Padua News. An Advent Message. and for six hours I was in one and never realized it!

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1 BUSINESS NAME is the official quarterly Newsletter of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, Cnr Exford & Wilson Roads Melton South, VIC 3338 Tel: Fax: Parish Priest: Father Fabian Smith Pastoral Associate: Sr. Patricia Stone rsj Committee Dolores Turcsan Edwina La Rose Lorraine Tellis Kim Barton Godwin Barton Anne Consiglio Doris Bonello If you are interested to help in any of the tasks in the production of the, please contact any one of the committee members or Thank you. Issue 26 Message Message from our from Parish Father Priest Fabian On Saturday, July 19, 2008, while walking with many young people to Randwick Racecourse to participate in World Youth Day gathering, I happened to pass the end of the runway in Sydney, and sighted at a distance an A380 preparing for take-off. After walking for about 15 kilometres it was a welcome stop. In that moment my mind was thinking of the pain in my legs which soon disappeared as I was completely caught up in the sight of this majestic Airbus coming towards me and soaring to the skies just above me. What a sight! What an impression it made on me. I wished one day I would fly in one. Almost four years and four months to the day I found myself in an A380 flying from London to Dubai, returning home from my Pilgrimage/Holidays. I remember walking into the flight and catching a glimpse of the unusual size of the engines and noticed they were larger than usual and thought nothing of it. The seats were very spacious lots of leg room; for a tall person like me. Only when the pilot began our decend into Dubai I realized that I was actually in an A380. This realization came as a great disappointment. I had wished to fly in an A380 for a while An Advent Message This issue of is also published on the Parish Website and for six hours I was in one and never realized it! Let me explain what had happened prior to my getting on the flight. After two weeks of sight-seeing, shopping and late nights with family, I found myself doing last minute packing before setting off by taxi to the airport, after having a hurried lunch in order to get to Heathrow three hours before departure which was at 19:00hrs. After checking in I was in the waiting area looking up at the screens only to discover that my flight was actually departing at 22:00hrs. Quickly checking my itinerary, it read 19:00hrs check-in. So there was I sitting six hours early for a flight that departed half hour later than 22:00hrs. Although I recognized the difference in the size of the engines and the space in the aircraft, all the shopping and waiting had tired me out. I was asleep for most of the time and watched TV for the rest. It never registered that I was on an A380, the flight I had wanted to travel on for some time. I wished I had known earlier that I was on A380; I would have enjoyed the experience thoroughly and allowed it to sink in. But before I knew it the flight was on the December 1, 2012 ground. However, God is always good; I got off the A380 in Dubai only to board another A380 to come home. This journey I enjoyed thoroughly. Perhaps in the previous years you may have been very busy and tired and thereby missed the experience the new born babe had brought you; an awesome opportunity missed. We are now in the Season of Advent; a time of preparation. You may once again find yourself in these next few weeks busier than usual with all the shopping, wrapping-up and waiting in long queues to check-out. But Christmas is about checkingin; checking within to see if we have made room for Jesus in our hearts and our lives. I pray that you may not allow the busyness of these weeks in Advent finding you tired and asleep within. May this season of Advent be a time of spiritual preparation so that you may joyfully experience the birth of Jesus in Continued on next page

2 Issue 26 Page 2 Message from Parish Priest (continued from previous page) you this Christmas. I take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones immense joy and peace this Christmas and a very blessed New Year filled with many opportunities to discover the Joy of having Jesus in You. Make room for Jesus this Christmas! God bless! Father Fabian Smith Parish Priest What is Advent? The word Advent derives from the Latin word meaning coming. The Lord is coming. We may reflect that every year at this time we celebrate his coming, so that in a sense we can lose the feeling of expectancy and joyful anticipation, because at the end of the season, everything seems to return to pretty much the same routine. If that is the case, then our preparation may have been lacking and we have therefore been robbed of much of the true meaning of this season. During Advent we recall the history of God's people and reflect on how the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament were fulfilled. This gives us a background for the present. Today we can reflect on the past track record of God and so begin to understand what it means to us now for the sake of what is to come, in our own future and that of our world. Source: Liguori Publications Excerpt from Advent - A Quality Storecupboard The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer Farewell to Sr Patricia We wish Sister Patricia good luck and may the Lord be with her as she continues her service to the Church and the community where she will be serving.

3 Issue 26 Page 3 Thanksgiving Campaign Our Achievement Since 2001, I have voluntarily participated in all four Thanksgiving Campaigns at St. Anthony s with one of them run by volunteers and the other three by the Diocese. For this year s Thanksgiving Campaign, Father Fabian suggested the possibility of the Campaign being run by Volunteers; this would mean we would save $15, I took it as a challenge and advised Father Fabian we could try and do our best. I was then given the task to nominate and speak to volunteers who could commit themselves wholeheartedly to the Campaign. I prayed about it. After discussing with Father Fabian and the volunteers, I finally managed to win the commitment of four volunteers - Colin Consiglio, Natalie Howard, Lina Calleja & Dolores Turcsan. These four, Father Fabian and myself formed the Steering Committee chaired by Colin Consiglio. At the first meeting, each of us were designated an area of the Campaign to look after. Example, Dolores was to look after the Administration of the Campaign working with the Parish Office; Natalie and Lina to setup a database so that all the information gathered is punched into the data- base, etc., We had several meetings, with Colin driving it using all his Project Management Skills and expertise. At times, there were debates that lasted long but it was well managed by Colin. The rest of us also contributed immensely with our skills and expertise. I was certain this campaign was going on the right track however, when Father Fabian gave us the weekly Thanksgiving projected target that we needed to achieve so that we could extend the Church (see Masterplan below), we were apprehensive of it. We talked about it and decided to pray about it as well. Communication with Parishioners was essential and I for one always tried to do this. Wherever possible, I tried to ensure that Parishioners were informed. Speakers being consistent at all Masses was also the key. The right speakers were required and we thanked them for volunteering their time. With the Time & Talent forms submitted by the Parishioners, we were hoping for a good response and we achieved it. This was one goal and we did it. However, there was another, the Thanksgiving response. I thought to myself, even if we don t make the weekly projected target, the Steering Committee had done it s best and should be proud that we achieved a good response to the Time & Talent call. Towards the end of the campaign I mentioned at one of the meetings that we should be proud of what we achieved, however now we can only pray to achieve the projected target. When the counting started to take place initially on the Thanksgiving response, we were disappointed however as a couple of weeks passed by, we started to see the light in the tunnel, I should say. When we were advised by Father Fabian that we crossed the target by a small amount, we were so happy and proud of ourselves. I told Father Fabian, the Lord has answered and this Steering Committee and all the Volunteers who helped in any way need to be thanked heaps. I have been actively involved in this Parish since 2001 and this was one of our best achievements. Thank you all for making this happen. Without your participation and contribution, this would not have happened. Thank you all once again and God Bless. Submitted by: Godwin Barton Our Masterplan What will it achieve? Extended worship space Separate Chapel accessible from Wilson Road Meeting Rooms Children s Room Office at front entrance on Wilson Road Foyer Car parking Entrance from Wilson Road drive through to exit on Exford Road

4 Issue 26 Page 4 Tuesday nights with Father Fabian Father Fabian started a series of talks pertaining to the Catholic Faith beginning on August 7, 2012 for 9 weeks. From an initial sign-up of 12 people, the group grew to about 20 each Tuesday night, after Mass and Novena to St Anthony. As a non-catholic, I found the talks very informative and encouraging. Others who are practising Catholics, who attended the talks, mentioned that the talks reinforced what they learnt in their faith formation years but they also did learn some new facts of which they were unaware. Father Fabian started the series with a reading on the book of Jonah, which told the story of disobedience and running away from God, but God in his mercy, goodness and faithfulness, will always take care of those who trust in Him. We then moved into the story of Genesis, about why and how Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Paradise after being enticed into the world of good and evil. In Jesus final message to His disciples, He said, You shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8) Sacramental Programme We also learnt about the practices of sacrificing, which was seen in the Old Testament with sacrifices being offered for Praise and Thanksgiving, for the atonement of sins and moving into the New Testament, where the ultimate sacrifice, God s sacrifice of his only son, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins. In weeks 5 and 6, we saw that the Feast of Passover, which during the time of Moses, in his attempts to deliver the Hebrews out of slavery, continues till today. So the people never forget what God had done for them. Jesus in the Celebration of Passover in the New Testament washed the feet of His disciples, broke bread and offered wine signifying the institution of the Eucharist, which we practice till today, remembering the holy Sacrifice of Jesus who died on the cross for us. The two main celebrations, Christmas and Easter act as the axis around the Catholic liturgical year although all throughout the year, we celebrate the pascal mystery of Passover. We also learnt about the colours that the Priest wears throughout the year: Purple as a preparatory colour for celebrations, eg Season of Lent and Advent Red is worn to remember the Martyrs who shed their blood for Jesus White (or gold), being a colour denoting purity and celebration, is worn on main Feast Days to symbolize growth in one s faith Green for all other times of the year For the past two years, during the months of February and March, the parish has been conducting the sacramental programme for children who do not attend St. Anthony s Primary School. This year the Sacramental Programme began on February 4, 2012 and it ran for eight weeks. We had children for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Sacrament of the Eucharist and Sacrament of Confirmation and this was conducted simultaneously. The whole group met every Saturday from 3.45 pm till 5.15pm. Fr. Fabian would initially have the whole group. He would touch on a topic for the day with scripture readings and stories. The children would listen very attentively as questions would be put forth after the session. Parishioners listening attentively Father Fabian also explained how the various Christian beliefs came about and although there are many similarities as well as differences, the one thing which is unique to the Catholic faith is that all Catholic churches look to Rome, to St Peter s as the head of the Church. This is in line with Peter s prominence in the bible, being the first listed among the apostles and often referred to as the leader amongst them. In the final session, Father Fabian talked about Jesus message to his disciples to carry on the good works, to spread the faith to the ends of the world. He gave examples of the apostles carrying out their mission work to different parts of the world. Today, we are all called to carry on this mission, received at baptism and celebrated in confirmation, to spread the Gospel and to be testimony of the faith. Submitted by: Kim Barton The children would then be broken up into their respective groups where activities such as puzzles, quizzes, crosswords and a short test were given to test their understanding of each topic. After the activity the children would come together as a group to watch an interesting video on a bible story appropriate to the topic of the day. Continued on next page

5 Issue 26 Page 5 Sacramental Programme (continued from previous page) One Saturday, the children got the opportunity to gather around the altar where Fr. Fabian explained what each symbol signified on the altar. They also got the opportunity to see the different vestments and colours the priest wears for the different seasons. Together with that, they were shown the sacred vessels and linen used in the liturgy. Within a short span of time, I must admit the children learnt so much. They were an enthusiastic lot as they were able to answer most questions. Children were encouraged to attend the 5.30pm Mass and those who could, attended with their respective families. The Sacrament of Reconciliation was held on March 22. It was a beautiful service. Sr. Patricia announced at the start that the children who were to receive the Sacrament for the first time, have throughout their journey discussed and grown in their understanding that Reconciliation means both being forgiven themselves and forgiving others and added what Jesus said, If you forgive others, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. All stood for the gathering hymn and a greeting prayer by Fr. Fabian, who was assisted at the service by Fr. Simon and Fr. Pius. After the reading and prayers, Fr. Fabian invited the parents to present their child to one of the priests. Parents then returned to their seats. After their reconciliation, the children made their way to the serene and reflective Prayer Focus step, which was set-up in front of the Altar. A taper lit from the Paschal candle was handed to the child, who then placed it in a bowl. The children prayed quietly at the step before returning to their respective family. Parents and friends were also invited to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, after all the children were presented. On Saturday, June 2, the nine children who were going to receive the Sacrament of Eucharist for the first time came back together at 11.00am to attend a Reflection Day followed by the 5.30pm Mass. They were treated to pizza for lunch and cakes for afternoon tea. Each child had a role to play during the Sacrament of First Eucharist which they rehearsed during this time. On June 9, the children came again at 4.30pm with their respective families to have their reconciliation with Fr. Fabian. They were scared at first but came out of the confessional with happy faces and had another opportunity to get them familiarized with their roles for their big day. The highlight was on Saturday, June 16, when the children came well dressed for the Sacrament of First Eucharist. The celebration began with the nine children processing in a single file, genuflecting at the altar and taking their respective seats whilst the music played in the background. When the music stopped the choir took over the entrance hymn singing Gathering Song whereby the cross bearer, altar servers, Eucharist Ministers, Lector and Fr. Fabian processed in. Six of them participated in the Prayer of the Faithful and three as Gift Bearers. It was a special celebration at which the children received The Body and Blood of Jesus for the first time. The Sacrament of Confirmation was held on Thursday, August 30, Five children from the State schools celebrated this special event together with St Anthony s Grade 6 children at the 7.00pm Mass. Fr. Fabian con-celebrated the Mass with Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen. The candidates sat with their sponsors occupying the front few pews and renewed their baptismal promises after the homily. During the laying-on of hands, the Bishop prayed that our Father in heaven will pour out the Holy Spirit and strengthen them with his gifts and anoint them to be more like Christ the Son of God. Then the candidates together with their sponsors went up to the Bishop one by one, knelt before him for the Anointing on the Forehead with chrism and with the words Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit. It was a spirit-filled moment for each candidate. The Bishop thanked the confirmants for making their commitment to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. During the baptismal promises, it was joyful to hear them respond with a loud Yes, I do. At the end of each Sacramental celebration, the children were presented with their certificates which they received with smiling faces, reflecting their inner peace, pride and joy. Submitted by: Lorraine Tellis & Pat Fernandez

6 Issue 26 Page 6 Pilgrimage to the Holy Land - my perspective from the back of the bus My dream journey commenced when the Emirates flight connected from Dubai Airport to Amman in Jordan. There were twenty-one of us, including our Parish Priest, Fr. Fabian Smith. Although there was a slight hitch with our landing schedule, eventually we landed in Amman airport. After clearing customs and security, our tour guide loaded us into a comfortable bus and we began our 14 day pilgrimage. Pinching myself, I eased my sore behind into a spacious seat. Our guide was a friendly Jordanian, Omar, and his driver Maher. They took us to Mount Nebo where Moses was given a view of the Promised Land (Ref: Book of Deuteronomy). We had our first Mass on site at the Byzantine Chapel. Here our Fr. Fabian met his name sake, a priest from South Australia. Father Fabian and his namesake at Mount Nebo After that we had our first walk, one of many, to the very top of Mt. Nebo, where a large serpentine cross sculpture, symbolic of the bronze serpent created by Moses in the wilderness, was erected. The weather that day was cloudy, hence we missed out on the viewing of the distant landmarks. Still it was beautiful and amazingly tranquil. By the time we finished here, we were already tired and hungry but exhilarated. In the following days in Israel, together with our guide Jack, we had a hectic schedule, attending our own private Mass everyday and visiting many places that we read about in the bible - Sea of Galilee and its surroundings, some historical sites along the river Jordan, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. We began each day at the breakfast table, ate enough to last us till lunch, took our seats in the bus and started the day with the guide giving us a running commentary and more before being taken to the various scheduled sites. Irene, our youngest pilgrim and I took to the back seats - each to his own as the saying goes. We prayed the rosary daily en route, read scripture passages and shared stories and laughed. Oh, yes most people were busy with their camera, and ipad, and mobiles... or a cat nap here and there. Everyone was engrossed. Both our guides in Amman and Israel, were more than informative. They shared with us the inner secrets of life as a Christian in the Middle-east, a minority versus the Jews and Muslims and willingly answered any further questions from us. Their knowledge of history, scripture and the political awareness was thorough. I learnt a lot from them (acquiring so much daily for 14 days was rather hard on me. No wonder I was the first person to hit the bed whilst some of the others partied through the night!). Although we travelled well on glossy, well tarred roads driven by experienced hands which maneuvered tight curves, from the windows of the speeding bus, we took in the landscape the Bedouin country with its dry desert, arid region, mountainous, with no running stream or rivers in sight. In places where there was a water source, we saw banana plantations and date palms amongst others, towns and signs of a growing population with camels, sheep and donkeys abound. Throughout our pilgrimage, we were blessed with beautiful weather with a temperature which was pretty constant at C. We had good hotel accommodation and an abundance of food. We got to sample the different culture and their cuisine. My overall perspective: Jerusalem the Holy City is a city like no other - magnificent churches from 1,500 years ago and history, the land of martyrs, the land where Jesus Our Lord was born, lived and was crucified. Pilgrims from all nations come to worship here. Long queues, in sunshine or in cold weather, the different cultures mingling and sharing. I bring back lots of memories, thoughts and prayers. To conclude, I didn t see or feel fireworks. There was, however, a certain calmness within me - the air of silence, holiness or the feel of the presence of God in the ancient churches, sacred scriptures, the feel of time standing still, the peace, silence, serenity - I drank copiously. Jesus is real to me - I believe in Him. Christmas, Easter and each day has new life and meaning for me. I am still me, albeit a softer and more confident, faith-filled child. Thank you, Lord for your goodness to me. May I be a blessing to all. Submitted by: Anna Samy Anna at the statue of St Anne and Mother Mary as a child at St Anne s church

7 Issue 26 Page 7 Pilgrimage to the Holy Land - from a teenager s point of view When mum told me that Father Fabian was planning to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and that my parents were interested in going, I was a little surprised as she had always told me it was their dream to visit the sites where Jesus lived and to be able to walk in his footsteps. Well I sort of assumed they would do it when I was older or when they retired. When I heard that they were intending to take me along I was excited, looking forward to experience the different cultures, foods and religions. standing there where Moses once stood and to look across and see the dry land and I could then understand why it took them 40 years to cross the desert. We visited Petra which is an entire city carved from solid rock. I marveled at nature and the beauty of it in the canyons of Petra. I couldn't help admire how the people of those times carved such beautiful buildings that still remain today. Father Fabian celebrating Mass under the gum trees at Mt Beatitudes that the cultures were widespread and different among the different Religions and denominations and they all had different ways but lived in harmony. Life slows down in this part of the world and it's like living in Biblical time but at the same time in modern luxury. The married couples in the group, renewed their vows at Cana which I loved being a part of. Tucking into the local cuisine Our group consisted of 21 members in all. We left for Amman on the 2nd of October and I thought the flight was a very memorable one, our pilot informed us that we could not land in Amman because of the sand storm and proceeded to tell us that we didn't have fuel, I must tell you that we were at that moment flying over the ocean and all I could think of was "I wished I had paid more attention to the video regarding the safety procedures in case of an emergency and I just could not remember where the safety slides were going to come down from. Through all of this, mum was sound asleep I tried waking her up but she turned her head in the other direction and promptly went back to sleep. After circling a few times he still could not land so ended up diverting to Beirut. This whole time, mum was asleep while I panicked. Our first stop was at Mount Nebo from where Moses was shown the Promised Land. It was exciting to be Remains of ancient civilization In Petra Crossing into Israel from Jordan was scary because of the security procedures but in a way I sort of understand why Israelis are so cautious to protect their country. We visited Jericho which is the oldest city in the world and went to Mount Temptation where Jesus was tempted by the devil. I had my first taste of pomegranate juice which was refreshing and we did some shopping. We stayed for 4 days in Tiberias, our hotel was on the shores of the sea of Gallilee and while there we visited the Mount of Beatitudes. Fr. Fabian said Mass under the gum trees which was ironic as these gum trees were originally taken there from Australia. We visited Caesarea Marina which was Herod's palace which was a pretty place. We went to Mount Tabor the site of the Transfiguration, this Church was beautiful. While in Tiberias, we enjoyed our lunches every day which was St. Peter's fish, breads and salads. I found Renewal of Marriage Vows in Cana During this time, I found out a lot about myself, for example I never realized that I possessed that much media/technology skills. It was quite amusing to have adults coming to me for IT advice as I don't think of myself as being techno savvy. It was an awesome experience to float in the Dead Sea. We were told that the mud of the Dead Sea makes Continued on next page

8 Issue 26 Page 8 Pilgrimage to the Holy Land - from a teenager s point of view (continued from previous page) you look 20 years younger so I thought I would test that out. No luck!!! but my skin did feel quite smooth afterwards. Trying luck at looking younger! We visited Bethlehem and our guide Jacque was able to organize Mass in the cave where Jesus was born, and I felt very privileged when Fr. Fabian asked me to read for Mass. We visited the garden of Gethsemane, The Olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane Mount Olives, Bethany, the Holy city of Jerusalem (Old and Modern). The next day we started at 4.30 in the morning to be able to Walk the Way of the Cross (Via Dolorosa) in Jesus' footsteps through the Old City. This was a moving and reflective experience for all of us. After this we attended the Holy Sepulcher which was where Jesus was tortured, crucified and buried. We went and visited the Temple Mount and the Western (Wailing) wall. We walked under the City of Jerusalem which used to be the water supply systems in the old days. (This was not my favorite place, as it was quite claustrophobic) We visited a lot of other places and had a lot of experiences, you may read more about them by visiting the Parish website and clicking on "Pilgrimage 2012" on the Home Page. As I was the only young person in the group, at times I felt I missed my own age company but the experiences were worth it. The group made me feel comfortable and safe. With all these eyes on me I wouldn t dare do anything wrong and I knew that the adults were very protective of me. This full pilgrimage has made me value my faith and I have learnt and am more appreciative of the cultures and their way of living. For example, being there while the Jewish people celebrated the Sabbath was quite an experience and I found myself learning to be tolerant of another culture Stations of the Cross through the Old City Entering The Holy Sepulchre Church Irene with mum and dad, Liza and Steven Fernandes which is so rich in so many other ways. I am grateful for the experience of going to the Holy Land and wish other young people would have the opportunity to do so too. Thank you to Fr. Fabian for being an extremely enthusiastic and spiritual guide, Omar and Jacque for their knowledge and patience and amazing talent to get us into unique opportunities that we would never have experienced without them. To the group for making it fun for me, thank you. Submitted by: Irene Fernandes Irene on board the boat in the middle of the Sea of Gallilee For a day-to-day account of the Pilgrimage, please visit the St Anthony of Padua website on pilgramage-2012/

9 Issue 26 Page 9 My visit to Fatima, Portugal Left: Our Lady of Fatima Top: Mass celebrated by Fr Fabian at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima Right: The procession in front of the Basilica At the end of our pilgrimage to the Holy Land, most of us were tired. However, nine of us headed to Lisbon for our 4 day stay at Fatima. Within two hours of our arrival in Lisbon, we were in the town of Fatima. We visited a local factory selling souvenirs before checking into our hotel. We also had the opportunity to drive around the town as the driver had difficulty finding the hotel at which we were staying. This gave us an idea of how big the town of Fatima was and we were able to map our route to the Shrine of Fatima. After checking-in and dinner that night, we proceeded to the Shrine of Fatima. I was looking forward to the visit of the Shrine as my last visit to one of Our Lady s Shrines was in India back in the 1980s. From our hotel, it took us about 10 minutes to walk to the Shrine and once there, I saw pilgrims from various countries present at the Chapel of Apparitions. I was surprised to see a number of pilgrims approaching the Chapel on their knees, on a walkway of about half a kilometer long. The Rosary is Continued on next page Below: In the rain in front of the Chapel of Apparitions and the Basilica at the Shrine of Fatima

10 Issue 26 Page 10 My visit to Fatima, Portugal (continued from previous page) said at 9.30pm every night of the year at the Chapel. I was excited but sleepy and could not concentrate while the Rosary was said in the different languages. There were about 1000 in the congregation. Many things ran through my head - I could not believe my eyes and coming to terms that our Lady appeared there five times. I thanked our Lady for giving Kim and I the opportunity to visit Fatima and prayed for her to continue to make us better individuals in all aspects. After the Rosary, the pilgrims, with lighted candles in their hands joined in the procession of a large lighted cross and the Statue of Fatima around the grounds of the Shrine. It looked beautiful and the atmosphere was amazing. The next day, we were met by our guide, who explained to us the history of Fatima, the new Complex that was built, the Basilica and the Museum. I stood in the middle of this huge vacant space where normally 300,000 gathered during festive days and I felt very secure and peaceful. We visited the Complex that housed a high-tech Church, Confessionals and the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, which is available 24 hours. We then attended Mass in one of the Chapels and visited the Museum. After lunch, we followed the Stations of the Cross and visited the homes of the three Children - Francisco, Antonio and Jacinta - to whom the Angels and Our Lady appeared to in after the Rosary and Procession. As we were leaving the grounds of the Shrine, I decided to come back to the Chapel the next morning before we left Fatima. The next morning, I got up around 5.00am and looked through the window and to my disappointment, it was raining heavily. I said to myself, I hope Our Lady gives me the opportunity to visit her once again before I leave. I got dressed and waited at the hotel reception for the rain to stop. However, the rain did not stop and I regretted not spending more time in the Chapel when I had the opportunity to do so. I informed Father Fabian of my disappointment and he said to look at it in a different way, that Our Lady would like me to visit her again. With this in mind, I left with my fellow Pilgrims to Lisbon where we spent two days visiting St. Anthony of Padua Cathedral and other key sites before departing for Melbourne. Submitted by: Godwin Barton Top Right: Father Fabian Celebrating Mass at St Anthony s Cathedral in Lisbon; Right, Reflection time at the birthplace of St Anthony; Bottom, the Last Supper before heading home The next day, after Mass by Father Fabian, we had the day to ourselves. We headed for Confessions and to reflect in front of the Blessed Sacrament after that. Some of us decided to rest at the hotel that afternoon whilst others visited the Wax Museum. After our dinner that night, we visited the Chapel of Apparitions for the Rosary and Procession again but on this night there were only about 500 pilgrims. I felt nourished

11 Issue 26 Page 11 Getting to know - Les and Betty Jacksons In September 2006, we moved into Brookfield Village after spending 34 years at Kealba and attending St Paul s Parish. The first Saturday we were here, we went to St Anthony s and met Father Martin Fleming who made us very welcome. We have been married nearly 39 years and have 2 daughters and 7 grandchildren (6 grand-daughters and 1 grandson). We mostly attend Saturday night Mass and are getting to know different ones in the Parish. Les is an active member of Melton Valley Golf club and also plays bowls twice a week at the Village. We keep a very quiet life but help out at setting up tables at Bingo and end of the month cuppas when needed. Submitted by: The Jacksons (Les & Betty) Annual Dinner 2012 It was that time of the year for the St Anthony of Padua Annual Dinner Dance which was held on Saturday, September 8, We had a fabulous DJ whose name was Elvis. He played all sorts of music, and had everyone out on the dance floor, even those who had 2 left feet. The night proceeded with a mouth watering 3 course meal, which was catered by the lovely Rita and her husband Angelo Harinos. We also had young Rajvia entertaining the crowd with her lovely voice which was appreciated by all. This was followed by a floor show from the Samoan community. It was good to see them perform the Hakka. Prior to the night ending, the Social Committee organized a competition of throwing a gold coin across the floor at a bottle of whiskey. The gold coin that lands closest to the bottle of whiskey would be the winner. Many tried and tried they did. Some coins went this way and some went that way. However, there could only be one winner on the night. The winner of the lucky whisky bottle was Rose Ma ae. It was an enjoyable fun night. Everyone enjoyed the food, music and dancing. A very big thank you to the Social Committee and all those who were involved in making the night a success. Great job, well done Guys!. Till next year.. Submitted by: Rohini Selvanayagam

12 Issue 26 Page 12 CRC Celebration Day August 21, 2012 This year the weather was kind to us and we celebrated the day to remember the opening of Catholic Regional College back in We have certainly grown since then. We started the day with the Back to Parish Mass. Students made their own way to their respective parishes for the morning Mass with the local parishioners. The students who attended Mass at St. Anthony s were certainly well behaved and reverent throughout the Mass. Joe Schembri and Irene Fernandes read the 1 st Reading and the Responsorial Psalm. The music was provided by Elvis, who led us beautifully. We thank the parishioners and Father Fabian for welcoming us so graciously. After Mass, the students were taken by bus back to school to enjoy a day of activities which included: a movie, video game challenges, a BBQ lunch, pizza, hot dogs, popcorn, fairy floss, snow cones, jumping castles, a dunking machine, a DJ and the CRC s got talent quest. All money raised went to the following charities, as nominated by the students: The Br. Beausang College, Nairobi, Kenya, the Royal Children s Hospital, the Giving Christmas Tree and the Children in Detention Centres. Submitted by: Edwina La Rose

13 Issue 26 Page 13 What Christmas means to me? To me, Christmas is a time of the year when the birth of our Saviour and celebrating with relatives and buy presents for one another, to show that you love them. Ethan Pereira Christmas is a very special time for me, it means the joyful celebration of Jesus birth. It's nice just to spend time with my family and friends. I find Advent a special time to prepare by being more attentive in Mass, doing acts of love for others and practicing putting Jesus first then others and then yourself, this brings Joy at Christmas. Greta Kratochvil I like Christmas because its Jesus birthday, the family gets together and I get presents. Jamie Gatt Christmas for me means Christ whose birthday we all celebrate Happiness and Joy I feel during the Christmas season Respect and love I show for Jesus and my family I love this time as I can spend it with the people I love like Jesus, my family and friends Singing Christmas Carols and Songs makes me feel the joy of Christmas Treats that I help to make (and eat) are so yummy Mass that I attend on the eve of Christmas to pray and wish Jesus a very Happy Birthday All the things I do during Christmas to make it a happy, joyful and meaningful one Santa makes us happier with beautiful gifts and filling up our stockings with goodies Kristen Pereira

14 Issue 26 Page 14 Children s Advent Craft - Nativity Star Ornament Instructions: On a piece of cardboard, draw a star as big as you like. Cut out the star. Paint it in bright yellow. Using a permanent marker, draw a happy face on one side of the star. On the other side, write your Christmas message. Examples of messages: Jesus loves you Jesus is Love Jesus is the light of the World Punch a hole on one corner of the star. Thread through the red ribbon and tie a knot. Your Nativity Star Ornament is now ready to be hung on your tree. Supplies needed: White A4 size Cardboard (If it is coloured, paste white paper over it). Paint, colouring pencil or crayons. 6 inch long red ribbon 6 inch long of gold ribbon Paper Punch Scissors Glue Permanent Marker Twelve Days of Christmas Aussie Style! On the 1st day of Christmas, An emu up a gum tree. On the 2nd day of Christmas My true sent to me, On the 3rd day of Christmas, On the 4th day of Christmas 3 kookaburras laughing 2 pink galahs On the 5th day of Christmas 5 kangaroos, And an emu up a gum tree. On the 6th day of Christmas 6 brolgas dancing, 5 kangaroos, And an emu up a gum tree. On the 7th day of Christmas 7 possums playing, 6 brolgas dancing, 5 kangaroos, On the 8th day of Christmas 8 dingoes digging, 7 possums playing, 6 brolgas dancing, 5 kangaroos, On the 9th day of Christmas 9 wombats working, 8 dingoes digging, 7 possums playing, 6 brolgas dancing, 5 kangaroos, On the 10th day of Christmas 10 lizards leaping, 9 wombats working, 8 dingoes digging, 7 possums playing, 6 brolgas dancing, 5 kangaroos, On the 11th day of Christmas 11 numbats nagging, 10 lizards leaping, 9 wombats working, 8 dingoes digging, 7 possums playing, 6 brolgas dancing, 5 kangaroos, On the 12th day of Christmas 12 parrots prattling, 11 numbats nagging, 10 lizards leaping, 9 wombats working, 8 dingoes digging, 7 possums playing, 6 brolgas dancing, 5 kangaroos, Source:

15 Issue 26 Page 15 Children s Activity - The Christmas Story Can you tell the Christmas Story using the pictures and captions below? 1. Cut out the pictures 2. Cut out the Captions 3. Paste the Picture with the corresponding caption on a blank sheet of paper. JESUS IS VISITED BY FRIENDS (SHEPHERDS) JESUS IS BORN IN A STABLE THE ANNUNCIATION JESUS IS VISITED BY THREE WISE MEN (KINGS) MARY & JOSEPH GO TO BETHLEHEM

16 Issue 26 Page 16 WANTED Advertisers for Would you like to advertise your business? Do you know someone who runs their own business? Wide circulation, including publication on the WEB. Next issue due in March 2013 Contact Anne on or Please support our sponsors, without their generous support would not be possible. Mention you saw their business in our newsletter and let them know we are working for them. Submissions for next newsletter All Parishioners are welcome to give their suggestions. If you have any article of interest for the next newsletter, please submit them to the Parish Office or to: by January 1, 2013 Editorial Policy The is approved by Father Fabian Smith prior to printing. The editors and Father Fabian reserve the right to edit all articles submitted. Articles may be reproduced with permission from the writer and editor.