Richmond Catholic Parish in Richmond, Victoria | Church

Richmond Catholic Parish

Locality: Richmond, Victoria

Phone: +61 3 8420 6789

Address: 326 Church Street 3121 Richmond, VIC, Australia

Website: https://www.ignatius.org.au

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25.01.2022 "...as we go back to our caves at least we in Melbourne, and some of you outside of Melbourne hope you dont have to let us remember to be people of courage. Together we can and will go through this time of lockdown. Lets bear in mind that in the difficult times of being in a cave, or however we describe our lockdown experience, there are people around us who can listen to us and counsel us and support us, and we should, if we can reach out to them." -- Fr Brian McCoy SJ, Provincial, Australian Jesuits

25.01.2022 So many families and individuals have been affected by the recent floods in Vietnam. If you can, please donate today to help the Jesuits in Vietnam provide emergency relief and rebuild homes and lost livelihoods: https://jesuitmission.org.au/vietnam-floods

23.01.2022 More than ever I find myself in the hands of God. This is what I have wanted all my life from my youth. But now there is a difference; the initiative is entirely with God.... It is indeed a profound spiritual experience to know and feel myself so totally in God's hands. -- Pedro Arrupe SJ Source: https://www.xavier.edu//onl/prayer-index/ignatian-prayers

23.01.2022 While our churches remain closed, the parish continues to incur ongoing overhead costs and we need your help. You can now make a quick and easy one-off or regular online donation to our parish via https://bit.ly/CDFpayRichmond Thank you so much for supporting the parish community.

23.01.2022 Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. We often make the Sign of the Cross over ourselves. We make it before prayer to help fix our minds and hearts on God. We make it after prayer, hoping to stay close to God. In trials and temptations, the cross is a sign of strength and protection. The cross is the sign of the fullness of life that is ours.* "The Cross of Christ contains all the love of God; there we find his immeasurable mercy." -- Pope Francis... *Excerpt from https://www.loyolapress.com//saints-/triumph-of-the-cross/

23.01.2022 What can we learn from the Spirit of Saint Ignatius of Loyola today? Find out on the Australian Jesuits FB page.

22.01.2022 As we hear of the COVID-19 cases in Victoria and elsewhere, we pray for every person behind these figures and the daily reported deaths in our state, our country and our world. We also pray for those who are struggling with the impact of this pandemic on their lives. "...to have compassion is to suffer with and to be able to reach out to those in need. ...In being [people of compassion], we also open ourselves up to receive that gift of compassion." -- Archbishop Peter A Comensoli

22.01.2022 Beginning in 1853, the Richmond Catholic Parish is one of the oldest parishes in Melbourne - and the Jesuits have been faithfully serving in the parish for very much of this time. We thank God for their presence and for all priestly, consecrated and lay vocations, especially during this National Vocations Awareness Week, 2-9 August. Be a Jesuit Aus #beajesuit #NVAW

22.01.2022 For all the fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers of our yesterdays and todays, and for the fathers of tomorrow who will soon be holding their very first newborn, we bring you especially into our prayers and hearts as we wish you a Happy Fathers Day. On this day we celebrate and thank God for our Dads who have been there to guide us through the milestones of our lives, protected us when we have felt afraid or unsure, and have been an important part of our faith format...ion. We also pray for the Dads who are missed, for the men who have been father figures to us and for our spiritual fathers, the many priests, such as those of our Australian Jesuits, and our Holy Father, Pope Francis, who are serving others with the hands, mind and heart of Christ. We know of the closeness between Jesus and His Father and so we offer a prayer of gratitude to God from Whom we can all learn about and feel the ultimate love of our Heavenly Father. You are invited to share a prayer for your Dad in our comments section. The Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne has been sharing the stories of the beautiful and profound impact of fathers on the lives of Melbourne parishioners and priests. Check these out on their FB page. "Every family needs a father a father who shares in his familys joy and pain, hands down wisdom to his children and offers them firm guidance and love." -- Pope Francis Please also consider donating to the annual Priests Retirement Foundation Fathers Day Appeal: https://www.cam1.org.au/foundation/ #fathersday #melbournecatholic

21.01.2022 Today is Social Justice Sunday. This years Social Justice Statement from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference encourages faith communities, governments and each one of us to make mental health a priority. The profound impact of COVID-19 has starkly revealed and reinforced the need for our society to do better in how we care for each other at all times. Addressing mental ill-health is a fundamental aspect of that care. Understanding its effects on individuals and our co...mmunity helps us to become more aware of those who need our support and to do something about it. Read the Statement at https://bit.ly/LifetotheFull ACBC Office for Social Justice #SocialJusticeSunday #SocialJusticeStatement2020 #MentalHealthAustralia

21.01.2022 "The hidden gem, the pearl of great price, is itself a miracle. It starts its existence as a grit of sand, an irritation of dirt, which has made its way inside the shell, threatening the living oyster. To defend itself, the oyster covers this foreign body with layers of a translucent membrane that hardens around the threat, and so a pearl is born. ...I like to think of that grit, in terms of the Kingdom of God, as my sin, which the sacrificial love of Jesus has coated over and over with untold layers of his forgiveness. As I come to humbly search for what is lovely amid my sinfulness and human frailties, God comes to transform me into an image of his Son." -- Archbishop Peter A Comensoli, Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne

18.01.2022 Today, 31 July, is the Feast Day of the patron saint of St Ignatius Church, Richmond. St Ignatius is the founder of the Society of Jesus. He is also the patron of spiritual retreats and soldiers. "...I loved you first." -- the child Jesus to Ignacio de Loyola While we are unable to celebrate this Feast Day together in person, we pray that all parishioners of St Ignatius Church and our wider Richmond Catholic Parish will be guided by St Ignatius of Loyolas example and ...remember this special day. Let us be and do all for the greater glory of God who knew and loved us even before we were born. St Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us. #FeastDay #AMDG #IgnatiusofLoyola #IgnaciodeLoyola #IgnacioMovie #SocietyofJesus #beaJesuitAus Australian Jesuits Be a Jesuit Aus Read more: https://www.ignatius.org.au//st-ignatius-of-loyola-feast-d

18.01.2022 UPDATE: The Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne has provided details of how people of faith can respectfully but firmly make their voices heard by their local Member of Parliament: https://melbournecatholic.org.au//Not-seeking-special-trea The 10,000 target has been exceeded with people of faith continuing to sign the Equality for Faith Petition. Check out the comments being left at https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/faith-equality#comments... ORIGINAL POST: An online petition to Premier Daniel Andrews and the Victorian Government is requesting that the ‘Roadmap for Reopening' is amended so that all people of faith and places of worship are treated equitably and fairly. Mrs Ewa Chlipala, a Melburnian parishioner who started the petition with Dr Joanna Waloszek Czerwinski on 29 September says that "Over the last six months, people of faith have been really committed to keeping everyone safe and finding creative ways to practice our faith, but spiritual wellbeing has been overlooked." "[The petition is] not just about the people who want to open their churches it’s also the people who miss being there and who want to practice their faith in their place of worship. This is something that impacts all people of faith we can approach this together as we have common ground," says Dr Czerwinski. Once the petition has reached 10,000 signatures, the organisers will seek to have it tabled in the Victorian Parliament. Please consider supporting the petition at: https://www.equalityforfaith.com.au/ #equalityforfaith

17.01.2022 A national study from Monash University will explore Australian Catholic Worship Choices During Covid-19 and the impact of the lockdowns on religious practice and spiritual wellbeing. The short, voluntary survey is open to practising Catholics - clergy, religious and lay - who are over 18 years old and living in Australia. If participating, please complete the survey to the end to have your anonymous responses included in the study. Survey closes Monday 5 October 2020. Ple...ase share with other Catholics. Further details and survey: https://monash.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_43f3xmKUt1xa0S1 Related Articles: http://melbournecatholic.org.au//Study-to-look-at-how-pand https://www.cathnews.com//39004-study-to-reveal-how-practi #catholic #covid19 #coronavirus #covid19vic Image Credit: Background photo by Jeyaratnam Caniceus, pixabay.com

17.01.2022 "The pandemic has created havoc in our lives in so many ways, including preventing us from seeing our families and friends, but we can still think about other people and ways to reach out to them in our dreams and hopes and prayers." -- Huy Nguyen SJ, Parish Priest Fr Huy shares his take on the impact of COVID-19 and the Victorian lockdowns and what we can do as people of hope.

15.01.2022 Today is the Feast Day of Pope Saint John Paul II During his pontificate, Pope John Paul II came to Australia twice: in 1986 for a papal visit to each of our states and territories, and in 1995 for the beatification of Saint Mary MacKillop in Sydney. Our parish has a historical connection to Pope John Paul II when he - as Cardinal Karol Józef Wojtya at the time - came to St Ignatius' Church in February 1973 to ordain Fr Wiesaw (Tony) Sowik SJ while on a visit to Melbourne.... Today Fr Sowik continues to be part of the Polish Jesuits faithfully serving Polish communities in Richmond and other parts of Melbourne, enabling them to maintain strong links to the faith and cultural heritage that Pope John Paul II loved so much. Saint John Paul II, pray for us. Jezuici w Melbourne #PopeJohnPaulII #SaintoftheDay See Also: https://jezuici.org.au/ https://www.vaticannews.va//pope-saint-john-paul-ii-a-man- https://www.americamagazine.org//2018/03/22/legacy-john-pa https://www.theage.com.au//local-poles-remember-a-compatri https://jesuit.org.au/wp-content/uploads/wieslaw_slowik.pdf

14.01.2022 Some of the happiest days of Saint Mary MacKillops life as a young layperson were spent in Richmond. And Mary of the Cross continues to be remembered in our parish to this day, her stained glass window overlooking the Chapel dedicated to her in St Ignatius Catholic Church. You can learn more about Australias first saints early life in Richmond at https://www.ignatius.org.au//publicati/category/3-richmond #FeastDay #feast #solemnity #love #SistersOfSaintJoseph #MaryMacKillopMemorialChapel #GoodGrief #MaryMacKillopPlace #MaryMacKillopToday #Saint #MaryMacKillop #SaintMaryMacKillop #StMaryOfTheCrossMacKillop

14.01.2022 Let us pause to thank God for the outstanding contribution that carers make. From all walks of life and ages, they provide countless hours of often unpaid and unseen care and support to family members or friends who are frail or who have a disability, mental illness, drug and/or alcohol dependency, chronic condition, or terminal illness. They are the compassionate Hands and Heart of Christ. Father,... Allow me to serve others with a joyful heart; Never keeping score; Always giving; Never expecting to receive. Allow me to give of myself, To give of my talents and of my goods, To give of my time and of my energy, To give of my heart and of my soul.* #carersweek2020 *Excerpt from Carers Prayer by Jack Watts Source: Carers Week 2020 Kit, https://www.catholic.org.au/disability

14.01.2022 The Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart invite you to #TakeFreshCourage and celebrate the life and legacy of Saint Mary MacKillop who was canonised 10 years ago. Please join the global "Courage Hour" Vigil tomorrow at 8pm your local time by visiting http://www.sosj.org.au/10th-anniversary/ #SistersOfSaintJoseph #Canonisation #MaryMacKillop #SaintMaryMacKillop #StMaryOfTheCross #StMaryOfTheCrossMacKillop

13.01.2022 Today is World Mental Health Day. "People who live with mental illness are not marginal in our society, and ought not to be treated so. They are a gift which if received, will bless society. They call on us to notice, listen to them, and to draw on our compassion. We, our family, our friends or our children may well find ourselves among them." -- Fr Andy Hamilton SJ Source: https://jss.org.au/removing-the-stigma-from-mental-illness/... #WorldMentalHealthDay #WorldMentalHealthDay2020

12.01.2022 Gracious God, you love and care for all of your children, especially the smallest and most vulnerable. We entrust to you the lives of children and adults at risk who have been sexually abused, and whose trust and innocence have been destroyed. Help us to hear their cries of pain and to take responsibility for those whose lives have been broken. Help us to recognise the hurt felt by those wounded by abuse, and the failure to be heard. We pray that with the help of your grace, ...communities and families will find understanding and support, so that now and in the future their wounds may be healed and they may find lasting peace. Let your grace and love fall gently now upon our children, giving them the inner strength, peace and resilience to seek out assistance when required. We ask this prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen. Source: https://catholic.org.au/childprotectionsunday

12.01.2022 Today is World Mission Day. 'Understanding what God is saying to us at this time of pandemic also represents a challenge for the Church’s mission. Illness, suffering, fear and isolation challenge us. The poverty of those who die alone, the abandoned, those who have lost their jobs and income, the homeless and those who lack food challenge us. Being forced to observe social distancing and to stay at home invites us to rediscover that we need social relationships as well as our... communal relationship with God. Far from increasing mistrust and indifference, this situation should make us even more attentive to our way of relating to others. And prayer, in which God touches and moves our hearts, should make us ever more open to the need of our brothers and sisters for dignity and freedom, as well as our responsibility to care for all creation. The impossibility of gathering as a Church to celebrate the Eucharist has led us to share the experience of the many Christian communities that cannot celebrate Mass every Sunday. In all of this, God’s question: Whom shall I send? is addressed once more to us and awaits a generous and convincing response: Here am I, send me! (Is 6:8).' -- Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for World Mission Day 2020 Source: http://www.vatican.va//papa-francesco_20200531_giornata-mi Jesuit Mission Australia, Catholic Mission MyMission Melbourne Prays #WorldMissionDay #WorldMissionMonth #WeAreStillHere #missio #catholicmission #zusammenhalten #seguimosaqui See Also: http://www.mom.org.au/ https://wmm2020.cm.org.au/

11.01.2022 15 August: Feast of the Assumption of Mary "Now is not the time for us to throw devotion to Mary out, but to reclaim a relationship with her as prophet, friend and companion in faith." -- Fr Richard Leonard SJ

11.01.2022 On this Social Services Sunday today, let us pray for courage and compassion in all that we do and for those whom we care and support: Compassionate God, Your unconditional love for all inspires our hearts and empowers our actions... for those who are most vulnerable. May we boldly and humbly serve one another and be steadfast in our work for justice for all people. Keep our hearts open to the joys and the hopes of our world, and our ears ready to hear your call to truth, justice and reconciliation. Let us continue to draw inspiration and strength from those, like St Mary MacKillop, on whose shoulders we stand. We gather here in Jesus name to be nourished and to move forward together in hope and joy. Amen* "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2: 3-4) With gratitude to Catholic Social Services Victoria and its 45 member organisations giving over 200,000 marginalised and vulnerable people help and hope. https://www.css.org.au//Social-Services-Sunday-20th-Septem *Official prayer for the 2020 national Catholic Social Services conference, Serving Communities with Courage and Compassion, held in Melbourne earlier this year. #SocialServicesSunday #catholicmelb

11.01.2022 "Men and women who pray know that hope is stronger than discouragement. They believe that love is more powerful than death, and that love will surely triumph one day, even if it be in times and ways we do not know." -- Pope Francis #Prayer #PopeFrancis

10.01.2022 This coming weekend, 8-9 August, is the CatholicCare Sunday Appeal. As our parishs social service agency, CatholicCare - Greater Melbourne, Geelong, Gippsland delivers family and relationship counselling, refugee and settlement support, education and school programs, and pastoral services. Donations from our parish community will help break barriers to social inclusion and strengthen families and communities to live life to the full. Show your support and generosity by donating at www.ccam.org.au/SundayAppeal or call (03) 9287 5513. Thank you. <3 #cathcare #BreakBarriers #CatholicCareSundayAppeal

10.01.2022 Ten years ago today, Mary MacKillop was canonised by Pope Benedict XVI in Rome. Born in Fitzroy in January 1842, St Mary of the Cross spent her younger years in Richmond: - 1849: as a 7-year-old living with family friends, Mr and Mrs L'Estrange, near Bromham Place and Highett Street - 1856: becoming a governess to the daughters of the L'Estrange family - 1860: living with her family in a rented cottage near the corner of Brighton and Shamrock Streets from where she would wa...lk to her work as a clerk at Sands and Kenny in the city* St Mary of the Cross, who co-founded the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart with Fr Julian Tenison Woods, died in North Sydney in August 1909. The Josephite Sisters contributed greatly to the work of education in our parish, starting in North Richmond in 1915, and then in Burnley and South Richmond (now known as Cremorne). They had a convent in Richmond from 1956 to 1990. Today the gaze of Mary MacKillop falls upon the parishioners and visitors of one of our parish churches, St Ignatius' Church, from a stained glass window and a painting, both of which were installed in the Mary MacKillop Chapel within the church. Saint Mary MacKillop, pray for us! *Plaques marking where Mary MacKillop lived in Richmond have been embedded into the footpaths of Brighton Street and Highett Street. See Also: - https://jesuit.org.au/st-mary-of-the-cross-mackillop-an-in/ - https://melbournecatholic.org.au//15-things-you-didn%e2%80 #SistersOfSaintJoseph #Canonisation #MaryMacKillop #SaintMaryMacKillop #StMaryOfTheCross #StMaryOfTheCrossMacKillop Credit: Photo taken by a Richmond Catholic Parishioner, Oct 2020 of the detail from a mural painted in Richmond by talented Hayden Dewar Artist Mural Information: https://www.haydendewar.com/melbourne-mu/the-dimmeys-mural/

10.01.2022 "Our hearts and prayers are with people throughout our country today whose lives continue to be impacted by COVID-19. We are particularly mindful of the hundreds of people who have contracted the virus, families of loved ones who have died, those who have lost their jobs and businesses and all Victorians who are now in Stage 3 or 4 of lockdown." -- Jamberoo Abbey Sharing the love to communities across metro Melbourne, regional Victoria, interstate and globally.

10.01.2022 "Your support will help our vulnerable brothers and sisters overseas who are living in the margins, suffering the indignity of poverty and injustice. In each community, we partner with local Jesuits and other companions to provide a range of support and training that empowers women, men and children so they can build skills, capacity and resilience to live full and free lives." -- Jesuit Mission Australia

09.01.2022 "This Sunday [30 August] at 2pm, Ill be joining leaders from various Christian communities across Victoria for a time of prayer online. We stand together in prayer and solidarity, seeking the Lords healing grace. We need only remember Peters words to Jesus during the storm, Lord, save me." -- Archbishop Peter A Comensoli Sunday prayer livestreamed on the Victorian Council of Churches FB page. Followed by "Light in the Darkness" prayer by candlelight at 7pm on Monday. Feel welcome to share your prayer and/or photo of your lit candle in the comments section.

08.01.2022 "The theme of this years Sunday Appeal is You can break barriers, this is a personal call to each of us to join CatholicCare in their mission to help break down the barriers to social inclusion and strengthen families and communities. Each dollar raised during this Appeal will help CatholicCare continue to provide much needed care and support to struggling individuals and families." -- Archbishop Peter A Comensoli, Letter of Support, Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne Please donate at www.ccam.org.au/SundayAppeal #cathcare #BreakBarriers #CatholicCareSundayAppeal CatholicCare - Greater Melbourne, Geelong, Gippsland

08.01.2022 "I have found myself reflecting on how things have changed having recently crossed the globe in order to return to my community. How well social distance expresses it we have been forced to keep our distance, to be more formal in the way we relate to each other, to be masked and sterile..." -- Sr Claire, fcJ Marie Madeleine DHout (Foundress of the FCJ Sisters) #fcjsisters #covid19 #covid #staysafe #catholic

08.01.2022 Today the Victorian Premier made the welcome announcement of a further easing of restrictions in both metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria from 11:59pm tonight. Archbishop Peter A Comensoli has expressed his disappointment and shock at the inexplicable disparity that still remains, however, between the numbers of people permitted to gather indoors and outdoors in recreation, retail and hospitality facilities and the numbers of participants in religious services within... their places of worship. Emerging from the first lockdown, gradually increasing numbers of people of faith were able to practice their beliefs inside their places of worship with the required distancing and health and safety measures in place. Fair go, we can do it again - and at the same time as more Victorians are being allowed to gather in venues for other purposes. #equalityforfaith #faithmatters #allinthistogether

07.01.2022 Madonna magazine Spirituality and Prayer: launched in 1897 and produced right here in Richmond. Support and strengthen your spirituality in daily life (and dont we especially need this now?) by subscribing for yourself, or as a gift for someone you know, today.

07.01.2022 "...keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35)

07.01.2022 Today we also mark World Homeless Day. Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head." (Luke 9:58) So many people experiencing homelessness would feel the same. Lord, may our brothers and sisters receive the love and support they need to truly know what it is to have a home in our communities, in our hearts, in You. Thank you to the many individuals and organisations doing just that.... CatholicCare - Greater Melbourne, Geelong, Gippsland, Catholic Mission Catholic Social Services Victoria Jesuit Mission Australia Jesuit Refugee Service 'JRS' Australia Jesuit Social Services MacKillop Family Services Sacred Heart Mission Vinnies Victoria VMCH #WorldHomelessDay #worldhomelessday2020 #homelessness

07.01.2022 Today is the Feast of Christ The King. "The most moving moment when Jesus speaks of his kingship is from the cross, when the good thief simply asks Jesus: Remember me. Jesus replies to him that being remembered by God is paradise. The power of Christ the King is seen in his memory, in holding every person in this world close; in calling each one of us by name and challenging us to live lives of sacrificial love. It is seen where simplicity is valued, and where there is a right relationship with the earth. It is seen where the poor are recognised as special points of God’s revelation to the world." -- Fr Richard Leonard SJ Source: https://www.northsydneycatholics.com//p/792-issue-7-17-nov

06.01.2022 On Monday 31 August at 7pm you are invited to light a candle and pray for your intention, for one another, for hope today and in the days to come. Feel welcome to share your prayer and/or photo of your lit candle in the comments section. "...I need your light, Lord, in every way. I pray to be filled with your light. Help me to walk in your light, and live... my life in faith and service. In your name I pray, Amen." Prayer excerpt from https://www.loyolapress.com///a-prayer-for-hope-and-peace/ Victorian Council of Churches #LightInTheDarkness #PrayTogether #StaySafeTogether

05.01.2022 Today is the Feast Day of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. 2020 marks the 190th anniversary of the Marian apparitions to St Catherine Labouré, whose Feast Day is tomorrow. Just over a fortnight ago, Pope Francis blessed a statue of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal prior to the Vincentians taking the statue on year-long pilgrimage in Italy. "God speaks to us in many ways and touches our life with signs that challenge us to be more attentive, and to give an active, generous an...d total response. In her apparitions to St Catherine Labouré, the Blessed Virgin Mary pointed to the altar where the tabernacle was and said, 'Come to the foot of this altar. Here, graces will be given to all who ask for them with confidence and fervour.' Catherine’s new mission was to spread this promise of God and Mary to the world. And she went on to carry out half a century of faithful service to the elderly and infirm as a Daughter of Charity. Mary motivates us to encounter her Son in the Eucharist and then, filled with God’s grace, to go out and act concretely." -- Fr Agostinho Teixeira de Sousa CM* Mother Mary and St Catherine Labouré, pray for us. Oceania Vincentians Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul #MiraculousMedal #feastday *Source: https://famvin.org//the-message-of-the-miraculous-medal-c/

05.01.2022 "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in My name receives Me." -- Jesus Every bit from every person counts - big or small.

04.01.2022 "...when there are more and more people living on the margin of societies, perhaps God is calling us to care more diligently for one another, to act, to help and to heal one another, to be creative and to use the talents God has entrusted us to do those things." -- Fr Eka Tanaya SJ

03.01.2022 "The unconditional love of a grandparent is unlike any other, and the shared bond between grandparent and grandchild is something cherished for a lifetime. This Sunday 26 July is the Feast day of Saints Joachim and Anne - revered for centuries as the parents of Mary, mother of Jesus. [Saints Joachim and Anne are also the patron saints of grandparents.] ...With the strict lockdown we are currently experiencing in Melbourne, for many this means that children will be unable to... spend time with their grandparents." -- CatholicCare - Greater Melbourne, Geelong, Gippsland, https://www.ccam.org.au/news/310/a-grandparents-love- We pray for all of our elders who are at home, without a home, in aged care, in hospital, in hospices, and with God. May they know that they are valued and remembered, and that their lives of faith, wisdom and service are a blessed example for others. Aware of the irreplaceable role of the elderly, [Pope Francis] said, the Church becomes a place where generations are called to share Gods loving plan, in a relationship of a mutual exchange of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Both old and young, he said, are the future of the Church.* St Joachim and St Anne pray for us. *Source: https://www.vaticannews.va//pope-francis-elderly-have-a-ro Photo by Andrea Piacquadio, pexels.com

03.01.2022 May we also not forget those who will no longer be with us on earth when our lives go on after this is over.

03.01.2022 "The Lord sustains all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down." (Ps 145:14) Hang in there Victoria. <3

03.01.2022 Today, 25 July, is the Feast Day of St James the Greater, patron saint of St James Church, Richmond. While we are unable to physically gather together to celebrate the Feast Day, we pray that all parishioners of St James Church and our wider Richmond Catholic Parish will continue to be guided by him as they mark this special day. St James the Greater, pray for us. Read more: https://www.ignatius.org.au//st-james-the-greater-feast-da... #FeastDay #StJamestheGreater

03.01.2022 In solidarity with our sisters and brothers at Xavier Jesuit School Cambodia and other Cambodian schools who have been in lockdown for the last four months - and will continue to be in lockdown for the next four. Hang in there metro Melbourne and Mitchell Shire. <3 - especially for those who are sick and who have died, and their family and friends.

03.01.2022 Finding new ways to keep the Friday Night School (FNS) going during these periods of community isolation has seen these student tutors from Xavier College reconnect to their tutees using, you guessed it, online technologies. Pre-COVID-19 times, it has been wonderful seeing the many students and tutors arrive, eager to gather in St Ignatius Hall for another Friday evening of learning and friendship. FNS support of the learners and their families from migrant and refugee bac...kgrounds is much needed and so very appreciated - as is the assistance from the volunteer tutors, including students from Xavier College, Genazzano FCJ College, St Kevins College, Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak, Lauriston Girls School, Sacre Coeur Glen Iris, Star of the Sea College, and St Catherines School, Melbourne. Learn more: https://www.ignatius.org.au/ab/community/ministries-groups

01.01.2022 The month of October is dedicated to the Rosary and today we celebrate the Feast Day of Our Lady of the Rosary. "The story of the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary focuses on the intercessory power of Mary. It shows that when Christians are in danger, they can go to Mary. And when an individual is in pain, discouraged, or having trouble accepting God’s will, he or she can also go to Mary. She will pray to her Son for anyone who calls on her." -- https://www.loyolapress.com//...saint/our-lady-of-the-rosary/ Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. #rosarymonth #ourladyoftherosary #rosary #PrayForMelbourne #PrayForVictoria #PrayForAustralia #prayforourworld

01.01.2022 "Today it would be good to stop a moment and think about Our Ladys pain and sorrows. She is our Mother. And how she bore them, how she bore them well, with strength, with tears: they were not false tears, it was truly a heart destroyed with sorrow. It would be good to stop a moment and say to Our Lady: Thank You for accepting to be Mother when the Angel said it to You, and thank You for accepting to be Mother when Jesus said it to You. -- Pope Francis Source: http://www.vatican.va//papa-francesco-cotidie_20200403_l-a #OurLadyOfSorrows #BlessedVirginMary

01.01.2022 "Parity with other sectors seems denied even when we reach COVID-normal. The spectre of our places of worship remaining closed except for 'private prayer' leaves our people feeling exiled and pushed outside." -- Archbishop Peter A Comensoli, Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne #equalityforfaith

01.01.2022 A Virtual Retreat by Fr Andy Hamilton SJ will start 17 August. Follow the Australian Jesuits FB page to join this time of prayer and reflection together.