candidates. It was lovely to have the assistance of Fr Peter O’Loughlin and Fr Terry Yard, and as ever the musical leadership of Kath Hogan added so much to the prayerfulness of the occasion. My thanks go to them and to the Sacramental Team: Claire, ...Rach, Jo and Mel, as well as the Covid volunteers who turned out to ensure a safe and clean environment was maintained. We are now calling for any Grade Three students who are ready to complete the Sacrament of Reconciliation in Term Four. Confirmation and First Eucharist have been held over to 2021 due to the pandemic. Catholic Theological College in Melbourne is offering a series of 90 minute lectures via Zoom on topics of interest at a cost of just $20 per session, Details are on the notice board on the church foyer, or go to www.ctc.edu.au This weekend also sees the deferred Good Friday Collection for the support of the church in the Holy Land. There will be a leaving collection at Weekend Masses or donations can be made securely on-line at Cath Dev Fund BSB 067 000 Acc No 0080 3104 Please include Holy Land as your reference/description. This week sees the Council of Priests meeting on Tuesday, the Pastoral Conference on Wednesday and the MacKillop students Alpha Retreat on Thursday. Your prayers are requested for all three events, but especially for the Alpha Retreat. Twenty-five students from Years 9 and 10 have spent a couple of hours each week over recent months exploring aspects of the Christian faith. This retreat day is a potential turning point on the journey, so please keep these students in your prayers on Thursday especially, that the Holy Spirit may touch their hearts. These events impact on my availability for weekday Masses this week. Have a great week, Fr Richard

13.01.2022 An inquiry evening is being held TONIGHT, Tuesday 1st September, at 7pm in the O'Loughlin Room for anyone interested in learning more about the Catholic Faith, with the potential option of joining our church community through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) process. Please share this invitation with anyone you think might be interested. Further information contact Fr Richard on 6245 0501.

12.01.2022 Another jam-packed Pastoral Council meeting was held last night. There was significant discussion reviewing our parish Covid Safe Plan and related pastoral responses, as well as much energy for new and exciting opportunities for the future of our community. As always, please feel free to pass on any feedback or suggestions to PPC members. #pastorallife #parishlife #PPC #jampacked

11.01.2022 20 September 2020 - 25th Sunday in Ord. Time

09.01.2022 Dear Parish Family, This weekend has been designated by the Christian churches of Tasmania to offer prayers of thanksgiving for the people who have worked with such courage and selflessness to protect Tasmanians during the Coronavirus pandemic. This includes our political leaders, healthcare workers and cleaners. I add my thanks to members of the Parish Pastoral Council for their work in developing the Parish COVIDsafe plan, and to the volunteers who have so cheerfully welcom...ed, registered and seated parishioners at Mass and sanitised the church after every service since re-opening. We simply could not operate without their assistance, so I thank them on behalf of the entire parish community. Anyone who considers themself fit and healthy enough to assist in this role is welcome to offer their services and a training session will be organised in coming weeks. Any adults who are keen to learn more about the Catholic Faith with a view to perhaps formally joining our faith community are invited to a gathering in the O’Loughlin Room to hear about a possible path ahead. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is a small group process that promotes discussion and reflection as we explore the Christian faith as well as some of the particularly Catholic things. There is no obligation, so please pass on the invitation to spouses and friends who you think might be interested. The initial gathering will take place at 7pm on Tuesday 1st September. The young people who began their preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation before the Coronavirus hit Tasmania will have the opportunity to celebrate this sacrament in coming weeks. Please keep them in your prayers that they may experience the mercy and unconditional love of God. It is with mixed emotions that I congratulate Eamonn Pollard, Principal of MacKillop College, on his appointment as Principal of St Aloysius College from the start of 2021. Eamonn will be a big loss to the MacKillop College community, but we wish him every blessing and success in his new challenge. Finally, I believe Tuesday this week marks the 80th birthday of Fr Peter O’Loughlin, so we say congratulations and many happy returns! His address is PO Box 122 Dodges Ferry 7173 if you would like to send a card. Fr Richard

09.01.2022 Below are some prayers to help our children and families on their Advent journey. These three prayers and reflection questions are for the first week of Advent. We will provide you with some on the Sunday of each week of Advent to use during the week. We invite families, if they can, to find some time during their week - maybe as they sit down for dinner, first thing in the morning, or just before bed, to use these. You can light a candle or your advent wreath if you have one... and say one of these prayers together. Then you can discuss the reflection question over dinner or just in the time you have. You could do any one of these once a week, all three over any three days of the week, or even repeat them if you are able to make time every day. Whatever works for you! We hope they might be helpful in making just a little space in this busy end of the year for what you'll likely find to be some insightful, meaningful and well spent prayer and family discussion time. Let us know how you go - we'd love to hear!! #advent #familytime #godtime #prayertime #faithsharing #giveitago #whatdoyouhavetolose

08.01.2022 Reminder: Register your child for the Term 4 2020 preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation by TOMORROW, Friday 25th September. Please e-mail: [email protected] or call 6245 0501 We are inviting children in Grade 3 (or older if the time has not yet been right to prepare and receive the Sacrament) who are ready and wanting to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time. These children will then prepare to receive the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist in 2021 (covid permitting). If you have a child, grandchild, niece, nephew, neighbour, friend who falls into this category, please make sure they have the info and get in contact with us by tomorrow. Thanks!

08.01.2022 Dear Parish Family, The generous bounty of God is witnessed in today’s Gospel story, and the inevitable human cries of injustice and jealousy are the response. We are remarkably good at perceiving injustice when it impacts negatively on us or our self-interest. Just watch two children engage in the sharing of the last piece of cake using the I cut, you choose method: meticulous care is taken to ensure an equal share, and the sole motivation is that I might miss out. Imagi...ne a world where the cake could be cut into uneven pieces, but the child would choose the smaller slice out of love or concern for the other. It is possible, and it does happen, but it seems not to be our default position, except when providing for those we know and love. Do Buddhists go to heaven? Or atheists? Can you imagine your reaction if you get to the pearly gates and find Adolf Hitler there to welcome you? The old image of all the Catholics in one section of heaven believing they are the only ones there is humorous for its absurdity, but also it reveals a darker truth about the way we perhaps perceive ourselves. We are good and faithfully follow the teachings of the church, making sacrifices all through our lives in an effort to be like Jesus, then we find that selfish and lazy and evil people have experiences God’s forgiveness and love and been granted the same reward we have strived for all our lives. In human terms it certainly seems unjust, unless we can see that person with the same love with which God sees them! We remember in our prayer this week a life-long servant of the parish in Judy Freeman. Judy died suddenly on Monday 14th September. We offer our sympathy and love to her husband John and assure him of our prayerful support at this time. Judy’s Funeral Mass will be held at Corpus Christi on Monday 21st September at 10:30am. Due to Covid restrictions numbers at the Mass will be limited, but maximum provision will be made to accommodate those who wish to attend. The service will also be live-streamed at www.grahamfamilyfunerals.com.au/funerals and can be watched live or on replay later. Let us remember one another in prayer. Fr Richard

08.01.2022 Sunday Mass - 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time. Coming to you live from the Vigil at Church of the Incarnation, Lindisfarne. Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #734544-A. All rights reserved.

07.01.2022 We are still experiencing some technical difficulties. We are aware that not all e-mails are making their way through to the parish e-mail address at the moment. If you are not getting a response from us and have an urgent matter please call the parish office between 2pm-3pm weekdays. We're working on a solution ASAP! #likeacatstuckinatree #wereworkingonasolution #technicaldifficulty #cutepictureshelp

07.01.2022 Congratulations to the 60 young parishioners who received the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time over the past two evenings. It has been a longer-than-normal journey, but well worth it as we experienced two beautiful liturgies radiating the peace and healing of the Sacrament. Please continue to hold these special young people and their families in your prayers.

06.01.2022 Dear Parish Family, Mike Gaffney MLC will bring a bill before our Tasmanian Parliament next week entitled Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2020. This is a matter of significant concern for the community, so I want to offer a few reflections that may help provide some clarity around the issues involved. The death of a loved one is a very difficult and sometimes traumatic experience. We hope for a good death, but sometimes it seems painful and cruel as we watch loved ones suf...Continue reading

05.01.2022 Any parents with children about grade three who are ready to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time are invited to register their interest to join the program of preparation which will take place in Term 4 this year. These children will then join with those who celebrated Reconciliation this term in preparing for Confirmation and First Eucharist in 2021 (coronavirus restrictions permitting). Please register your interest by Friday 25th September at the Parish Office via e-mail: [email protected] or phone: 6245 0501 Please share this post with, or tag anyone in the comments, who you think might be interested. Thank you!

05.01.2022 Following on from our Masses this weekend, you can read more about the Australian Bishops' Social Justice Sunday Statement: Living Life to the Full - Mental Health in Australia today, including video and prayer resources, by following the link below.

05.01.2022 16 August 2020 - 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

04.01.2022 With apologies, 8:30 Mass will not be live-streamed today due to illness. Hopefully we can get something organised for 10:30.

04.01.2022 13 September 2020 - 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

03.01.2022 We hope you continue to nurture your beautiful God given gifts, Grade 1/2s. A good reminder to us all to recognise the gifts we have been given and to share them selflessly in helping to build God's kingdom in our community.

03.01.2022 9 August 2020 - 19th Sunday in Ord. Time

02.01.2022 Today the Church celebrates the Triumph of the Cross, so celebrated on this date in commemoration of the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, which houses both the site where Jesus was crucified and Jesus' empty tomb. On this feast day in 2013 Pope Francis reflected on the story of mankind as being from "one tree to another", the tree in the Garden of Eden (representing sin) to the tree of the Cross (representing salvation). If you are interested you can read more here: http://www.vatican.va//papa-francesco-cotidie_20130914_tre

02.01.2022 Tomorrow (Saturday 15th August) is the Feast of the Assumption. You are very welcome to join us for Mass at 9.00am at Corpus Christi Church. #assumption #mary #holyday #mass #seeyouthere

02.01.2022 23 August 2020 - 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

02.01.2022 Well Done, Georgia!! Some of you will know Georgia as a regular parishioner with her family AND having just made her First Reconciliation....and now National T.V. star

02.01.2022 We give an enormous round of applause in acknowledgement of an outstanding contribution to our parish community by Audrey White!! Audrey has been a dedicated musician in a number of parishes over the last 75 years!! The last 14 of which have been in our Bellerive-Lindisfarne Parish. After a mammoth effort and commitment to bringing liturgies and prayer to life with music, she retired just prior to the covid lockdown. We were very happy to be able to properly acknowledge her at 10.30am Mass this morning. Thank you for everything you have given to our parish community as a musician, Audrey. We hope the view from your new seat is even more comfy than at the piano!

02.01.2022 Dear Parish Family, I was privileged to hear The Governor of Tasmania, The Honorable Kate Warner, speak at MacKillop College this week as part of the community celebrations for the Feast Day of St Mary MacKillop. Responding to Mary MacKillop’s challenge to never see a need without doing something about it, the Governor reflected on her role earlier in her career in bringing about law reform in crucial areas concerning rape, domestic violence and sentencing for such crimes a...s well as the decriminalization of homosexual acts between consenting adults. Her personal strength shone through her account of standing her ground and asserting truth in the face of ignorance, bigotry and aggressive defense of the status quo. She impressed me, but more importantly I hope she inspired the young men and women at MacKillop College to use their gifts in service of others and in worthwhile efforts to improve the society in which we live. Secondary school is a very demanding environment. It never ceases to amaze me how much pressure the average teenager is under to conform, to fit in and to not stand out from the crowd. Yet at the same time they are asserting their independence and seeking to discover their personal gifts and particular interests that will shape their future direction in life. They are tumultuous years, and along with the Governor I acknowledge those generous and hardy teachers who accompany the students entrusted to their care with wisdom and good humour even as limits are tested and stretched. Next Saturday is the Feast of the Assumption and Mass will be celebrated at Corpus Christi at 9am. That day also marks 75 years since the end of World War II, and to highlight the occasion, Malcolm Cooney will play a melody of war-time tunes after Communion at the vigil Mass at Lindisfarne. Blessings for the week ahead, Fr Richard

01.01.2022 We were so pleased to welcome back our 60 candidates for First Reconciliation after their preparation was paused back in early March due to covid-19. The past two afternoon & evenings our young people have resumed their preparation, participating in their second Faith Sharing Session. It has been amazing to share this very special time with them again. These young people will receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time in two weeks. As we are unable to gather as a whole parish with them, please hold them especially in prayer and feel free to send your thoughts and wishes here!

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