St Mark's Fitzroy in Fitzroy, Victoria | Religious organisation

St Mark's Fitzroy

Locality: Fitzroy, Victoria

Phone: +61 3 9419 5051

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25.01.2022 Getting serious for a moment with our favorite archbishop...

25.01.2022 it was such a joy last Sunday to have twenty people allowed to attend each Mass AND to have that milestone in Melbourne’s opening up coincide with a visit from Bishop Genieve! I had the privilege of being at the 9:30am Mass, and took a few photos so you could all get a taste of how we are doing things currently. Our thanks go to Father Stuart, who continues to work double time to ensure we are well served with plenty of on line and at home options (see our website www.stmark...sfitzroy.com) - all while adapting constantly to the evolving rules around indoor gatherings in this city, and celebrating extra Masses to ensure all of us have an opportunity to attend. We are very fortunate in our parish priest! As we are in our Bishop, who preached an accessible and uplifting sermon around the parable of the talents and is a delight to meet. We look forward to learning today whether we may perhaps be able to evolve again and allow more people to attend our Masses moving forward - look out for Father Stuart’s regular letter to update you on the details. Meanwhile, we definitely have a very important activity coming up this week - the parish Annual Meeting! We’ve decided to hold this tomorrow (Monday) evening at 7pm Melbourne time, and to do it by Zoom so that everyone can attend. All the reports etc are already available for you to read on our website, and everyone is encouraged to attend. Feel free to bring the beverage of your choice (or even your dinner!) and participate in this meeting from the comfort of your own favourite chair. The link to join is https://zoom.us/j/94742981925 Meeting ID: 947 4298 1925 Passcode: 129193 Hope to see you there! Kate

24.01.2022 Saint Marks, Fitzroy, will be open for private prayer from 11am - 1pm again today, and all are welcome to come and spend some time in our beautiful church during those hours. In line with current regulations, the names and contact details of those who enter the building must be collected, no more than 20 people can be in the church at one time, and there is plenty of extra sanitising, physical distancing and so on to keep us all safe. But the welcome is warm and the extra... requirements are all undertaken by cheerful volunteers as a display of care for the safety of our community. Although we are not yet celebrating a Sunday Mass at Saint Marks (as per Father Stuarts weekly email update, these may recommence soon, depending on what happens with easing of restrictions on indoor gatherings in Victoria) the Angelus is said at noon as the church bell is rung, and last Sunday Benediction took place at 12:30pm. Some photos are attached for those of you who have not yet been able to enjoy such things in person. Coming up this week, the at home worship options available on our website (stmarksfitzroy.com.au) continue, including the words of Lauds to pray today. Weekday Masses at our physical church will occur at noon on Tuesday and at 9:45am on Wednesday. And with the end of the financial year approaching, a reminder that - for those who are in a position to consider supporting our church financially - it is possible to make a tax deductible contribution to our music program, or to the National Trust account that supports the upkeep of our beautiful old building. For today Ill put the details of how you can donate to the Music Development Fund in the comments below, and Ill post the details for the National Trust option soon. Wishing everyone a safe and peaceful week. Kate

24.01.2022 Good morning all, and welcome to the global, home-staying church of Saint Marks, Fitzroy! As has been our practice in recent months, Father Stuart has provided the words of Lauds for you to pray wherever you are this morning under the home worship resources tab on our website www.stmarksfitzroy.com. Do check out all the things that are available there - youll find lovely contributions from our choir and readers to support you as you worship at home. Thanks to all of th...em! Last Sunday I asked those of you who know and love our physical church to identify all the places inside the building where Saint Marks lion is represented. Thanks to those who contributed, I was able to add two more (on kneelers) to the collection of four I had previously found! And thanks to Father Stuart and his trusty phone getting me shots of those two, here are photos of all six (seven if you count the door handles to the side chapel as two). Todays fun fact is that there is NOT any lion in our beautiful St Francis window - but its well worth a look, so Ive included a photo of that as well. Enjoy! Todays quiz is a two part one: how have we celebrated Saint Francis day at St Marks, Fitzroy, in recent years? What animal species have been involved? Please answer in the comments below. Wishing everyone a safe week in which you find reasons to rejoice! Kate

24.01.2022 If you have read Father Stuarts weekly email update, youll be aware that Saint Marks, Fitzroy, is offering a bit of a smorgasbord of options for celebrating Pentecost in 2020! Wherever you are, and whether or not you feel it is appropriate for you to venture out of your home at this stage, we hope you will enjoy some of what is available: - the words of Lauds to pray at home at 9:30am can be found on our website (www.stmarksfitzroy.com) under the at home worship menu -... under the same menu, youll find the Liturgy of the Word at Mass section, where you can keep up with the weekly scriptures, including various sung responses etc from our choristers. Check out the Pentecostal sequence that has been put together by James from tracks each chorister recorded at home and emailed in - extraordinary! - if you live locally and it is right for you to venture out at this stage, our physical church will be open for private prayer today 11am - 1pm. Of course there will be careful rules in place, in accordance with local regulations. Only 10 people will be able to enter the church at one time, plenty of extra cleaning and hand sanitising is involved, and we must keep a register of the names and contact details of all who enter the building. Rest assured you are warmly welcome, and the added precautions are only to keep you safe in these strange times! - weekday Masses will recommence this week as restrictions are further relaxed (Tuesday at noon and Wednesday at 9:45am) with up to 20 people able to attend each Exciting times as we tentatively evolve how we worship together - and our heartfelt thanks to Father Stuart as he thoughtfully navigates how best to serve our community as restrictions relax! Kate

24.01.2022 Good morning all! And welcome to St Marks, global, where all you need to be part of this mornings worship can be found under the at home worship tab on our website, www.stmarksfitzroy.com. Thanks to Father Stuart, who has refreshed the provided form of Lauds to pray at home, and to our musicians and readers who continue to work hard to ensure we have beautiful audio to facilitate our practice. It is such a glorious morning in Melbourne today, full of blue sky and delici...ous almost-Spring sunshine. Wouldnt the stained glass windows be glowing in our physical church in Fitzroy? The Transfiguration window in the Sanctuary (shown) is one that I find particularly evolves as the angle of the sun moves with the changing seasons. The alpha and omega symbols at the top of that window are not hard for most of us to find. But todays how well do you know St Marks, Fitzroy trivia question is this - can you name another window in our church where the alpha and omega symbols are depicted? Please post your answer (guesses welcome!) in the comments below. I can provide a photo to go with the first answer I know to be correct. And if anyone identifies a place I didnt know about, well send Father Stuart into the church with his phone camera to adjudicate. Wishing everyone a safe and peaceful week! Kate

23.01.2022 Happy Easter to all from Saint Marks, Fitzroy! Dont you love it when the sheep and shepherd images come up in the psalm and readings of the day? If you havent already done so, you can download the words of Lauds for today from our website https://www.stmarksfitzroy.com and also find links to the readings and more. Once upon a time I would have climbed on pews to take photos of our lovely Good Shepherd window (and our very excellent purple sheep!) to post today. But since thats not possible, here are some rather better quality pictures from our church collection. Enjoy! And have a good week. Kate

23.01.2022 Happy new year from all of us at Saint Mark’s, Fitzroy! Isn’t it lovely that the first Sunday in Advent for 2020 is also the first Sunday in many months when Father Stuart has been able to plan a Mass without having to ask people to book a place if they want to attend?! With the latest easing of restrictions in Melbourne, and given the size of our church, we may now welcome around 60 people to attend an in-church Mass. So from today we will have one Sunday Mass at 9:30am, and... there is no need to book In advance. All the safety precautions that have been in place at our 5, 10 and 20 people gatherings will remain. This means first names and contact details are recorded for contact tracing purposes, hand sanitiser is at the door, Mass is said rather than sung, we stay physically distanced throughout, masks are required, and so on. But as you can see in the photos I took at last Sunday’s Mass, none of that prevents us from celebrating a beautiful and awe inspiring Mass. I’m looking forward to seeing a few more of you today! Kate See more

22.01.2022 The church will be open tomorrow, the feast of Pentecost, for private prayer between 11am and 1pm. See the details in Father Stuarts email, linked below. (You can also click Subscribe from the linked page to make sure youre informed about plans to recommence liturgies.) Angus

22.01.2022 Happy Easter to all from Saint Marks, Fitzroy! Did you enjoy the wonderful rainbows that were on display around this part of the world at dusk yesterday after the wild weather earlier in the day? This photo is an old one from our archives, but Im guessing our church had a bit the same look last evening! This week we are beginning a series of Wednesday 7pm conversations via Zoom, where we will be discussing topics related to reading materials that will be sent out in adva...nce. If youd like to join in these one hour virtual gatherings, you can find out more and register your interest at https://www.stmarksfitzroy.com/conversation-series I hope all of you are staying safe and finding the resources on our webpage useful. We are very grateful, especially as we know many are struggling financially right now, that several of you have chosen to donate to Saint Marks to help keep the church going while no weekly collection plate is being passed around (see https://www.stmarksfitzroy.com/donate). Much appreciated! Have a lovely week! Kate

21.01.2022 This past week included the day set for celebrating the Feast of the Transfiguration, which coincided with the 75th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6th 1945. If you havent already listened to Father Stuarts reflections on the day, the video is available both here on Facebook, and also on our website (www.stmarksfitzroy.com), along with the words of lauds to pray at home today and all the lovely choral offerings etc to support us in our... worship (see under the at home worship menu). This week also marks the first time NO ONE came up with the correct answer to my little how well do you know our physical church in Fitzroy? trivia question (thanks and full marks to those who gave it a go)! To be fair, it was a tough one. In keeping with the season, I showed the Transfiguration window that is located behind our Sanctuary, and asked you to name the other window of Saint Marks that also contains the alpha and omega symbols. Well - here they are at the feet of Saint Francis in our Narthex. Not so easy to see in the deep red glass, and perhaps not quite where you might expect them. Also inadvertently cut off in the lovely photo of the window that I showed recently, and which is reposted here. Sorry! This week Im going to stick with the windows, but I think/hope my questions are easier: So far as I know, only one other stained glass window of St Marks, Fitzroy, is located on the same wall of the church as Saint Francis. 1. Where is it? 2. What does it depict? Please give those a go in the comments below. And have a safe and peaceful week! Kate

20.01.2022 Ascension greetings to you in the absence of face to face gatherings and an invitation to come wander, wonder and pray ..... Fr Stuart

19.01.2022 Good morning all! As promised, today we move on to the window showing Saint Alban, claimed as the first English martyr, in the West wall on our ongoing tour of our physical church in Fitzroy. Theres a pattern to the design of those Western windows. Each has a main scene, depicting the subject of the window, together with a related symbol shown in the top area, and a sub-scene of relevance down the bottom. As I admitted last week, I knew nothing about Saint Alban un...til I looked him up, and even after doing some reading I need your help in understanding the choristers singing below Saint Albans feet in our window! Heres a summary of what I learned so far: Alban was a member of the Roman armed forces who sheltered a fugitive Christian priest in his home some time around 200-300AD. He was so impressed by the priests piety, that Alban himself converted to Christianity. Word got out that a priest was being sheltered in his home, and the Romans raided the property to find the dissident - at which point Alban donned the priests clothes and offered himself up for arrest in his place. Following his arrest, Alban refused demands that he should participate in pagan worship and was therefore tortured by scourging. When Alban remained both steadfast in his beliefs and joyful, he was condemned to death by beheading. His first miracle was performed when they could not reach the place intended for his execution because crowds were obstructing a bridge over a river they had to cross: when Alban approached, the river immediately dried up so they could easily walk over it without using the bridge. On witnessing this, the Roman executioner also converted to Christianity and refused to complete his task. But they kept walking and came to a field full of beautiful flowers and a second Roman chopped off Albans head in this lovely setting. To complete the gruesome story, the eyes of the executioner then popped out of his skull and rolled through the blooms along with Saint Albans head. Is it any wonder that Lives of saints was considered pretty good reading for Sundays in times when secular tomes were forbidden on the Sabbath?!? So my take on this window is that weve got Saint Alban in the centre, with a Roman helmet at his feet, signifying his occupation as a member of the armed forces. I assume the blossom shown in the middle of the top section represents his martyrdom in the field full of flowers. But what are the young choristers about?? If anyone can offer enlightenment (or just a good story!) in the comments below, Id be grateful! As is our current usual we will pray Lauds at home today at 9:30am. The words and other resources to facilitate our worship can be found under the at home worship menu on our website www.stmarksfitzroy.com. On to the Baptism window next Sunday! K

18.01.2022 What a week its been in Melbourne! A lot has changed since some of us had the privilege of celebrating Mass ar St Marks, Fitzroy, last Sunday, and once again we are in the situation where our physical church must remain closed for now in the interests of keeping us all as safe as possible. But never fear - Father Stuart is hard at work providing us with resources to use at home (see the at home worship and resources tab on our website www.stmarksfitzroy.com) and everyon...e is warmly welcomed to be part of the global community of St Marks. If you are in a time zone that makes this practical, all are encouraged to pray Lauds at home at 9:30am Melbourne time today. Its rather lovely knowing the same prayers are being said at the same time in homes near and far! Well continue to post updates here to keep you abreast of St Marks, Fitzroys activities as the situation evolves, and you can sign up to receive Father Stuarts weekly emails on our website, too. Wishing everyone a safe and peaceful week. Thank you for your part in the global efforts to keep our community safe in these challenging times! Kate

18.01.2022 Are you thinking about venturing out of your home this weekend? Once again, St Marks, Fitzroy, will be open for private prayer between 11am - 1pm today, with a roster of cheerful volunteers ready to greet you and all the required precautions in place to ensure those who visit our physical church are as safe as possible. And thanks to Father Stuart, the heaters will have been turned on well ahead of time to ensure we will be comfortable as well. Attached is a photo he took... last week when he saw our lovely statue of Mary bathed in the early morning light. All are warmly welcome to visit our physical church when it is open today, and/or attend a weekday Mass, which will he said this week at noon on Tuesday and at 9:45am on Wednesday. And if its not right for you to leave your home yet, or if Fitzroy is not convenient for you, never fear! There are plenty of resources available on our website (www.stmarksfitzroy.com) for at home worship - including the words of Lauds, which all are encouraged to pray at 9:30am. Hope to see some of you in person soon, and wishing all of you a safe week ahead. Kate

17.01.2022 Its 167 years since the foundation stone of Saint Marks was laid. We gathered to celebrate the Eucharist for the first time since mid March yesterday. What a good day to recommence. I havent recorded a message for you for a while so heres something of what I said in my homily yesterday. I tried loading it to Facebook yesterday with no luck. God bless you and Saint Marks. Fr Stuart

17.01.2022 At Saint Marks we have, for some years, been blessed by the presence of Dr Brian Porter as one of our priests assisting. We miss his visits and his memorable homilies. Who can forget his wonderful use of imagery and story? Or his profound readings of the scriptures and depth of insight into the human condition and the vivifying capacity of the Christian faith? His wife, Dr Muriel Porter, has also preached at Saint Marks. Here she writes of what it is like to deal with the complex dynamics of Alzheimers disease which she and Fr Brian have lived with for over 6 years. Her essay is poignant and provokes deep Christian reflection, compassion and prayer. (Fr Stuart)

16.01.2022 As we look forward to another Sunday spent at home in Melbourne, it feels like a good time to see just how well we all know our beloved physical church of St Marks, Fitzroy. Wont it be a treat to enter those doors once gathering together is a safe option again?! So this morning I have a quiz for you - and the answers have all previously been posted on this page, so the non-locals amongst you can give it go, too. The animal traditionally associated with our Patron, Saint ...Mark, is the lion. A rather beautiful example is shown at the feet of our St Mark statue, shown in the photo attached. There are at least three more places where lions are represented inside our church building. Where are they? Please post your answers in the comments below, and Ill provide a photo to go with each correct response. If anyone claims a lion somewhere that I havent found one, Father Stuart (who can still enter the church) will adjudicate and provide photographic evidence. One answer per person, please. And a reminder that all are warmly invited to be part of St Marks, global, using the resources available under the at home worship menu on our website www.stmarksfitzroy.com. See you at Lauds at 9:30am! Kate

16.01.2022 God and the Government and Diocese willing, the St Marks community will gather for Mass this coming Sunday at 9.30 am. Numbers are restricted to 20, and you will need to register online if you wish to come. See full details and registration info: https://us15.campaign-archive.com/ (Angus)

16.01.2022 As we move on to the next of the windows in the West wall of Saint Marks Fitzroy, Melbourne is turning on some glorious Spring weather for those of us who live locally to enjoy. Isnt this morning just stunning so far? Today Im sharing the photos of our Good Shepherd window from our archive. My personal favourite of the five stained glass windows along that wall. From the very first time I attended a Mass at Saint Marks I was struck both by the gentle expression on... our Lords face, and by the PURPLE sheep he is lovingly tending. One of the reasons I chose to go back to Saint Marks after that first visit almost thirty years ago was the inclusiveness I witnessed - and I like to think our bizarre, purple sheep are a reminder that we strive to make everyone feel welcome in our church. Or maybe the artist just liked purple? Who knows - but they are one of my favourite things in our physical church. Next week well move on to the window of Saint Alban, about whom I know next to nothing. Ill do some reading between now and then! And in two weeks it will be time for The Baptism. But no one has yet named the figure represented in the fifth and final of the Western stained glass windows. Seriously! Someone must be able to guess who wed have depicted at Saint Marks! I assure you its obvious - the ideal opportunity for a first time guesser to have a go in the comments below. All are warmly invited to join us praying Lauds at home this morning, using the words found under the at home worship menu on our website www.stmarksfitzroy.com Have a lovely week! K

16.01.2022 It was a joy to see Father Stuart unlock the door of Saint Marks, Fitzroy, at 11am last Sunday, when the church was open for private prayer for two hours. And for those who decided that a visit to our physical church was right for them at this point, the interior had been so beautifully and thoughtfully prepared to make the experience as safe and uplifting as possible. Thank you to Fr Stuart and all his helpers who had thought of everything! Today our church building will ...again be open from 11am - 1pm if you would like to visit. In accordance with current public health regulations, numbers inside the building at any one time are limited, names and contact details of all who enter must be recorded, hand sanitiser is provided, physical distancing is required, and extra cleaning and sanitising of surfaces is going on. But it is still St Marks! The welcome is just as warm as ever, and it all felt very safe and well managed last Sunday. Weekday Masses have also recommenced, with all the required precautions in place. This week, again, these will take place on Tuesday at noon and Wednesday at 9:45am. And for all of you who are not able to be in Fitzroy, never fear! All the ways we have been worshipping together while the church building was closed continue, with many resources available on our website (www.stmarksfitzroy.com), including the words of Lauds to pray at home. All are welcome to join us in whatever way/s are most suitable for you! Kate

14.01.2022 All are warmly invited to join us for Evening Prayer at 5:15pm today via Zoom. The link is in the comments below. KateAll are warmly invited to join us for Evening Prayer at 5:15pm today via Zoom. The link is in the comments below. Kate

13.01.2022 The Transfiguration of the Lord challenges us to pray for our transformation to be people of hope, peace and justice. Fr Stuart reflects on this Feast Day and the 75th Anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

13.01.2022 This second lockdown is tougher than the first at least it is for me and todays gospel with Jesus parables encourage us in this pandemic. Firstly, we need only faith the size of a mustard seed to start. His parable about the weeds amongst the wheat is wonderfully apposite at this time as well. The Lord will supply all we need. May God bless all of you, Fr Stuart

12.01.2022 As restrictions are tentatively eased in Australia, are you longing to see the inside of our beautiful church and return to worshipping in the physical presence of a congregation again? Perhaps youre among those who are nervous about when this will be a safe activity for you? Rest assured that Father Stuart, supported by his wardens, the parish council, and others who can offer expert advice, is carefully considering the best ways for us to respond to the evolving situatio...n. In his most recent emailed weekly update (you can add yourself to the email list using the link at the bottom of our webpage https://www.stmarksfitzroy.com) Fr Stuart outlined our current plans for a staged approach to re-opening our physical church. At this stage, we hope to open the church for private prayer from 11am-1pm next Sunday, with appropriate precautions including cleaning, physical distancing, keeping a log of those who enter the building and more in place. And along side these first steps towards whatever our next normal will look like, all are warmly invited to continue with our weekly practice of praying Lauds at home each Sunday at 9:30am. Lovely knowing so many of you are out there taking part in Saint Marks, Global! Kate

12.01.2022 St Marks Choir: "locked down" but not silent! In most places, the Covid crisis has prevented choirs and congregations from meeting in person, and thats been a... wise precaution! To add insult to injury, health specialists are saying that singing significantly increases the spread of airborne diseases. Not to be deterred, the members of St Marks Choir have soldiered on", still not meeting in person, but individually self-recording Responsorial Psalms and Gospel Acclamations at home. These have been loaded to the parish website under the banner "Liturgy of the Word at Mass," where parishioners can remain in touch with at least "some" of what is otherwise impossible. https://www.stmarksfitzroy.com/liturgy-of-the-word Our most ambitious project in all of this has been to record Talliss motet "If ye love me" for the Sixth Sunday of Easter and the Sequence for Pentecost, including some four-part singing, ingeniously "mixed" by our intrepid tenor, James Allen, using individually recorded tracks. Thanks James, and thanks, Choir!

12.01.2022 Mary was the first believer she is also a model of the faithful follower of Jesus Christ so it is wonderful that the church provides time to celebrate her in the liturgical calendar. If you have prayer requests write them here or to me at [email protected] and I will pray with you and light a candle at one of our shrines in the church. Fr Stuart

10.01.2022 Isnt it a cold and foggy morning in Melbourne today?! But even in these strange (and chilly in this part of the world) times, Saint Marks, Fitzroy, is offering some good ways to warm up. As I type, Father Stuart has likely already entered our physical church and turned the heaters on to ensure a comfortable environment for those who visit when the church is open for private prayer 11am-1pm today. All are welcome to attend, with the same routines in place to ensure everyon...e stays safe as have been used in recent weeks. Thank you to our cheerful and dedicated volunteers! The words to Lauds to pray at home are also available on our website www.stmarksfitzroy.com. This week we will again hold Masses in our church on Tuesday at noon and Wednesday at 9:45am. And Father Stuart is very actively working with his wardens, parish council and others to safely recommence celebrating Sunday Mass at St Marks, Fitzroy very soon. You can ensure you hear the latest on these plans by subscribing to his email updates (link on our website), and Ill also aim to keep things up to date here. Wishing everyone a safe and peaceful week! Kate

09.01.2022 Good morning all! It is pouring with rain in Melbourne today, but thats not going to stop us from enjoying a special social event at St Marks, global! Not only can you find the words for Lauds to pray at home at 9:30am on our website www.stmarksfitzroy.com, but today we have decided to have a virtual morning tea at 10:30am Melbourne time, too. All are warmly invited to put on your kettle and join us via Zoom (the link to join is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85380042963) wit...h the cuppa of your choice. We thought it would be useful to have a topic of conversation, and invite you all to share something that has inspired you, given you hope, or made you smile during the current pandemic. So please join us at 10:30 am today, whether to pass on something that someone else might also enjoy, or just to see some friendly faces and listen to what others are finding helpful. On a separate note, NO ONE guessed the number of tall, thin widows set along the Western wall of our church, nor how many of them are currently filled with stained glass. So here is a photo from our archive that shows there are seven windows, and I think you can see that five contain coloured glass, while the two nearest the sanctuary remain plain windows for now. No one has yet let me in on the secret of what one would have to do to be allowed to fill one of those two remaining windows with another beautiful image! To get us started on the next stage of our virtual tour of our windows, my how well do you know the physical church of St Marks, Fitzroy? question for this week is: who is the subject of any one of those five Western stained glass windows? Random guesses are very welcome (and for our distant friends, some of whom may never have visited Fitzroy, I reckon youd do OK if you gave it a go with some of the more obvious answers!). And bonus points if you can describe any of the details in the window of your choice. As well all see over the next few weeks, there are some pretty bizarre / fascinating tit bits in there! Have a lovely week - and Ill look forward to seeing some of you on my screen in a few hours! Kate

07.01.2022 Following Dan Andrews announcement earlier today about mandatory face mask we thought we would share this blessing so that we can focus on the why and not fixate on the what of #whatweneedtodo!

07.01.2022 Dear Friends of Saint Mark's, I was honoured and humbled to be included in the Deloitte Outstanding 50 LGBTI+ Leaders, announced yesterday. It is notable that this year two Anglican priests are included: myself and the Reverend Josephine Inkpin. Jo preached at the Summer Mass during Midsumma in 2019. Saint Mark's mission is not only to be a 'safe' place for LGBTI+ people but for ALL people - whatever part of the journey they are on - and to celebrate our lives and seek God's wisdom and grace. God bless you all, Fr Stuart

07.01.2022 Isnt it amazing how even in the midst of the most uncertain and changing times, some things stay the same? Thats exactly how it felt as I walked towards St Marks, Fitzroy, this morning for the first Sunday Mass to be celebrated in our church building in over three months. What a treat! As I walked down Gore St, I saw our steeple towering towards the grey sky. As I got closer, I saw a seasonally appropriate banner fluttering from the vicarage flagpole. All reassuringly ...familiar! Some things were new as I entered the church (including the automatic hand hygiene station and the single use Mass booklets), and some new-ish things have become familiar from recent Sundays when the church has been open for private prayer for a few hours (including signs indicating where one may sit, and a team of volunteers who carefully disinfect each surface that has been touched). Todays said Mass was a truly lovely experience for the little group of us who were able to be there. A different experience in some ways from our previous usual Solemn Mass, but careful physical distancing, limited numbers, and the lack of singing did not diminish our worship. And we were very aware of all of those who were praying Lauds at home along side us - thank you! We hope we will be able to continue with our evolving practice of at home worship and liturgies in our physical church, according to current regulations. Father Stuart will keep us up to date with each weeks plans through his weekly emails, which you can sign up for on our website www.stmarksfitzroy.com. Kate

07.01.2022 There are still places available for Mass this Sunday. Click the link to see the details and register. Angus

06.01.2022 This weeks elephant stamp goes to Russell, who correctly identified the Madonna and Child window, a gift from beloved parishioner, Betty Powell, as the other stained glass window to be found on the same wall of St Marks, Fitzroy as Saint Francis and the animals. Well done, Russell! And here is that beautiful window, situated up in our choir stalls. Lovely! Today we continue our virtual tour of the windows of our physical church by moving across to our Western wall, faci...ng George Street. There are seven tall, thin windows to be found there, and todays how well do you know the St Marks Fitzroy building? trivia questions are: 1. How many of those seven windows have been filled with stained glass so far? 2. Can you name who (or what event) is depicted in one of them? Please post your answers / guesses in the comments below, and the first correct answer to the second question will determine which photos I share next week from our archive! As is our current normal, you can find the words to Lauds to pray at home under the at home worship menu on our website (www.stmarksfitzroy.com) along with the readings and musical offerings to beautify your practice. See many of you at 9:30am, Melbourne time! Kate

06.01.2022 Sunday greetings to all from Saint Mark’s, Fitzroy! Today I‘ve posted some of my amateur phone photos from when I had the privilege of attending Mass in our physical church in Fitzroy last Sunday, as I thought people might enjoy seeing this lovely sign of Melbourne beginning to emerge from our long months of lockdown. So here we have the carefully spaced group of people gathering for the ten-plus-one-presiding Mass in the Sanctuary. And I’ve included pictures of our beauti...ful statues of Saint Mark and Saint Mary, who were both looking especially nice with lovely fresh flowers beside each. This week we may have TWENTY people present for our Masses. This next step in opening up is very well timed to coincide with the planned pastoral visit of Bishop Genieve Blackwell, who will be presiding and preaching today! With things evolving in Melbourne week to week, I encourage all of you to take a look at Father Stuart’s weekly updates, which are archived on our website (www.stmarksfitzroy.com) along with all the resources for you to use in worshipping at home, and more. Two things in particular to draw to your attention today: 1. The parish AGM is coming up and will be a Zoom event on the evening of Monday 23rd November. it’s time to get those nominations in for Parish Council, Wardens etc! 2. All who would like to attend a Mass in person are warmly welcome to do so. But since numbers are still very limited, please contact Father Stuart to arrange a place (his number is in his updates). He has been celebrating two Masses on Sundays to accommodate more people, and if needed, he is keeping a waiting list and will make sure to prioritise a place the following week for anyone who misses out. There is room at the table for all! Wishing you all a peaceful and happy week! Kate

06.01.2022 Easter Greetings for the Third Sunday of Easter! Heres a bonus video for this weekend...the juxtaposition of Saint Marks Day and this Sunday in close proximity. The story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus is rich for reflection in pandemic times. Peace abundantly, Fr Stuart

06.01.2022 Some very good news for the church and her LGBTIQ members. Many people contributed to this development, not least Fr John Davis and Fr Rob Whalley of Wangaratta. This is also good news for our bishops because it provides a way to honour the relationships of the many faithful LGBTIQ members. Keep all of them in your prayers as those opposed to this will place them under great pressure not to do anything. Fr Stuart

05.01.2022 There is a long standing connection between Brighton Grammar School and our Community Centre. We are indeed grateful for their donations and commitment to support our work with vulnerable members of the community. (Fr Stuart)

04.01.2022 Winter flowers blooming in the gardens

03.01.2022 Welcome to the Season of Creation, which is observed in many parts of the Christian Church across the world. The theme of Lauds till the feast of Saint Francis will be the creation and our relationship to it, God and every other living creature. Pray with me for a healing and renewal of all on earth, Fr Stuart

03.01.2022 Easter greetings from Fr Stuart and a short reflection for your Sunday evening on Jesus as the gate. Peace to you and all whom you love and pray for.

02.01.2022 Facebook is playing up. I am posting this photo of the garden today which illustrates a comment I made in the post Kate made earlier...Fr Stuart

02.01.2022 A happy Easter to all from Saint Marks, Fitzroy! We hope you are continuing to find meaning in the resources Father Stuart is putting up both on our website (https://www.stmarksfitzroy.com/) and here on Facebook to assist us in our worship at home. He and our Parish Council are considering carefully when and with what precautions it may be safe to welcome people back into our physical church in Fitzroy. For today you can find the words to Lauds under the at home worship ...tab on our website, and we encourage you to pray this at 9:30am if youd like to know many others are praying the same words at the same time. Well be sure to keep you informed of any changes at Saint Marks as they happen. One of the many lovely excuses we ordinarily have for gathering at Saint Marks, Fitzroy, is our annual Lindsay ONeill Organ Recital, when a notable Australian organist is invited to perform a Sunday afternoon concert on our beautiful Harrison organ. The 2019 recital by David Drury was wonderful! Fortunately this special event was recorded for posterity, and it is now available for your listening pleasure at https://www.stmarksfitzroy.com/lindsay-oneill-memorial-orga. Whether you want to sit down with a cuppa and enjoy just under an hour of beautiful organ music, or are someone who prefers to listen for only a few minutes, do check out the extraordinary improvisation David Drury treated us to at 46:57. Can you believe he made that up as he went along? What a skill!! Have a lovely week! Kate

01.01.2022 Good morning all! Wasnt last Sundays virtual morning tea lovely? It was a treat to see so many of you and hear about some of the things that are sustaining you during Melbournes current Stage Four restrictions. Thank you to all who joined in! Today we are back to our current normal of enjoying praying Lauds at home at 9:30am today. The words to use and all the resources to support your practice can be found on our website www.stmarksfitzroy.com under the at home worsh...ip menu. Thanks also to all of you who contributed last week to the discussion of figures depicted in the five stained glass windows along the West wall of our physical church in Fitzroy. Since Saint Stephen was correctly named first, today Ive dug up photos of his window from our archive. Here he is clothed in bright red, walking peacefully in the main panel - and in the smaller scene below his martyrdom by stoning is shown. Not the nicest story represented in our windows! Next Sunday Ill bring you photos of my personal favourite of the five windows along that wall - the Good Shepherd window. But for today, can anyone tell us more about Saint Stephen? And in particular: 1. In which city in Australia is there a Catholic cathedral named for Saint Stephen? 2. Can anyone explain the pretty daisies shown by Saint Stephens feet in our window? Maybe they are just random decoration, but it has always struck me as odd that the artist put so much effort into them unless they have a particular meaning. Id love to be enlightened! And I think there are still two windows to be named if you want to influence the order in which we look at them. So far we have St Stephen, the Good Shepherd, and St Alban. Any other suggestions? Wishing everyone a safe and peaceful week! Kate