Parish Notices

https://www.alpha.org.au/basics

LEADERSHIP TEAM – ST JOSEPH’S 2022
The team met last Thursday to look at ways to enliven the social & faith life of our parish. We spoke about four area’s of parish life:

  1. OUTREACH: to the community, including a phone ministry to older people (I’d like to thank St. Vincent de Paul society for their support of many struggling families.)
  2. CARE OF OUR CHURCH & THE PARISH COMPLEX: including upkeep & regular cleaning of our beautiful church.
  3. MINISTRIES: involved in our Masses & Liturgies, including preparation of the altar, music & singing.
  4. EVANGELISATION: Alpha, Scripture studies, Youth ministry- especially our upcoming family Masses.
    I look forward to working with our Team into the future. I invite all Parishioners to be active in any of these areas! GOD Bless you and your families, Fr Patrick.

Morning Tea will be available for all to enjoy after the 8:30am Mass on the last Sunday of the month. If you able, we ask that you bring a plate to share. For more information regarding morning tea please contact Rosie Ah – Tong 0402 113 232
NEXT Morning Tea is Sunday 31st July at 8:30am

Catholic Youth Ministry Wollongong has arrived in the Illawarra!
This is a regional Youth group run by the CYMW and NET Team and runs every Friday night during the school term from 7pm to 9pm at St Therese West Wollongong school hall. This youth group is open to young people aged 13- 17 who want to make new friends and grow in their faith. There will be snacks, games, formation, prayer and music.
Visit http://www.dow.org.au/cymw/ for more information.

WOLLONGONG CLERGY IN-SERVICE THIS WEEK

Each year, clergy of the Diocese of Wollongong attend an in-service held at Campbelltown within the Catholic Club facilities. This year the topics being presented include: “The Life Cycle of Employment Relationships”; Clergy Professional (Pastoral) Supervision; the Revised Book VI of the Code of Canon Law (Penalties); Wills and Power of Attorney; Parish Restructuring – Chicago Model; Clergy Remuneration. In addition, it is a time for clergy to pray and celebrate the Eucharist together, and to celebrate together. The In-service commences on Tuesday and concludes on Thursday.
Liturgy of the Word & Holy Communion will replace Masses during this time.

ABORIGINAL & TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER SUNDAY- 3rd July
“The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Get up! Stand up! Show up!”
Every year, on the first Sunday in July, Catholics come together across Australia to acknowledge and celebrate the gifts of Australia’s First Peoples in the Catholic Church.
Next week (Sunday 3rd July) we will acknowledge that God has been walking with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, making His presence known through a continuous living culture over many
thousands of years. For more information about First Nations people and the church, http://www.natsicc.org.au/

PATRONAL FEAST OF THE DIOCESE OF WOLLONGONG

The Diocese of Wollongong celebrates the Patronal Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The whole Diocese looks to Mary, the Mother of the Church. We are encouraged to have a strong and tender devotion to Mary. May we continue to contemplate the Virgin Mary, who pondered in her heart the life and mystery of Christ. Mary is present as a mother to us and shares in the many problems which today beset the lives of individuals, families, parishes, schools and communities. We know that Mary has a heart for the Christian people in our constant struggle between good and evil, to ensure that we do not fall, or, if we have fallen, that we rise again in the strength of God’s mercy. The Blessed Virgin Mary is an image of the Church which, nourished by hope, acknowledges the saving and action of God. Mary helps us to interpret all that happens to us in the light of Jesus her Son. To the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of hope and of consolation, we confidently lift up our prayer. To Mary’s compassionate and tender heart we entrust all our families and friends, all our religious brothers and sisters, all our priests, and all the sick and sorrowful. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

Rita Tobin

THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Friday 24th June
Special Mass & Devotions at St. Joseph’s Bulli

7:00pm TO 9:00pm. (St Joseph’s church is heated)
Gabriella will play & sing the beautiful Taize chants.
‘We have witnessed the outbreak of the Russian- Ukrainian war, seen a federal election on our own shores, lived with the joys and pains of daily life. We have seen a pandemic tear through our communities, dealt with soaring infection rates and unprecedented rainfall, causing much destruction and disarray, it feels as though chaos is having it’s day. Yet there is a constant amongst the busyness and noise of the world

The Sacred Heart of Jesus

June is the month traditionally dedicated to the Sacred heart. It is easy to reduce this devotion to images and statue, but in reality, the Sacred heart is a symbol of true and authentic love, charity and joy. His is a heart which beats consistently and constantly, teaching us how to encounter the daily struggles of life with joy.’ Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney

St. Joseph’s Community Mass

Patronal Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Sunday 26th June 8:30am
Please join us for this special celebration as we welcome our Kindergarten and Year 5 students from St. Joseph’s School Community to join with our parish community to celebrate Mass together. At the conclusion of Mass there will be morning tea available for all to enjoy.
If you able, we ask that you bring a plate to share. We look forward to sharing this day together.
For more information regarding morning tea please contact Rosie Ah-Tong 0402 113 232

Emeritus Bishop Peter Ingham

Catholics Honoured in Her Majesty’s Special Year 2022
As we celebrate the Queen’s 70 years as Monarch & our head of state, we remember her strong Christian faith & her extraordinary service to Britain & the Commonwealth.
Wollongong’s former Bishop, Emeritus Bishop Peter Ingham, was named a Member of the Order of Australia (A.M.) for significant service to the Catholic Church. He said he was “so surprised” to receive the honour and wanted to dedicate it to the people of the Diocese of Wollongong. “ I usually think of myself as a very ordinary horse in this human race, I didn’t see that I did anything spectacular but I’ve basically just tried to be there for people”, he said, adding that a lot of his work as a bishop was “loitering with intent”. “The loitering is the hanging around after Masses and school functions, Confirmations and whatever. And the intent is the witness to the Gospel: getting to know people and mixing with them and treating them as equals so that when they did have something they wanted to talk to you about they didn’t have an inhibition about approaching you. What I have tried to do is put a ‘fresh heart’ into people and to encourage them to persevere in their faith in Jesus Christ. Among our Catholic people, if they really try to live our faith they’re a great force for good in the community.”
Taken from interview by Marilyn Rodrigues (Catholic Weekly)

Congratulations to the 45 Children from St. Joseph’s parish who recently celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation with Bishop Brian. May the children continue to give witness to Christ by their faith and love of the Eucharist.

Congratulations to our Confirmation class from Wednesday 8th June 2022
Congratulations to our Confirmation class from Thursday 9th June 2022
TONGAN TSUNAMI COLLECTION: A big thank you for your generous response. The People of Tonga who have lost so much are most grateful for your help. St. Columbkille’s parish raised $1,106.25 and St. Joseph’s parish raised $1064.40.