My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9)

PARISH WEEKDAY MASS TIMES MON 10TH DECEMBER NO MASS TUES 11TH DECEMBER 8:00AM ST CATHERINE’S CHURCH WED 12TH DECEMBER 9:00AM ST BERNARDINE’S CHURCH THUR 13TH DECEMBER 6:00PM OLA CHURCH

ST PAUL DE CHARTRES CHAPEL MASS TIMES 12-16 FEDRICK STREET, BORONIA HEIGHTS MON 10TH DECEMBER 8:00AM TUES 11TH DECEMBER 9:00AM WED 12TH DECEMBER 9:00AM THURS 13TH DECEMBER 8:00AM FRI 14TH DECEMBER 9:00AM

WEEKEND MASS TIMES VIGIL MASS SAT 6:00PM ST BERNARDINE’S CHURCH MASS SUN 7:30AM OLA CHURCH MASS SUN 9:00AM ST BERNARDINE’S CHURCH MASS SUN 5:30PM ST CATHERINE’S CHURCH RECONCILIATION TIMES SATURDAY 5:15PM ST BERNARDINE’S CHURCH OR BY APPOINTMENT WITH THE PRIEST

Parish Office Hours and Contacts Monday & Tuesday 8.00am - 3.00pm Wednesday 8:00am - 10:30am Thursday & Friday 8:00am - 3:00pm Phone: 3884 7600; Fax: 3800 2646 Emergency Number: 3884 7600 Email: stbernardines@bne.catholic.net.au www.stbernardinesparish.com.au Parish Priest Fr John Conway Email: conwayj@bne.catholic.net.au

Associate Pastor Fr Jacob Kalu Email: kaluj@bne.catholic.net.au

Seminarian Mr Jack Ho Email: HoJ@bne.catholic.net.au

Youth Worker Mrs Florence Kelly Email: youth.stbern@bne.catholic.net.au

Administrative & Safeguarding Officer Mrs Kelly Levave Email: stbernardines@bne.catholic.net.au

Finance Officer Mrs Barbara Malicki Email: finance.stbern@bne.catholic.net.au

Regents Park Catholic Parish St Bernardine’s Church, Regents Park

St Catherine’s Church, Jimboomba Our Lady Of The Assumption Church, Park Ridge

Ministry matters On this Sunday of Advent, we stop and listen to the reading from the Prophet Baruch. It is certainly an interesting piece of Scripture. ‘Break Open the Word’ resource has set out to highlight the considerable differences that seem to surround it. First of all it seems to be con-tained only in Catholic editions of the Bible, not Jewish nor in Protestant versions. It was allegedly written to the exiled people of Israel in Babylon, and yet it seems to have been written just before Jesus was born, a long time after the Babylonian captivity. It was written by a secretary. Baruch was secretary to the great Prophet Jeremiah, and he existed some considerable time before the birth of Jesus. So here is a challenge for us today. Baruch has many inconsist-encies, that can challenge our sense of what is true and factual when it comes to the written word. Is it true? is it factual? What are we to believe? And yet!!!! Contained within this marvellous book are the very instructions that can guide and direct our lives today. It is for us and perhaps for people of every time and place, a call to come back. ‘Turn your eyes to the east. See your children reassembled from west and east, now God brings them back to you..’ In his writings he pre-empted the wis-dom of John the Baptist. Both of them spoke of hills and mountains being laid low and valleys made level for the journey to be smooth. In Baruch it was for the people to come to Jerusalem, but for John it was for the people to prepare the way of the Lord, that the moun-tains and hill would be laid low and the pathways made smooth, and it is all to do with the glory of God. Not a bad image to carry with us as we set out to prepare the way of the Lord during this Advent

Season. God Bless, Fr John

CHRISTMAS IS COMING. O what a surprise. But what is NOT surprising is our need for various Ministers at the Christmas Masses. Please do not let the Mass Co-ordinators panic 10 minutes before the Mass starts trying to find Readers, and Ministers of Communion, and Servers, and Collectors and, and, and… ! Please add you names to the Roster lists in the Churches to enable the parish to plan the Christmas Masses most effectively. Music ministry may also need a BOOST as well. Please! Fr John.

Gathering Hymn: GA285 O Come , O Come , Emmanuel

Psalm Response : The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Recessional Hymn: GA404 Christ be our light

9TH DECEMBER 2018 YEAR B SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

“If nothing changes, nothing changes.” (National Council of Priests Conference)

My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9)

PARISH MEETINGS DATE

Parish Finance Council Meeting

Mon 10th Dec 2018

Parish Pastoral Leadership Team Meeting

Mon 7th Jan 2019

Parish Finance Council Meeting

Mon 14th Jan 2019

CANDLELIGHT FESTIVAL OF CHRISTMAS CAROLS & READINGS TUESDAY 18 DECEMBER @ 7:00PM ST BERNARDINE’S CHURCH

Please join us for an evening of celebration through telling stories of the humanity, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus in a series of short readings from the Bible. The readings are interspersed with well-known carols sung by the congregation. This is an adaptation of the popular Christmas Lessons & Carols Service televised from Kings College, Cambridge, each year. Please join us in this evening of music to prepare for the coming of Christmas! Please bring a candle in a holder to contribute to the evening!

YOUTH EVENTS

Youth Night & Youth Christmas Celebration 12yrs - 17yrs | Friday 14th December from 6:30pm - 8pm @ Parish House [St Bernardine’s] A night of fun, games and celebration. This night will be for you so please bring music that you would like to play and share – PG of course! * BBQ provided and cooked by our own resident Jamie Oliver lookalike:

‘Chef?’ and Parish Priest – Fr John

CHRISTMAS MASS TIMES AND ROSTERS 2018 There are still a number of spaces available in the Christmas rosters. Can you please see where you are available. Thank you . Mass Coordinators, Eucharistic Ministers and Readers, t are needed for Christmas Masses at St Bernardine’s Church and for the Open Air Mass at St Clare’s in Yarrabilba. Mass Coordinators and Ministers who are already on the weekend roster and who are willing to serve at the Christmas and Christmas Eve Masses at St Bernardine’s and St Clare’s, Yarrabilba are asked to put their names on the sheets that will be available from next weekend across the three Churches. Mass Coordinators, Eucharistic Ministers and Readers for Masses at St Catherine’s Church and Our Lady of the Assumption Church will be arranged locally. PLEASE NOTE: If you do not wish for your contact information to be listed on the ministry sign on sheet in the Church, please just write your name down and contact the parish office with your contact details . Thank you.

THANK YOU

Thank you to those of our community who braced the heat to attend our working bee on Saturday,

December 1st. At St Catherine’s Church. Both inside and outside the church is well

prepared for Christmas. The cup of tea, chat and friendship afterwards made the morning very

enjoyable. Thank you to:

Anita Vilda, Judy McConville, Christine Edwards, Lorraine Bakon,

Simeon and Sel Van Nieherh, Paul, Pat and Kelvin O’Shea, Ian Lacey, Elena and Jimmy Collins, Fred Carter, Catherine Richard, Father John, Chris and Vivien Bampton.

RECONCILIOATION TIMES FOR CHRISTMAS First Rite: (Individual) After daily Mass Mon 17th Dec 9:00am St Bernardine’s Tues 18th Dec 8:30am St Catherine’s Wed 19th Dec 9:30am St Bernardine’s Thurs 20th Dec 5:30pm OLA Fri 21st Dec 9:00am St Paul de Chartres

Second Rite: (Communal with Individual Absolution) Wed 19th Dec 7:00pm St Bernardine’s

CHRISTMAS MASS TIMES 2018

Regents Park - St Bernardine’s Church Christmas Eve at 6:00pm Christmas Eve at Midnight Christmas Day at 9:00am

Yarrabilba - St Clare’s Primary School Christmas Eve at 7:00pm (Open Air Mass - Please bring a chair or rug to sit on)

Park Ridge - Our Lady of the Assumption Church Christmas Day at 7:30am

Jimboomba - St Catherine’s Church Christmas Day at 8:30am

My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9)

MASS TIMES AND PLACES & WHATS HAPPENING IN OUR PARISH

MON 10th 8:00am Mass St Paul de Chartres Chapel 7:00pm Finance Council Meeting Parish Office

TUES 11th

9:00am Mass St Paul de Chartres Chapel 8:00am Mass St Catherine’s Church 10:00am Legion of Mary John Nee Hut 7:00pm Light & Presence Prayer Vigil St Bernardine’s Church

WED 12th

9:00am Mass St Bernardine’s Church 9:00am Mass St Paul de Chartres Chapel 9:30am Prayer Group St Bernardine’s Church 11:30am Fifties Plus Group Christmas Lunch

THUR 13th

8:00am Mass St Paul de Chartres Chapel 6:00pm Mass Our Lady of the Assumption Church

FRI 14th 9:00am Mass St Paul de Chartres Chapel

SAT 15th 6:00pm Mass St Bernardine’s Church

SUN 16th

7:30am Mass Our Lady of the Assumption Church 9:00am Mass & Baptisms St Bernardine’s Church 5:30pm Mass St Catherine’s Church

TODAY’S READINGS: Baruch 5: 1-9; Phil 1: 3-6, 8-11; Lk 3:1-6 NEXT WEEKS READINGS: Zeph 3:14-18; Phil 4:4-7; Lk3:10-18

HOSPITAL VISITS: If you or a family member is in hospital for an extended time, and wish to see a priest, please contact the Parish office and one of the priests of the parish will respond to the request.

BAPTISM CELEBRATIONS. Next Sunday 16th Dec at the 9:00am Mass, we welcome Elias Alvarenga who will be baptised with his family and friends who come to share this moment with them and with our Community. Please continue to pray for these children as they grow in faith. NEXT BAPTISM PREPARATION EVENING Will take place on Monday 28th January 2018 at 7:00pm at St Bernardine’s Church.

Please Remember In Your Prayers : Sick: Edward Humphrey; Zhiding Gong (Fr Baiyi Gong's brother) Recently Deceased; John Joseph McAller; Una Iris Glennon; Joy Lester Anniversaries: Nigel Johnson

Make an offering in Your WILL. Please consider includ-ing a ‘Bequest’ in your Will to support the life of our Parish. Help secure the future life of this Community. Fur-ther information is available from the Parish office.

Fifties plus Group Numbers for the Christmas luncheon have now closed. The next gathering will be on Wednesday 13th February 2019. Please contact Trish on Ph. 3800 8686 for more information.

JACK’S FAREWELL

Jack will be leaving us after the Christmas Masses. The parish will celebrate his farewell at the following events:

Our Lady of the Assumption Church Sunday 9th December after the 7:30am Mass. St Catherine’s Church Sunday 9th December after the 5:30pm Mass at the St Catherine’s Christmas Party. St Bernardine’s Church Sunday 23rd December after the 9am Mass. Please bring a plate of food to share.

FINAL CHRISTMAS CHOIR PRACTICE Our final practice for Christmas Mass is this Thursday 13th Dec @ 6.30pm in the St Bernardine’s Church. - Members from the other choirs are more than welcome to join.

Church Cleaners needed. St Bernardine’s Church is in need of cleaners who are able to clean every Saturday morning. This can be groups of people or an individual if they are capable to clean it on their own. Please contact the parish office if you are able to assist in this Ministry. Thank you.

My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9)

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