Bridgeside Bulletin The weekly bulletn of the Catholic Parish of Forster Tuncurry Holy Name of Jesus Parish Church 33 Lake Street, Forster St Mary, Star of the Sea Church Cnr Kent & Peel Streets, Tuncurry Proclaiming Christ to the communites of Forster, Tuncurry and the surrounding districts
The Parish is also served by St Clares High School, Taree (7-12) Mr Peter Nicholls (Principal)
Davis Street, Taree NSW 2430
P: (02) 6552 3300 F: (02) 6552 3656 E: admin@tareesc.catholic.edu.au W: www.tareesc.catholic.edu.au Celebratng the Sacraments Reconciliaton is available on Saturday mornings at Tuncurry from 8:30am untl the beginning of the 9am Mass, on Saturday afernoons at Forster from 4:45pm untl 5:15pm, or other tmes by contactng Fr Andrew.
Baptsms are celebrated on Sundays, either during any of our Sunday Masses or afer the 9am Mass. The next Baptsmal Preparaton meetng will take place in the Parish Halls meetng rooms on Monday 9th June commencing at 7pm. Please contact the Parish Ofce for more details, or visit the Parish website.
Weddings are celebrated by arrangement and with at least three (and preferably more) months notce. Please contact Fr Andrew for more details, or visit the Parish website.
A Sacramental Preparaton process runs each year in the Parish for children wishing to complete the celebraton of the Sacraments of Initaton as part of the Parish community. Please contact the Parish Ofce for more details, or visit the Parish website.
The Parish hosts the Rite of Christan Initaton of Adults process for those adults wishing to be baptsed or be received into the communion of the Catholic Church. Please contact the Parish Ofce for more details, or visit the Parish website. The Parish can also be found online:
Search for us on Facebook as Catholic Parish of Forster Tuncurry
Follow us on Twiter: @fcatholic 2
The Parish Diary(for the week ahead) Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Today8th June 6pm Pentecost Ecumenical Service @ Forster Baptst Church.
Monday9th June 7pm Baptsmal Preparaton Meetng @ Forster
Tuesday10th June 9am Christan Meditaton (Bob 6555 5914) 11am Mass @ GLAICA House 12pm Soup Luncheon @ Forster 3:30pm Holy Hour @ Tuncurry 4:30pm Mass @ Tuncurry 5:30pm Christan Meditaton (Bob 6555 5914) 5:30pm Singing Practse @ Forster
Wednesday11th June Memorial of St Barnabas Meetng of Myall Deanery being hosted at Forster 9am Mass @ Forster 9:30am menALIVE morning group @ Forster 11:15am Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help @ Forster 5:30pm Parish Finance Commitee meetng @ Forster 7pm Confrmaton Rehearsal @ Forster
Thursday12th June Fr Andrew to Newcastle in the afernoon for Liturgy Council meetng. 9am Mass @ Forster
Friday13th June Memorial of St Anthony of Padua 9:30am Mass @ Forster 7pm Celebraton of Confrmaton @ Forster
Saturday14th June 8:30am Reconciliaton @ Tuncurry 9am Mass @ Tuncurry 4:45pm Reconciliaton @ Forster (untl 5:15pm) 6pm Mass @ Tuncurry
Sunday15th June 7am Mass @ Tuncurry 9am Mass @ Forster Regular Activities in the Parish Secular Franciscan Fraternity The Secular Franciscans Fraternity will next meet on Wednesday 2nd July, coming together for Mass at 9am, followed by a cuppa at 9:30am and then the meetng 10am to 12pm.
The menALIVE Groups Our Parish currently hosts two menALIVE groups. The morning group will next meet on Wednesday 11th June afer the 9am Mass, while the evening group will next meet on Thursday 26th June at 7:30pm.
Maintenance & Gardening Group The Parish is lucky to be served by a very dedicated band of volunteers who tend to the upkeep of the grounds and gardens of our two church sites. They do a fabulous job, and are always ready to welcome new members to the group. The next date is Thursday 19th June startng at Tuncurry at 8am and then on to Forster. Contact Howard 6557 6826 for more informaton.
Singing Practce The Singing Group will resume practces on Tuesday 10th June at 5:30pm at Holy Name Church, Forster. All welcome.
Collecton of Foodstufs for Homebase On the frst Sunday of each month we undertake a collecton in order to support Homebase. The next collecton will next take place on Sunday 6th July.
Holy Hour The Parish community observes a Holy Hour each Tuesday afernoon in the Tuncurry Church from 3:30pm untl the beginning of Mass at 4:30pm.
Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help The Novena is prayed every Wednesday in the Forster church commencing at 11:15am and is followed by a cuppa in the Parish Hall. Contact Shioney (6554 9468) for more informaton.
Evening Prayer & Benedicton The Parish community celebrates on the frst Sunday of each month at 5:30pm in the Tuncurry church. It will next be celebrated on Sunday 6th July. All welcome. Catholic Newspapers Available Both The Catholic Leader (Brisbane) and The Catholic Weekly (Sydney) newspapers are available at a cost of $2 each from our churches. Washing Machine Needed If anyone can source a washing machine for someone in need, please contact Sr Kathryn on 6554 6970. 3
Communion from the Chalice when Sick As we approach the colder months and occurrences of colds and fu, a reminder to everyone to consider the wellbeing of your fellow parishioners.
If you are not feeling well, we would respectully ask you to please refrain from receiving Communion from the Chalice during Mass. From the Pastors Desk Expectatons are dangerous things!
Whether we impose them on ourselves or on others, expectatons have the capacity to tend towards disappointment, largely because the nature of real life is not taken into account. If we have invested too much of ourselves in the expectatons we have of ourselves or others, disappointment can quickly turn towards anger and animosity, which in turn can be destructve.
At the very heart of the Christan life is a focus not on expectatonof ourselves, others, or even Godbut a surrender to God and the power of Gods grace to move in us and our lives. The nature of the Holy Spirit, whose gifing to the Church we celebrate today on the feast of Pentecost, is such that we cannot control how the Spirit is actvely manifested in the life of the Church and Christans. This means, in other words, any expectatons we have of how the Holy Spirit will work for us are just begging to be proved otherwise.
The one thing we can be certain of, and that because it was promised by Jesus himself, is that the Holy Spirit will be alive and actve in the life of the Church.
And that is what we celebrate today on the Feast of Pentecost...and each and every tme we celebrate the Sacramental life of the Church.
Come Holy Spirit, fll the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fre of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy his consolatons. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
A happy Pentecost to you all.
Untl next week... Fr Andrew The Celebration of Confirmation The Sacrament of Confrmaton will be celebrated on Friday 13th June with Bishop Bill beginning at 7pm. All welcome.
A rehearsal for the Confrmaton liturgy will take place on Wednesday 11th June at 7pm in the Forster church. Bishops Open Letter As mentoned last weekend, the Bishop has released an open leter to the people of the Diocese in response to the release of the Report of the Special Commission of Inquiry.
A limited number of copies of this open leter are available in the churches this weekend, and it is also available for downloading or reading on the Parish and Diocesan websites.
I would appreciate if those parishioners who are able to access the leter on the internet are able to do so, and so leave the printed copies for those who cant. Parish Grief Support Group An invitaton is extended to men and women of the Parish who have lost a spouse through death, divorce or dementa (or any other situaton) to atend a meetng on Saturday 28th June at 11am in the Parish Meetng Room at Forster
The purpose of this meetng is to form a Grief Support Group who will meet on a regular basis to support each other through prayer, sharing, listening, understanding and being there for one another. Sharing with other people can help reduce the sense of isolaton and aloneness that comes with grief and can be of great beneft to anyone dealing with their grief.
An external facilitator has been found to help the group become established (details on that next week).
If you are interested in atending the meetng, or would simply like more informaton, please speak directly with Fr Andrew either in person or via his mobile (0412 405 671). SRE (Scripture Teachers, Catechists) Meeting A meetng for SRE Scripture Teachers/Catechists will be held on Tuesday 17th June in the Parish Meetng Room commencing at 10:30am for morning tea and to be followed by a meetng.
Those interested in joining the SRE Ministry are welcome to atend and meet the group, and ask any questons.
Contact Loreta Hefernan for more informaton. 4
Yes to the New Relationship Brought By Christ The Christan ideal will always be a summons to overcome suspicion, habitual mistrust, fear of losing our privacy, all the defensive attudes which todays world imposes on us. Many try to escape from others and take refuge in the comfort of their privacy or in a small circle of close friends, renouncing the realism of the social aspect of the Gospel. For just as some people want a purely spiritual Christ, without fesh and without the cross, they also want their interpersonal relatonships provided by sophistcated equipment, by screens and systems which can be turned on and of on command. Meanwhile, the Gospel tells us constantly to run the risk of a face-to- face encounter with others, with their physical presence which challenges us, with their pain and their pleas, with their joy which infects us in our close and contnuous interacton. True faith in the incarnate Son of God is inseparable from self-giving, from membership in the community, from service, from reconciliaton with others. The Son of God, by becoming fesh, summoned us to the revoluton of tenderness.
Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 88.
If you would like to read more of Evangelii Gaudium, copies are available for purchase ($10) or borrowing from the Parish Ofce. The Exhortaton is also available for downloading from the Vatcan website. I Was A Stranger And You Welcomed Me This is the ttle of a pamphlet produced by the Australian Catholic Migrant & Refugee Ofce to explain what the Catholic Church teaches on Asylum and Migraton.
The Parish has obtained multple copies of these and you are encouraged to take a pamphlet with you. Soup Luncheons are Back! Hope you are all ready for our frst soup lunch for 2014. It is intended to hold the soup lunches on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 12 noon throughout the Winter months in the Parish Hall at Lake St, Forster.
Our frst one is scheduled for 10th June 2014. Please come along, especially those who haven't tried our gourmet soups before. This will be our frst opportunity to try out the improve facilites in our Church Hall Kitchen.
Dont forget to place your name on the list at the rear of each church to assist catering. Looking forward to seeing you all on Tuesday 10th June. Bishops Reflection Day You are invited to a day of refecton and prayer with Bishop Bill on Friday 27th June at St Stephens Church. Tea Gardens from 10am to 3pm.
This year the day will be facilitated by Frances Tilly from the Jesuit Province Team who will present the day in the style of Ignatan Spirituality.
The Spiritual Exercises are all the best that I have been able to think out, experience and understand in this life, both for helping somebody to make the most of themselves, and also for being able to bring advantage, help and proft to many others. So, even if you dont feel the need for the frst, you will see that they are much more helpful than you might have imagined for the second. (Ignatus Ep. 10:1)
The First Spiritual Exercises are for parishioners, young and senior, clergy, religious, individuals, couples, partners, parents, grandparents, ministry teams, commitees, students, colleagues, friends: everyone!
To register or make an enquiry please contact the Childrens Ministries Ofce or check the webpage (www.mn.catholic.org.au/agencies-services/childrens ministries). CEO Sleepout Bishop Bill, Director of CatholicCare Lisa Short, Vice Chancellor Administraton Sean Scanlon and Director of Catholic Schools Ray Collins will all be spending the night of 19th June sleeping rough in order to raise money for the homeless. Please donate to this excellent cause and support Bishop Bill, Lisa, Sean and Ray in their generous eforts. If you would like to contribute, visit www.ceosleepout.org.au and search for a surname to donate! Pentecost Ecumenical Service The Christan Churches of the area will gather on Pentecost Sunday 8th June from 6pm in the Forster Baptst Church. As part of the service the Chaplains to the High SchoolAndrew Jones and Lynn Noonan will be introduced, and a collecton taken up towards the ongoing work of the chaplaincy.
A supper will follow the service, and you are invited to bring a plate to share.
This ecumenical service is an opportunity for our churches to gather in fellowship and worship. 5
Dio Update E-Newsletter Each Tuesday, the Diocese publishes an e-newsleter, ttled Dio Update, featuring stories from across the Diocese, updatng subscribers on events coming up, photos and feedback from events already held, press releases, topics of interest and dates to remember. You can subscribe to this weekly e-newsleter by visitng the Diocesan website www.mn.catholic.org. au/news-events/diocesan-events. Welcome! We welcome to our community of faith Anna Chalmers the daughter of Phillip and Melissa, and Jasper Waters the son of Ian and Simone who will be baptsed with water and the Holy Spirit this weekend. Parish Social Functions for 2014 The dates for the remaining Parish Social Functons for 2014 are:-
INTERNATIONAL LUNCH to be held on Saturday 2nd August. BLESSING OF THE FLEET/PARISH BBQ will be held this year on Sunday 5th October.
Please claim these dates in your diary now and watch for further details as they are released closer to each event. Vocation View As the Father has sent me, so I send you (John 20:21). The coming of the Holy Spirit gives us the power and vitality to be a witness for Christ, no mater the cost. For more informaton regarding Vocatons contact Fr Brian Mascord on 4979 1112 or by email to vocatons@mn.catholic.org.au. 10th National eConference The 10th Natonal eConference hosted by Broken Bay Insttute will be held on Wednesday 11th June from 10am to 3pm.
Once again the Parish will hostng partcipaton in the eConference, which has the ttle Pope Francis: Modelling the Ministry of St Peter, and featuring as presenters Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, Sr Monica Cavanagh rsj, Fr Gerard Kelly, Ms Selina Hasham, and Fr Noel Connolly ssc.
You are invited to bring along a small plate of food to share or your own lunch. Cofee and tea will be provided.
Registratons for the eConference to the Parish Ofce or by email to Loreta Hefernan at loreta.hefernan@ mn.catholic.org.au 2nd Spiritual Directors eConference The Conference of Spiritual Directors will be hostng their second eConference on Thursday 12th June from 9:30am to 3:30pm.
Unlike the Natonal eConference above, the CSD eConference, ttled The Trinity: A Place of Deep Listening, will have a smaller appeal: the Conference is primarily for spiritual directors, although it will be of interest to others interested in the place of the Trinity in the Gospel of John.
Tony Knight has ofered to host a small group of interested people (max 12 people) at his home at Tallwoods Village on the day.
For more informaton, or to register your interest, please contact Tony on 6559 2573 before the 8th June. Ministry in Aged Care Facilities In order to comply with Federal legislaton covering screening of all people who work in aged care facilites (nursing homes, hostels, etc), the Diocese is going to facilitate the necessary screening checks via the Diocesan Ofces.
I would ask all those who minister on behalf of the Parish in aged care facilites within the Parish to make contact with me as soon as possible so that this procedure can be put in place.
Please note: This requirement only applies to those volunteers who carry out their task on behalf of the Parish, and not for those who wish to visit family or friends in local facilites. If in doubt, please check with me. Fr Andrew Planned Giving The Financial Year will soon come to end, and the Parish would like to thank all those who contnue to generously support the life of the Parish.
If you would like to join the Planned Giving Programme, please contact the Parish Ofce. New envelopes for 2014-15 will be available in the next few weeks. To assist in the distributon would you please write FORSTER or TUNCURRY on your envelopes so that we can have your new envelopes in the right church for you. If you will be seeking a Tax Receipt for this current fnancial year, would you please write TAX on your envelope.
Your assistance would be greatly appreciated. 6
Kids Corner
Try to find these words: afraid appeared evening forgive hand happy Holy Spirit Leader Middle receive sins Sunday L R M I D D L E W M S Y V S O Z H V I H A P P Y R P R Q M Z J D V M K S C N Q M B L F Y B T C Z D V U G F O R G I V E T L C K E A F R A I D S L B E I H R G C Q F Q M C P I E F X Y R D R V D O R P V W N A P W A P I M D Z K S T U H S D D S P B U Q F P H L B T H C E J C P G B N D E V E N I N G R G N E F O V S R E C E I V E L C I A E Q O E F D G X U O Z J V V R E F A H H O L Y S P I R I T E J S K C K G V L C R V N F J D I B T V S U N D A Y H A N D K The disciples received the Holy Spirit Jn 20:19-23 The Gift of Understanding The Apostle Paul, addressing the community at Corinth, aptly describes the efects of this gif that is, what the gif of understanding does in us and Paul says this: "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him, God has revealed to us through the Spirit" (1 Cor 2:9-10). This of course does not mean that a Christan can comprehend all things and have full knowledge of the designs of God: all of this waits to be revealed in all its clarity once we stand in the sight of God and are truly one with Him. However, as the very word suggests, understanding allows us to "intus legere", or "to read inwardly": this gif enables us to understand things as God understands them, with the mind of God. For one can understand a situaton with human understanding, with prudence, and this is good. But to understand a situaton in depth, as God understands it, is the efect of this gif. And Jesus desired to send us the Holy Spirit so that we might have this gif, so that all of us might understand things as God understands them, with the mind of God. What a beautful gif the Lord has given us. It is the gif with which the Holy Spirit introduces us into intmacy with God and makes us sharers in the plan of love which he has for us. Pope Francis - Excerpt 9 April Wednesday General Audience in St Peter's Square. 7
Opportunities Outside The Parish DioSounds Evening Performance 2014 The evening performance of DioSounds 2014 will be held on Wednesday 11th June commencing at 6:30pm at the Civic Theatre, Hunter Street, Newcastle. Tickets are available at the Civic Theatre or via Ticketek (phone 4929 1977 or visit www.tcketek.com.au) and cost $30 for adults, and $15 for students and concessions.
2014 TWEC Dinner The 2014 TWEC Dinner will be held on Friday 13th June 2014 at The Therry Centre, East Maitland, 6:30pm for 7pm. The special guest speaker will be Mr Tim Fischer, former Deputy Prime Minister and more recently the frst resident Australian Ambassador to the Holy See, well known train enthusiast, writer and much more! The cost for hors doeuvres, drinks, main meal and dessert is $60 per person For more informaton call 4930 9601 or email twec@ssjl.org.au.
Marriage Encounter Weekend A Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend will be held beginning Friday 13th June at Mt Carmel Retreat Centre, Varroville. The weekend ofers married couples a special kind of tme out, a diferent kind of weekend getaway. Contact Ardell or Bill Sharpe on 4283 3435 or wsharpe@bigpond.net.au for more informaton.
Blake Prize Ofcial Launch The Ofcial Launch of the 62nd Blake Prize will be held on Friday 13th June beginning at 5:30pm at the University of Newcastle, Callaghan. The Blake Prize explores the religious and spiritual in art and poetry. For more informaton email gallery@newcastle.edu.au
Asylum Seeker Awareness Rally An Awareness Rally for Asylum Seekers will be held on Sunday 15th June at 2pm at Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle to mark the opening of World Refugee Week. Speakers include: Fr Rod Bower (Gosford Anglican Church), Ian Rintoul (Refugee Acton Coaliton Sydney), Gleny Rae (musician and partcipant in Go Back Where You Came From), Kellie Tranter (Atorney, Maitland) and Gary Kennedy (Secretary, Newcastle Trades Hall Council).
St Catherines Catholic College Art Exhibiton St Catherines Catholic College is hostng its frst Fine Arts Exhibiton on Tuesday 17th June at 6pm in the McAuley Hall of the College. The event is expected to have great success in showcasing the wonderful talents of the College students, and is themed Art Infnite to encompass the never-ending and always changing process of art and creatvity. Opening Night Functon (entry by gold coin donaton) will feature gourmet canapes and orange juice.
Day of Refecton for Women The Catholic Womens League and the Contact Group for the Diocesan Contact Group for the Council for Australian Catholic Women will host a Day of Refecton for Women will be held on Saturday 21st June at Corcoran Centre, George St, Morpeth. The facilitator is Andrew Dean. For more informaton email cwl@mn.catholic.org.au
2014 Diocesan Youth Retreat Be, Grow, Show is the ttle of the 2014 Diocesan Youth Retreat which will be held from Friday 27th June to Sunday 29th June at Camp Elim, The Lakes Way, Forster. Save the date! For more informaton email youth.ministry@mn.catholic.org.au.
TWEC Winter Refecton Day TWEC will host a Winter Refecton Day on Saturday 5th July beginning at 9:30am at St Josephs Convent, New England Highway, Lochinvar. The cost is $20; concession $10. Morning Tea is provided; please BYO lunch. RSVP by 1st July by phone to 4930 9601 or email to twec@ssjl.org.au.
Bonhoefer Conference 2014 The 2014 Bonhoefer ConferenceUsed and Abused: Bonhoefer for All Causeswill be held on Thursday 31st July at St Josephs Spirituality Centre, Kincumber. For more informaton contact Wendy Grant on 4921 5880 or Bonhoefer-conference@ newcastle.edu.au.
Proclaim Conference 2014 The 2014 Proclaim Conference on the New Evangelisaton will be held from Thursday 21st August at The Concourse, Chatswood. The theme of the Conference is Living the Joy of the Gospel in Parishes drawing on Pope Francis Apostolic Exhortaton Evangelii Gaudium. For more informaton, please visit www.proclaimconference.com.au.
2014 Natonal Pilgrimage In the Footsteps of Saint Mary pilgrimage commences in Melbourne on 22nd October and ends in Sydney. The cost per person, twin share is $2,740 (ex Sydney). For more informaton please contact Therese Leydon rsj by phone to 8912 4818, or by email to mmp. ministries@sosj.org. As the Father sent me, so I am sending you. 8
Ministers this Weekend... ...of the Word ...of Communion 6pm Tuncurry A: Michael Siddle B: Frank Hayman Carolyn Ollife, Kathryn McCabe, Margaret Smith, Owen Carroll, Ruth Pearson. 7am Tuncurry A: Chris Matuszny B: Tony Knight Alex Matuszny, Edna Tucker, Mark Mowbray, Norm Chapman, Tony Knight. 9am Forster A: Marie Keep B: Judith Shand Barbara Kermode, Genevieve Williamson, Robert Moran, Robyn Ryan, Trevor Turner. Ministers next Weekend... ...of the Word ...of Communion 6pm Tuncurry A: Lou Hope B: Geraldine Mullin Burness Goodlet, Frank Hayman, Jeanete Goodacre, Lou Hope, Valarie Ross. 7am Tuncurry A: Bronwyn Morse B: Anne-Marie Greene Cecile Malone, Graham Grifths, Kay Grifths, Maria Armitage, Tony Knight. 9am Forster A: Anne Hartman B: Marion ONeill Anne Moloney, Elle Cairns-Cowan, Josi Beech, Sharon Fowle, Shioney Neal. Please note: The above informaton refects the rosters as originally published, and doesnt take account of any swaps that may have been organised between individuals. Scripture Readings This Week
Responsorial Psalm Response: Lord, send out your Spirit and renew the face of the earth.
Gospel Acclamaton Alleluia, alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit, fll the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fre of your love. Alleluia! In your charity, please pray for: Those recently deceased: Dorothy Hayes, Kathleen Janette Majewski.
Those whose anniversaries occur about now. Leo Abberton, Bill Bromfeld, Raymond Chafen.
All those in our community who are sick. Text: Excerpts from the English Translaton of the Roman Missal 2010, Internatonal Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL); Music: From the Mass of St Francis 2010, Paul Taylor. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Australian AgentWord of Life Internatonal Licence no 195E.
Wheels of Light: Introductions, Homilies, Prayers of the Faithful, and Reflections for Each Sunday of the Three-Year Liturgical Cycle, with Extra Material for Special Feast Days.