St. Patrick's Catholic Church Kogarah

Save Our Graves E-Petition.
Send a strong message to NSW MPs to reverse the decision to remove faith-based groups from the management of cemeteries

Please visit www.saveourgraves.com.au and sign the petition to protect our sacred Catholic gravesites and the right to a dignified Catholic burial from secular-atheist influence.

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP has asked for your support in signing an e-petition on this issue to be presented to the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly, since the government’s decision amounts to an attack on religious freedom in NSW.

For more than 150 years in NSW, Catholic Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust has been trusted not only by Catholics, but by the Islamic and Jewish communities and other people of faith to bury the dead, maintain their graves respectfully and comfort grieving families.

The NSW Government wants to exclude faith groups from this precious ministry and replace them with a new and costly Government bureaucracy which has no understanding of religious customs around burials, including the importance of leaving graves undisturbed by future generations.

Sign the epetition here: https://saveourgraves.com.au/  You can also write to your local State MP to voice your concern about this proposal. Please also share the attached tile on your parish social media platforms.

17 May 2021

Further easing of COVID-19 restrictions on churches

The NSW Government has announced masks are no longer necessary in houses of worship, including churches.

Congregational singing is also now permitted

Congregations must follow a two square metre rule.

​Easing of restrictions – the current rules

· Masks are no longer necessary when attending churches.

· Congregational singing is permitted.

· Singers or choir members should still remain 1.5 metres away from each other and from members of the congregation.

· There is no limit on how many people can attend Masses, weddings, funerals and other religious services subject to observing the 2m2 rule. This does not include the celebrant or church workers. Families can sit together, but if people do not belong in the same household, they must observe physical distancing of 1.5 metres. Parishes should have public signs with advice on this or have ushers or people assisting at Masses.

· Avoid congestion before or after Mass – have strategies in place for managing people entering or leaving the Church. Attendees should also maintain a safe distance when lining up for communion.

· The same rules apply to Masses and other religious services held outdoors on Parish premises.

COVID safety at our Churches

· Parishes must have a COVID-19 Safety Plan (in accordance with the plan for places of public worship) and monitor compliance with that plan.

· Churches should have signs at entrances on social distancing, use of hand sanitiser, numbers of people who can sit in pews and other matters relating to the safety plan.

· People who are unwell should not enter or remain in the Church.

· Parishes must keep confidential records for all attendees at churches for 30 days. QR codes are recommended but hard copy sign-in sheets are permissible. If people are signing in, hand sanitiser should be provided adjacent to sign-in sheets. These records may need to be submitted to NSW Health for contact tracing purposes.

· Have hand sanitiser readily available at the entrance to the Church

· Ensure surfaces are regularly cleaned.

More information is available online: https://www.sydneycatholic.org/coronavirus-updates/.

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Hartford College- new Independent Boys School in Sydney

Hartford College is an independent Catholic school for boys opening in 2022 in Daceyville. Commencing in Year 5, Hartford will offer personalised education through to the HSC. Hartford’s educational mission educates the whole person, combining the quest for academic excellence with the development of the student's character and faith. For more information and to lodge your expression of interest for 2022, please visit hartfordcollege.com.au

Hartford College presents Hartford College Information Evening for 2022 Enrolments 22 JUNE 2021 7-8:30pm

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Come, Follow Me: Discipleship Retreat Days with the Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus and how can I grow as a disciple?
The Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia are working with the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation to offer three one-day retreats. Come and experience the love and mercy of Jesus, and enter more deeply into your own experience of being His disciple. The talks include: Making the most out of Mass, Prayer: How to Grow in your Relationship with Jesus, Breaking open Scripture and A Cloud of Witnesses: Growing closer to Mary and the Saints. There will also be time for Adoration and the Scarament of Confession.

Date and locations

13 June, St Mary’s Cathedral

26 June, Regina Coeli Parish, Beverly Hills

17 July, Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, Fairfield

Registration essential at www.gomakedisciples.org.au/cas-events/ Cost: $10 per person, with light lunch included. All welcome!

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Fr Frank Brennan: Rerum Novarum to Laudato Si: the relevance of Catholic Social Teaching to winning government

To commemorate the 130th Anniversary of Rerum Novarum, the Johno Johnson Forum will be hosting a free zoom event with Fr Frank Brennan, Rerum Novarum to Laudato Si: the relevance of Catholic Social Teaching to winning government.

Tuesday 15th June 2021, 7:30pm AEST  RSVP for the zoom link: reply or email johnojohnsonforum@gmail.com

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Tri-Diocesan Social Justice Twilight Reflection Evening – 30 June 2021, 6-8:30pm, Pennant Hills

Join keynote speakers Bishop Anthony Randazzo, Dr. Robbie Lloyd and Ms Ashleigh Donnelly together with Catholics from the Archdiocese of Sydney, Parramatta Diocese and the Diocese of Broken Bay for a prayerful dinner event to celebrate our social justice work and reflect on the themes of this year’s Social Justice Statement “To Live Life to the Full: Mental Health in Australia Today.”

 

Date: Wednesday 30th June 2021

Time: 6–8.30pm

Venue: Pennant Hills Bowling Club, 52 Yarrara Rd, Pennant Hills.

RSVP: 16 June 2021

Please register your attendance here or by emailing ruth.moraes@sydneycatholic.org or 0439 584 221.

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Retreat Day at Beverly Hills – “Come, Follow Me”

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus and how can I grow as a disciple?

Join the Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia and the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation for a Discipleship Retreat Day, hosted by Regina Coeli Parish in Beverly Hills. Come and experience the love and mercy of Jesus, and enter more deeply into your own experience of being His disciple. The talks include: Making the most out of Mass, Prayer: How to Grow in your Relationship with Jesus, Breaking open Scripture, and A Cloud of Witnesses: Growing closer to Mary and the Saints. There will also be time for Adoration and the Sacrament of Confession.

Date and location: 26^th June at Regina Coeli Parish in Beverly Hills. The retreat will also be offered on 17^th July at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Fairfield.

Registration essential at www.gomakedisciples.org.au/cas-events/.

Cost: $10 per person, with light lunch included. All welcome!

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Love and Truth Retreat for Married Couples

The Emmanuel Community in Sydney is offering a retreat weekend for married couples. This is the first of three Love & Truth retreats that will provide you with an opportunity to be strengthened, nourished and renewed in your marriage by discovering anew Christ’s plan for you. The weekend will include talks, testimonies, prayer, sharing, and time with your spouse.

 

Date: Saturday 26^th-Sunday 27^th June 2021

Location: Mount Carmel Retreat Centre in Varroville

Cost: $200 per couple includes overnight accommodation and meals.

 

Register online at https://www.trybooking.com/BQDLQ. For more information contact Bernadette on 0423102066 or email emmanuelsydevents@gmail.com

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An invitation for everyone to join the discussion!

 https://www.stmichaelhurst.org.au/

Religious Education of our Children - What is being taught in our Catholic Schools? What is to be done?

 Speaker: John Kennedy

Convenor of the research & lobby group: New Perspectives for Catholic Education

Tuesday, 29 June 2021, 7.45 pm

In the Church of St Michael, Hurstville Parish

Questions will be entertained at the end of the presentation.

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Plenary Council Update

Parish Ambassadors are gathering on July 3.

How can you be involved in the Plenary Council?

·Pray the Plenary Prayer from Pentecost until the Assembly.

·Visit the Plenary Council website especially Fan the Flame site www.plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au/fantheflame.

·View the videos produced by the Sydney working group by Bishop Brady, Professor Sandy Lynch and Stephen Noone in response to the call from so many for spiritual formation https://www.sydneycatholic.org/about-us/plenary-council-2020/#Plenary-Council-Assembly-October-2021.

·Listen to the podcasts about the Plenary Council https://plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au/resources/listen/.

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A National Virtual Conference to Enliven Catholic Communities

This innovative conference, from 8 to 10 July 2021 will feature over 30 on-demand workshops with prominent national and international guest speakers, exploring areas such as best practice for RCIA, planning for mission and renewal and supporting pastoral care.

For more information, visit the conference website: www.aliveinthespirit.com.au.

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Raising Fathers Evenings

Three fantastic opportunities for dads to be inspired by powerful, personal testimonies from three of the authors of the new book, Raising Fathers. Studies clearly show that the religious participation of the father is the most influential predictor of whether children will commit to their faith.
All parents and guardians welcome. Visit www.sydneycatholic.org/raisingfathers.

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St Vincent Pallotti Scholarship Trust

The St Vincent Pallotti Scholarship Trust offers scholarships to enable lay people to further their understanding and skills in leadership/ministry or a specialised activity, such as promoting faith enhancement, social justice and pastoral care.

More information and Applications Forms are available on our website https://pallottine.org.au/scholarships/st-vincent-pallotti-scholarship-for-lay-ministry.html Closing Date 30 July 2021

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Parishes welcome to host ACBC Men’s Conference 31
July 2021

Parishes with men’s groups are invited to host the ACBC virtual men’s conference on Saturday 31 July 2021. Three video talks of around 30 minutes will be made available from leaders in Australian Catholic men’s ministry. On top of this parishes are encouraged to host Mass, Adoration, Reconciliation, small group
discussion and a meal. The Life, Marriage and Family team will provide an online registration portal.

Enquiries: chris.dasilva@sydneycatholic.org

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The 2021 Archdiocesan Marriage Preparation course, Of Life and Love, will be held on the following dates:

Saturday 14 August commencing at 10 am and then Thursday evenings 19, 26 August & 02 September 2021

To Book Online - https://www.trybooking.com/BMTLF

For further information, please contact - The Life, Marriage and Family team on (02) 9307 8480 or e-mail steven.buhagiar@sydneycatholic.org.

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Calling on writers!

Entry is now open for The Good Oil 2021 Writers’ Award, an initiative of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, which aims to support and encourage the development of emerging and published writers.  

Entrants are asked to draw inspiration from the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37).  

Entries close at midnight AEST on Sunday August 22.

For further information and to download the entry form and guidelines, visit https://www.goodsams.org.au/the-good-oil/the-good-oil-2021-writers-award/.

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Canice’s Kitchen School Sleepout

Have you ever had to sit in wet clothes with no way to get dry? This is one of the realities our homeless community face on a regular basis. This July, we are inviting young people to understand firsthand what sleeping rough means. Kids aged 12-18 years can pitch a tent, grab a sleeping and connect virtually via zoom, to learn from men and women who experienced homelessness as teenagers and then take part in a series of overnight challenges that mimic the realities of living on the street. Get your community involved today and make a difference in breaking the cycle of youth homelessness. For more information visit www.caniceskitchen.org

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JRS Appeal for Foodbank Donations

The Jesuit Refugee Service mobile food bank is a huge and growing operation. JRS are feeding over 900 people each week who have been excluded from Federal Government financial support and cannot return home. Their stocks of rice, pasta, oil, tuna, and long life milk are RUNNING LOW (see attachment for a full list of items needed). If you can donate these items they have drop off points at locations all over Sydney (see attached).In the absence of Federal Government support for people in need, we continue to need your help. Please visit: https://aus.jrs.net/en/foodbank/ and learn how you can support people who have no other means to buy these basics for their families. This short video also shows what happens to food donations that are made: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=293160638622911.

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Support for the House of Welcome

The House of Welcome works with people seeking asylum and refugees to provide critical casework, housing, employment, food bank and emergency living assistance. During COVID-19 the demand for financial assistance has risen. HoW has increased the Emergency Living Package program by 216% to respond to the amplified levels of distress and hardship amongst their clients. In the last few months House of Welcome has delivered emergency assistance and been able to support clients to maintain their tenancies and assisted those who have come to the centre homeless. There are a number of ways that you can help such as donating to the Emergency Relief Package or donate staple food items to the House of Welcome foodbank (see flyer for items needed).

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A new feature page appearing in The Catholic Weekly called OCCASIONS.
You can feature your Wedding, Birth, Engagement, Confirmation, First Holy Communion, Anniversary or Baptism.

 

DETAILS: Send a hi res image, details of the event, ie: names of participants, date, where it was held + 60 words about the occasion to personaloccasions@sydneycatholic.org