Under the Pastoral Care of the Congregation of St Michael the Archangel Celebrating Community 09 November 2014 Our Lady Of Victories Catholic Parish THE DEDICATION OF THE LATERAN BASILICA — YEAR A 1788 The Horsley Drive, Horsley Park Our Lady Queen of Peace 215 Western Road, Kemps Creek We acknowledge the Dharuk people, traditional custodians of this land. May we walk gently and respectfully upon the land. Parish Priest Fr Dominik Karnas CSMA Pastoral Associate Mrs Mary Farrell Parish Pastoral Council Chairperson: Mr Lino Menolotto Parish Secretaries Mrs Lauren Favretti Mrs Julie Menon Mrs Edda Santucci FIRST READING: Ezekiel 47 : 1-2, 8-9. 12 I see water flowing from the temple and all who were touched by it were saved. RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Psalm 45 : 2-3, 5-6, 8-9 ALL: The waters of the river gladden the city of God. Side 1: God is for us a refuge and strength, (Ambo side) a helper close at hand, in time of distress: so we shall not fear though the earth should rock, though the mountains fall into the depths of the sea. Parish Office Monday - Friday 9.30am to 2.30pm PO Box 56 Horsley Park 2175 Ph: 9620 1242 Fax: 9620 2101 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: ourladyofvictories.org.au Mass Times Horsley Park: Saturday 6.00pm Sunday 9.30am & 6.00pm Mon, Wed, Thu & Fri 9.00am Kemps Creek: Sunday INTRODUCTION: Today we celebrate the dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. The Lateran Basilica was the first formal dedication of a building for church purposes and is the Mother Church for the whole world. Our readings today remind us that we are the temples of God. As baptised Christians our church is where we unite as a community to praise God and where we support one another in living out the Gospel message of Jesus so as to be true and living temples of God. Side 2: The waters of a river give joy to God’s city, (Priest’s side) the holy place where the Most High dwells. Side 1: God is within, it cannot be shaken; (Ambo side) God will help it at the dawning of the day. Side 2: The Lord of hosts is with us: (Priest’s side) the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Come, consider the works of the Lord, the redoubtable deeds he has done on the earth. 7.30am ALL: The waters of the river gladden the city of God. Reconciliation Mon, Wed, Thur, Fri: 8.30am-9.00am Saturday: 5.00pm – 5.45pm At other times by appointment SECOND READING: You are the temple of God. Enquiries regarding other Sacraments: GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: Please ring during office hours. Marion Catholic Primary School 1788 The Horsley Drive, Horsley Park Ph: 9620 2045 Fax: 9620 1012 1 Corinthians 3 : 9-11, 16-17 Alleluia, alleluia! I have chosen and sanctified this house, says the Lord that my name may remain in it for all time. Alleluia! Principal: Mrs Therese Gaunt An induction loop for the hearing impaired is fitted in the centre aisle of the church. GOSPEL: John 2 : 13-22 He spoke about the temple of his own body. WE PRAY FOR OUR DECEASED RELATIVES AND FRIENDS Recently deceased: Samuel Cavallaro ————————————Anthony & Flory Acosta; Jean Andrese; Michelle Azzopardi; Barney & Clara Baldi; Albert, Antonina, Egidio & Melissa Barone; Charlie Bartolo, Riccardo Basso; Alessandro, Danilo & Maria Bergamin; Luke Bezzina; Sante & Teresa Bigaran; Joseph Bonanno; Joe Borg; Frances Bugeja; Wyndham Buhagiar; Shena Burgos; Joe & Mary Busutil; Fortunato Caccamo; Katerina & Maria Camilleri; Felix, Gratius, Joseph & Mary Anne Caruana; John & Josephine Cauchi; John Paul Chetcuti; Antoinette & Dominic Dimech; Carel Edgerton; Carmen, Guy & Lawrence Falzon; Josephine, Michael & Tony Farrugia; Vincenza Femia; Marion Fenech; Zacharias Fernandez; Andrew, Carmen, Grace, John, Joseph, Paul & Tony Galea; Carmena, Catherine, Jim, John, Lawrence & Leli Gauci; Giuseppe & Salvatore Grillo; Anthony, Carmel, Carmen, Joseph, Nancy, Sam & Tony Grima; Joan Jenkins; Vincenzina Lotorto; Louie, Maureen & Patrick McHale; Robert Minovski; Alex, David, Joe, Mary, Paul, Phillipa, Rita & Sam Muscat; Yevone O’Keefe; Randal Pel; Carmelo & Giuseppina Puleo; Antonio, Giovanni, Giuseppe, Nicola, Teresa & Nonni Ranieri; Georgina & Michael Refalo; Milagros Sarimento; Elisabetta & Giuseppe Sartor; Joseph Schembri; Enrico Servi; Emanuel, John & Victor Vassallo; Anthony, Daniel, Frances, Maryanne, Moses, Victor & Victoria Vella; Juanita Pearl Vincent; Albert & Dorothy Warne; Deceased members of the Baldi, Basso, Bruzzese, Caccamo, Camenzuli, Camilleri, Carbone, Caruana, Cauchi, Cini, Farag, Fenech, Gauci, Gnanamuthu, Grima, Mifsud, Urio, Vella, Vigliarolo, Vincent, Xuereb & Zucco Families; All Souls in Purgatory May they rest in peace. Amen PRAY FOR OUR SICK PARISHIONERS: May the love of God give them strength and courage. Sick List forms are in the magazine rack. Monday November 10: (Luke 17:1-6) St Leo the Great, 9.00am Morning Mass, 10.30am Funeral for Victor Vella Tuesday November 11: (Luke 17:7-10) St Martin of Tours, No Morning Mass Wednesday November 12:(Luke 17:11-19) St Josaphat, 9.00am Morning Mass, 6.30pm Novena Thursday November 13: (Luke 17:20-25) NO Morning Mass , Friday November 14: (Luke 17:26-37) 8.30am to 9.00am Silent Adoration, 9.15am Marion Primary School Mass - Year 3 7.00pm Mass for Charles Agius ( First Month Memorial) Saturday November 15: (Luke 18: 1-8) St Albert the Great. No Morning Mass, Sunday November 16: (Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6, Matthew 25:14-15, 19-20) BAPTISM: We welcome into our parish family Angelo Jenaro Salerno, son of Paola and Nicola, baptised this weekend. CONGRATULATIONS: To Tony Sartor & Elizabeth Lilley and Amira Zaia & Daniel Salemon, parishioners to be married next weekend. KEMPS CREEK WORKING BEE: Will be next Saturday, 15 November from 7.00 9.00am. If you are able to spare some time please come along and help tidy the church grounds. BAPTISM PREPARATION EVENING: Parishioners seeking to baptise their children are invited to attend an information and preparation evening this Monday, 10 November at 7.30pm in the De Piro Chapel. ROSTERS: For counters and cleaning groups are available in the foyer. If you prefer to have the roster emailed, leave your details on the sheet in the foyer. CHARITABLE WORKS FUND APPEAL: Thank you to all who contributed to the CWF collection last weekend. A total of $3,300 was collected. The Parish quota is $9,250.00. The shortfall of $5,950 will be met from the Parish Funds. YOUTH GROUP TOY DRIVE: As the season of giving approaches, the youth group are holding a toy drive to donate gifts for Christmas to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. Donations of new toys (unwrapped) can be brought to the Parish office before 23 November. The youth group will wrap the items and send them off to the hospital. Please note: due to Children’s Hospital regulations the toys must be new. PARISH HELPERS’ LITURGY & DINNER: Monday, 24 November we will have our annual evening for helpers and volunteers starting with evening prayer in the church at 6.30pm followed by dinner at Mandavilla. An opportunity for us to thank God for the generosity of our volunteers and thank you all for your time and energy. For catering purposes please put your name, contact details and number of people attending on the sheet in the foyer. FIRST RECONCILIATION: Children in our Parish are preparing to celebrate their First Reconciliation on Wednesday, 19 November. As a Parish community let us keep these children and their families in our prayers. BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE: During November we remember all our deceased loved ones. We gather at the Eucharist to unite ourselves with those who have gone before us to be united with the Creator. A remembrance book will be placed in the foyer were you can write the names of your loved ones. The book will be placed at the memorial wall at each Sunday Eucharist. NOVEMBER MASS ENVELOPES / MASS INTENTIONS: Envelopes are in the magazine rack for those wishing to offer Mass for deceased loved ones during the month of November. Due to the number of requests for Mass Intentions it will not be practical to announce all names prior to each of the Eucharistic celebrations. Instead, all intentions will be included in the bulletin and placed in our prayer space. PUBLIC SCHOOLS’ CATECHIST CHRISTMAS MASS: Thursday, 27 November at 10.30am students from Horsley Park and Kemps Creek Public Schools who attend Scripture classes organised by our Parish catechists, are having their annual Christmas Mass to end the year. Parishioners, especially those who have ministered as catechists in the past, are invited to attend and participate in this Mass, to support our catechists in their ministry and to be with our young parishioners on this special day. MSSP SPONSORSHIP: Renewal of sponsorship in support of the missions of the Missionary Society of St Paul in Pakistan, Peru and the Philippines is now due. You can either leave your contribution in an envelope with your name and address at the Parish office or hand it in to Mary Farrell. If you would like to become a sponsor please fill in one of the sponsorship forms in the magazine rack. Thank you for your continued support. MASS FOR DECEASED RELATIVES: For some of us 2014 has brought an experience of death in our families. With Christmas approaching, this is a time when we especially miss our loved ones. We invite parishioners and friends who have lost loved ones during the last twelve months to join us on Friday, 28 November at 7.00pm for Eucharist, where we remember those that have left us. We invite you to bring a framed photograph or symbol of your loved one to this Mass. We look forward to journeying with you at this difficult time. CRAFT GROUP: Will meet this Wednesday, 12 November in the Marion Hall from 9.30am. FEAST OF SAINT NICHOLAS: Sunday, 7 December, at the Parish of the Good Shepherd, 130 - 136 Hyatt Road, Plumpton. Entertainment commences at 3.00pm, the Festa Mass will begin at 3.30pm followed by the procession of the statue accompanied by Our Lady Queen of Peace Band. Father Christmas will visit, rides for the kids, all types of food and other stalls. A fireworks display will conclude the festa. For further details contact Bill Schembri on 0416 261 415 or Joe Fenech 0412 009 957. ROSTERS COUNTING GROUPS: THIS WEEK GROUP 5: John Borg, Fred Borg, Emanuel Borg NEXT WEEK GROUP 6: Ted Cassar, Peter Grima, Ted Tokarczyk CLEANING GROUPS: THIS WEEK GROUP 8: Iole Bergamin, Luisa Zanetti, Elvia Favotto, Gemma Favero, Margaret Deguara, Penelope Tabone NEXT WEEK GROUP 1: Rosa Sultana, Josephine Sergi, Bernadette Sammut, Anna Bergamin, Maria Sartor, Nina Galea ACTIVITIES IN NOVEMBER Mon 10, 7.30pm: Baptism Preparation evening De Piro Chapel Wed 12, 7.30pm: Faith Group-De Piro Chapel O.L.O.V. SOCIAL GROUP & FRIENDS UPCOMING EVENTS All bookings and enquiries to Theresa: 9620 1570 / Josephine: 9620 1680 BERRIMA TRIP: This Thursday, 13 November - bring along a picnic lunch. Bus leaves Felton Street at 8.00am sharp. END OF YEAR BEACH DAY: Tuesday 9 December - save the date, further details to follow. CAROLS IN THE DOMAIN & CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: Friday, 19 December - save the date. NEW YEAR’S EVE CRUISE: Leaving on Sunday, 28 December for a 12 day cruise to the islands. Anyone interested in joining please contact Josephine on 0402 040 954. HOLY ORDERS Sacrament of Ministerial Service to God’s People (CCC 1536-1600) In the Church’s sacramental system, Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist are called sacraments of initiation; and Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick, the sacraments of healing. The other two sacraments, Holy Orders and Matrimony, are called the sacraments in service of communion because they minister to our salvation. The Catechism (1534) states that, if these sacraments help us with our personal salvation, it is because of our service to others. Over the next few weeks, we invite you to reflect on the last sacrament which we call Holy Orders. We will look at: Biblical Roots of the Priesthood Two Participations in the One Priesthood of Christ Bishop, Priest and Deacon Who May Be Ordained Effects or Graces of Priesthood Wed 19, 7.00pm: Sacrament of First Reconciliation Mon 24, 6.30pm: Helpers’ Liturgy & Dinner Wed 26, 7.30pm: Faith Group-De Piro Chapel Thurs 27, 10.30am: State Schools’ Christmas Mass Fri 28, 7.00pm: Mass for relatives of deceased Sun 30: First Sunday of Advent DATES TO NOTE DECEMBER Wed 03, 7.30pm: Advent Faith Group - De Piro Chapel Thur 18, 7.00pm: Second Rite of Reconciliation Prayer to St Michael the Archangel Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil; may God rebuke him, we humbly pray and do you, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen. Dedication of the Lateran Basilica Each year, on November 9th, the Church celebrates the Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome. When the feast falls on a Sunday, it displaces the Sunday in Ordinary time that would normally be celebrated on this date. On the façade of the basilica there is an inscription in Latin which reads, “the mother and mistress of all churches of Rome and the world.” Every bishop has a cathedral and the Pope’s cathedral is the Basilica of St. John Lateran, not the more famous Basilica of St. Peter. In the early centuries Christianity was outlawed in Rome and many Christians in Rome suffered martyrdom. The Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and the famous Edict of Milan in 313 allowed Christians to practice their religion in public. Constantine had been given the palace in Rome that belonged to the Laterani family and after his conversion to Christianity he gave it to the Pope. The Lateran Palace was then adapted to become a church and was dedicated on November 9th 324 and the Pope then lived in the Lateran Palace, as it was called, for the next 1000 years and the basilica was his cathedral. It was first called the Basilica of the Saviour but later was also dedicated to St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist and so it acquired the name Basilica of St. John Lateran. It is our oldest church and the observance of this feast connects our local church with the Church of Rome, which is the centre of unity. On this day we celebrate and pray for the unity of those churches gathered in communion with the successor of Saint Peter. St Paul described this unity in the Church in his first Letter to the Corinthians as the Body of Christ. For as with the human body which is a unity although it has many parts, all the parts of the body, though many, still making up one single body, so it is with Christ. We were baptised into one body in a single Spirit, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as free men, and we were all given the same Spirit to drink. Now Christ’s body is yourselves, each of you with a part to play in the whole. (1 Cor 12:12-13, 27) On this solemnity the Word of God recalls an essential truth: the temple of stones is a symbol of the living Church, the Christian community, which in their letters the Apostles Peter and Paul already understood as a “spiritual edifice,” built by God with “living stones,” namely, Christians themselves, upon the one foundation of Jesus Christ, who is called the “cornerstone” (cf. 1 Cor 3:9-11, 16-17; 1 Peter 2:4-8; Ephesians 2:20-22). “Brothers, you are God’s building,” St. Paul wrote, and added: “holy is God’s temple, which you are” (1 Corinthians 3:9c, 17). Today’s feast celebrates a mystery that is always relevant: God’s desire to build a spiritual temple in the world, a community that worships him in spirit and truth (cf. John 4:23-24). But this observance also reminds us of the importance of the material buildings in which the community gathers to celebrate the praises of God. Every community therefore has the duty to take special care of its own sacred buildings, which are not just meeting places, but visible signs to the world of the Body of Christ in prayer. For this we call upon the intercession of Mary Most Holy, that she help us to become, like her, the “house of God,” living temples of his love.