Secondary S tory Head line The is the official quarterly Newsletter of Father Martin s Message June 1, 2007 St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, Cnr Exford & Wilson Road Melton South, VIC 3338 Tel: 03-9747 9692 Fax: 03-9746 0422 Email: sapmsscc@netspace.net.au Parish Priest: Father Martin J Fleming Editorial Committee Dolores Turcsan Lorraine Tellis Kim Barton Godwin Barton Edwina La Rose If you are interested in being part of the Editorial Committee, please contact any one of the committee members. Thank you. The 13 th of June is the feast of our patron, Saint Anthony of Padua. Ferdinand, as he was baptized in Lisbon, Portugal, originally became a religious of the Cannons Regular of St. Augustine. It was whilst he was studying at Coimbra, the capital of Portugal at the time, that he came into contact with the Franciscans who had a house there and was moved to join them after four of their number suffered martyrdom at the hands of the King of Morocco. He took the name Anthony after the fourth century Saint Anthony who was a hermit. Saint Anthony s missionary intentions were thwarted by his ill health and he instead with St. Francis s direction became instrumental in the building up of the Franciscan Order at the time of the Rule being approved by Rome. Saint Anthony was an eloquent speaker and his study of scripture and Franciscan spirituality earned for him in 1946 the title, Doctor of the Church. There were many miracles ascribed to him during his holy life and the image most popular is the one of him holding the baby Jesus. Saint Anthony of Padua has been our patron saint since the establishment of our Parish by Archbishop T. F. Little in 1983. The School was the place the faith-community gathered to celebrate the Eucharist until our parish Churchhall was built in 1985. Since then, our faithcommunity has gathered to celebrate Eucharist and other important moments of our life and has made this a very sacred site. It is fitting that, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of our parish s establishment, we formally have our Church consecrated by Archbishop Denis Hart. The consecration ceremony will take place on the feast day of Saint Anthony of Padua on June13, 2008. Whilst the ceremony of consecration is of a building, it is our place of gathering each weekend to celebrate the Eucharist. We have become a holy people and so our church is a sacred site for us. Source: http://www.christart.com/verseart/
Issue 4 Page 2 Getting to know... Sister Mary McArdle & Sister Mary Gavaghan In 1999, I was asked by our Provincial to come to Melton as a companion for Sister Rita Malavisi who was a staff member of St. Anthony s School and later a Pastoral Associate. We were part of a wider community with Father Werner Utri and Sister Carmel Crameri, meeting, weekly, sharing faith. I took part in the R.C.I.A. Lenten Programs and visitation of parishioners. Since that time I have visited parishioners, taken communion to the sick and elderly, participated in the Planned Giving Program, prayed with the Christian Meditation Group and celebrated with the Prime Timers. Each Friday, I am a volunteer at our Josephite Aged Care at Camberwell. I am truly grateful for the acceptance and the support that I have received from all priests and parishioners. I have been very enriched by this. Mary McArdle RSJ We would like you to go to Melton South - these words from my Province Leader were very welcome - back to the Western Suburbs, home to me! The vision of Retirement, living quietly among the people and enjoying being a quiet part of Parish life was very tempting. Five years later I am a wiser woman - still delighted to be here at Melton South but involved in many things; communion to the sick, Parish Council, Liturgy committee, Prime Timers, visiting - among other things. It is a privilege to belong to this parish and all its wonderful people who give so much of their time and talents, and who have made me so welcome. Mary Gavaghan RSJ XXIII World Youth Day 2008 "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8) Location Date Sydney, Australia July 15 July 20, 2008 World Youth Day 2008 In 1986, Pope John Paul II invited the youth of the Catholic Church to gather in St Peter's Square on Palm Sunday to celebrate their faith. This began a journey of faith for all young people of the world and the concept of pilgrimage towards World Youth Day was born. Every year, World Youth Day is celebrated at a Diocesan level on Palm Sunday, with a massive international gathering of youth in a "host city" every 2-3 years. On 21 August 2005, perched on a hill at Marienfeld outside Cologne, Pope Benedict XVI invited the youth of the world to proclaim and celebrate the Holy Spirit at the 23rd World Youth Day to be held in Sydney, Australia in 2008. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/world_youth_day_2008 And now, as the living presence of the Risen Christ in our midst nourishes our faith and hope, I am pleased to announce that the next World Youth Day will take place in Sydney, Australia, in 2008. We entrust to the maternal guidance of Mary most holy, the future course of the young people of the whole world. Pope Benedict XVI, WYD 2005, Marienfield
Issue 4 Page 3 My experience at the Lenten program In preparation for Lent, our parish organized a Lenten Program. Starting from the February 22, 2007, the program ran for five, one-hour sessions each Thursday. Sessions were conducted during the day as well as in the evenings. There were 5 members in our group. The program focused on us meditating on the second reading of the Sundays in Lent, which were from the Letters of St. Paul. Every week I came away un-derstanding more about the reading for the next Sunday. It prepared me for the challenges in our daily lives and helped me to grow spiritually. The prayerful atmosphere at the sessions enabled us to respond with greater understanding. Within the group we were able to share our thoughts on a personal level which led to a deeper understanding and new insights. It was a well-designed program called Letters for Lent Women & Men Transformed in Christ which came in a hard copy and a CD with prayerful music. Spiritually the program has enriched my life and I would recommend the program to other parishioners in the future. I am thankful for being given the opportunity to be part of the program. Stephen Fernandes Behind the Scenes at our Parish... Volunteer Cleaning Teams Since the church of St. Anthony of Padua in Melton South was built, there have been teams of volunteers who have rallied together over many years to ensure that our sacred place of worship is kept clean. These volunteers have sacrificed their time and used their talents on a regular basis, making a special effort to prepare the church for special ceremonies particularly during Advent, Lent and Easter. This tradition continues as there are five teams currently on the roster. Team One gathers on a Friday morning, Team Two, on a Thursday (both after the 9a.m. Mass) while the remainder of the teams meet on Saturday mornings (at 8:30a.m.). As there are five teams, each team is rostered once every five weeks. As the cleaning and maintenance co-ordinator, I ensure that the roster is maintained and mailed out to each volunteer. I also make sure that all the necessary cleaning equipment and chemicals are available for our volunteers to use. I take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers, both past and present, for their tireless contributions over the years. I wish you, and your families, God s Blessing. Anyone wishing to join one of the cleaning teams is most welcome. You may wish to join with two or three of your friends and create a new team, this is also most welcomed. Please feel free to contact the parish office or myself directly if you have any queries. Remember Cleanliness is next to Godliness Ritchie Fernandesz Cleaning and Maintenance Co-ordinator Ph: AH 9747 3263 Mobile 0431 676 383
Dinner Dance 2007 (Christmas in July) July 28, 2007 St. Anthony s School Hall Starting at 7.30pm All welcome Price: Adult - $25 Children 5-12 yrs - $10 Under 5 yrs - Free Issue 4 Page 4 Pass It On, Message Stick Celebrations in our Parish Registration form available at the back of the church. For more information contact Tracey: 0413 127 926 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 by August 1, 2007. Editorial Policy The content of the articles contained herein may not necessarily reflect the official stance of the church or the committee and may differ from the opinion of the editors. The is approved by Father Martin Fleming prior to printing. The editors and Father Martin reserves the right to edit all articles submitted. Articles may be reproduced with permission from the writer and editor. On April 29, 2007 at 10:30am, our Parish of St. Anthony of Padua, celebrated Pass It On, Message Stick. The Message that is being passed on to participating Churches nationally, is based on the Address given by our late Pope, John Paul II at the Meeting with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at Alice Springs on November 29, 1986. By our celebration, we acknowledged the traditional land of the Wurundjeri People, paying our respects to their elders and thanking them for sharing this wonderful country with us. The celebrations began with a slideshow of photographs portraying Aboriginal People, Uluru, and native animals that represented the four Compass directions (North, South, East, West). The slide show ran continuously while Didgeridoo music ran in the background. This continued until the commencement of our Mass. Altar Servers led the procession into the Church followed by a parishioner carrying the Message Stick and our celebrant Reverend Father Martin Fleming. A few Parishioners also in the procession brought in fabric, in Aboriginal colours, to dress the Altar. Included in the procession were Grade Six children from St Anthony s School who clapped sticks together to produce an Aboriginal melody. Some of them also carried miniature flags of Australia, Torres Straits Island and the Aboriginal people. Once all reached the Altar, the parishioners dressed the Altar and the Lectern whilst the children placed the flags in troughs in front of the Altar. The prayer of the Four Directions was then recited by all. At the introduction of each direction (North, South, East and West), two students walked in carrying a replica of the Top: The Pass It On, Message Stick, displayed at the Altar Left: The Altar after it was dressed Message Stick and a placard displaying the respective symbol of the direction. At the end of the prayer the students walked down the aisles and handed the replica of the Message Stick to parishioners who passed it around to each other. This action was a sign of our acceptance of the Message. This Sign of Pass it on follows and recognises the traditional way our Aboriginal brothers and sisters passed on messages to each other in the early years. After the celebration of the Mass, show bags with Aboriginal brochures were distributed to the Parishioners. A barbeque and the screening of the movie, Rabbit Proof Fence were held in the School Hall for parishioners. The above celebration was another successful event organised by the Liturgy Committee of our Parish and the Staff of St. Anthony s School.
Issue 4 Pullout Page 1 St. Anthony s feast day is celebrated on June 13. Customary practices in various parts of the world on this day includes: In some places, animals might be blessed today. In Lisbon, his birthplace, it is a traditional day for getting married (women who get married on this day are called "brides of St. Anthony"). So popular are weddings on this day in Lisbon, that the city hall hosts them for free if the couple are poor. St. Anthony altars are built and decorated, parades are held, bonfires lit, grilled sardines and sangria are enjoyed. In some places, it is customary to decorate with pots of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) and to give some away to friends with prayers invoking our Saint. On this day some priests bless lilies for parishioners to keep. The blessing of lilies, which remind us of St. Anthony's purity and have always been a symbol for him, stems from a miracle which took place in Revolutionary France: many priests and religious were murdered, so many churches and convents destroyed, but the faithful still showed up at a surviving church on the Feast of St. Anthony. Months later, it was discovered that lilies that had adorned the church at that feast were still fresh. Another custom on this day is known as "St. Anthony's Bread" and goes back to A.D. 1263 when a child drowned near the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua as it was still being built. The mother besought St. Anthony and promised that if her child were restored to life, she would give to the poor an amount of wheat equal to the weight of her child. Of course her son was saved, and her promise was kept. "St. Anthony's Bread," then, is the promise of giving alms in return for a favor asked of God through St. Anthony's intercession (the custom also takes place throughout the year when parents give alms after placing their baby under the patronage of St. Anthony). In some places, the custom has a literal parallel in that loaves of bread might be blessed and given away at church or, generally, to the poor. Because St. Anthony was buried on a Tuesday and many miracles accompanied his funeral, Tuesdays are special days of honoring him throughout the year. It is customary to pray a Novena to him on thirteen consecutive Tuesdays. Because of St. Anthony's history of being invoked by single women in search of a husband, on the feast day, many single people who have a vocation to marriage make a visit to a church or shrine dedicated to St. Anthony! Source: http://www.fisheaters.com/customstimeafterpentecoststa.html
Issue 4 Pullout Page 2 Children s Colouring page