Mass for World Day of the Sick on 11 February

An acknowledgment of carers and those for whom they care.
The Mass will include the Sacramental Rite of Anointing of the Sick and Prayers for Healing.

The annual Mass for World Day of the Sick will be celebrated in the Diocese of Parramatta on 11 February 2016, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, at 10.30am in St Patrick’s Church at Blacktown.

The Mass will be an acknowledgment of carers and those for whom they care and will include the Sacramental Rite of Anointing of the Sick and Prayers for Healing.

Photos: Diocese of Parramatta/Alfred Boudib.

Photos: Diocese of Parramatta/Alfred Boudib.

In his message for this year’s World Day of the Sick, Pope Francis says illness, above all grave illness, always places human existence in crisis and brings with it questions that dig deep.

“Our first response may at times be one of rebellion: Why has this happened to me? We can feel desperate, thinking that all is lost, that things no longer have meaning,” the Holy Father says.

“In these situations, faith in God is on the one hand tested, yet at the same time can reveal all of its positive resources. Not because faith makes illness, pain, or the questions which they raise, disappear, but because it offers a key by which we can discover the deepest meaning of what we are experiencing; a key that helps us to see how illness can be the way to draw nearer to Jesus who walks at our side, weighed down by the Cross. And this key is given to us by Mary, our Mother, who has known this way at first hand.”

Pastoral Care Course

Catholic Pastoral Care volunteers and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist visit hospitals throughout the Diocese of Parramatta, providing comfort and care to Catholic patients and others. Many of our volunteers have been committed to this ministry for years. Would you like to join the team?

If you are a person who loves practical learning, gathering with like-minded people and meeting new friends, this course is for you. You can make a very real difference, while earning a recognised qualification.

The NSW Department of Health, recognising the importance of this ministry, asks that prospective volunteers undertake 40 hours of training in order to minister to those in public hospitals. At present, this is the only 40-hour course officially endorsed by the Civil Chaplaincies Advisory Committee and the Diocese of Parramatta

The course is open to those who already volunteer in a hospital context, those who might be deciding if they are suited to this ministry or anyone who just wants to improve their life skills. The first step for each participant is to speak with their Parish Priest and have him complete a letter of recommendation. A template can be provided.

The program is organised by Ms Joy Bowen, a hospital Liaison Manager who has worked for more than 15 years in chaplaincy, including as a full-time chaplain at Westmead Adults Hospital and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in Western Sydney. The course is offered over five evenings and is complemented by written tasks and course readings.

For further information, please call Joy on 044 88 22 625. To register for the program, please send an email to JBowen@parra.catholic.org.au

Course dates for 2016

Five Mondays: 4, 11 and 18 April, 2 and 9 May 2016.

Time: 7pm-9.30pm.

Cost: $A50.00.

Venue: St Nicholas of Myra Parish Meeting Room, 326 High Street, Penrith.

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