News and Events across the Diocese of Parramatta and beyond
Diocese of Parramatta Notices
Positions Vacant:
- Volunteers – Mamre Creche – CatholicCare
- Disability Support Workers (casual) – CatholicCare
- Parish Secretary (part-time) – St Madeleine Sophie Barat Parish, Kenthurst – Applications close 27 March.
More details at: parracatholic.org/employment
Catholic Outlook Magazine March Edition
Look out for copies of the next edition of the Catholic Outlook Magazine in your local Catholic Church, Catholic school or Catholic office from early March. Catholic Outlook is an A4 magazine published quarterly with a focus on Catholic faith formation, spirituality and a look at what is happening across the agencies and ministries of the Diocese of Parramatta.
CatholicCare Blacktown Neighbour Aid Volunteers Needed
Blacktown Neighbour Aid, a program with CatholicCare, is looking for volunteers to support our senior clients in the Blacktown area to remain living independently in their own home. If you feel you would like to make a positive difference to other’s lives in this way, please contact the Manager, Deb Woolacott on 0418 114 055 or email deb.woolacott@ccss.org.au.
Lalor Park Parish Wednesday Evening Devotions
St Bernadette’s Parish, Lalor Park, is hosting weekly devotions to Mary Immaculate and St Bernadette and Adoration of the Blessed Sacraments every Wednesday evening at 7pm, followed by Mass at 7.30pm. All are welcome. For more information, contact the parish office on (02) 9672 4037 or admin@stbernadetteslalorpark.org.au.
Upper Blue Mountains Parish Adoration Chapel
St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Parish in the Upper Blue Mountains has opened an Adoration Chapel at St Canice’s Church, Katoomba. If you would like further information or would like to sign up for a weekly hour of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, please call the parish office on (02) 4782 2804.
Nigerian Mass in Igbo
The Nigerian Catholic community come together to celebrate Mass every second and fourth Sundays of the month at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, 198 Old Prospect Road, Greystanes. For more information, please contact the parish office on (02) 9631 8135 or Stella Nwosu 0405 478 472.
CEDP High Support Learning Centres
Kirinari, located in Llandilo and Wiyanga, located in Dundas, are purpose built centres for learning that provide an inclusive education for students with a moderate intellectual disability and high support needs. If you have a child or know someone who would benefit from an alternate platform for learning in Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta, please phone (02) 9840 5689 for further information.
Bishop’s Good Samaritan Appeal
Help CatholicCare chaplains bring comfort, faith and hope to the sick and isolated. Your compassionate gifts and prayers will help CatholicCare chaplains provide spiritual, sacramental and emotional support in the footsteps of the Good Samaritan. Please give generously to the Bishop’s Good Samaritan Appeal – www.yourcatholicfoundation.org.au/appeal
Natural Fertility Services
Natural Fertility Services, Diocese of Parramatta offers couples a NATURAL option to plan their families. Natural Family Planning is for couples wanting to achieve & avoid pregnancy. It is suitable for couples at all stages of their life including those preparing for marriage, breastfeeding women, couples looking for an effective, natural option and wanting to cease contraception and peri-menopausal women. For more information or to book an appointment contact Catherine on 0400 427 605, catherine.bourne@parracatholic.org or visit www.parralmf.org.au.
Volunteers needed for new Life, Marriage and Family Office program
The Life Marriage & Family Office is looking for married couples to volunteer to undertake a free training course for a new program to be launched in the Diocese in late 2020. The Retrouvaille program aims to assist couples struggling in their marriage. An information meeting about the new program will be held on Tuesday 21 April at the Diocesan Ministry Centre, Blacktown from 7pm. For more information, expressions of interest or to RSVP to the information night, please contact Karin Abrams on (02) 8838 3460 or email lmf@parracatholic.org
Mamre House Relief Volunteer English Teachers
We are needing a few volunteer relief teachers to assist with our English classes for refugee women at CatholicCare Mamre House, St Marys. The classes are on Tuesday or Wednesdays from 10am to 2pm during school terms. There are about 8 women in each class and the lesson is prepared for the teacher. Experience teaching English is not essential. For more information, please contact Sr Janet on 0418 690 487.
CCD Gospel of Matthew Presentations: Starting 6 March
Each year, Confraternity of Christian Doctrine offers a series of presentations on the Gospel of the Year as part of Level 3 training of catechists. Dr Laurie Woods will present on the Gospel of Matthew for 5 Fridays starting on 6 March from 10am to 2pm at the Institute for Mission, Blacktown. All parishioners and friends are welcome. There is no cost but please contact Marree Collis on (02) 8838 3486 to register.
Catholic Youth Parramatta Safeguarding Series #1: 24 March
Catholic Youth Parramatta presents the first in a series of three safeguarding events in 2020, “Helping Youth Develop Safe & Healthy Relationships,” facilitated by Cathy McClellan. The session will be held on Tuesday 24 March in the Greenway Room, Fiddler Hotel, Rouse Hill from 6.30pm to 9pm, with a light dinner provided. Register at https://parracatholic.org/cyp-keeping-our-young-people-safe/
Upper Blue Mountains Parish Children’s Adoration: 28 and 29 March
The Upper Blue Mountains Parish will be hosting Eucharistic Adoration for Children information sessions at St Canice’s Church, Katoomba. The sessions will be held on 28 March from 8.30am to 9.30am and on 29 Mach from 9.15am to 10am, with a session for parents at 2pm. All children and parents are most welcome to attend. For more information, please contact the parish office on (02) 4782 2804.
Penrith Parish Divine Mercy Sunday Celebrations: 19 April
St Nicholas of Myra Parish, Penrith, is celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday on 19 April from 2.30pm. Festivities include the blessing of the Divine Mercy image, Stations of the Cross, Reconciliation and Divine Mercy Mass at 6pm. For more information, please contact the parish centre on (02) 4721 2509.
Kellyville Parish Divine Mercy Sunday Celebrations: 19 April
Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, Kellyville, is celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday on 19 April from 1pm. There will be a street procession with the Blessed Sacrament, and Veneration of the Relic of St Faustina. Mass will be celebrated at 3pm by Monsignor Cezar Echano. Images, banners and statues are welcome. For more information, please contact Steve Boland on 0405 206 695 or the parish office on (02) 9629 2595.
Pilgrimage with Fr Paul Marshall: 18 September – 11 October
Fr Paul Marshall, from Greystanes Parish, will be leading a pilgrimage stopping at Fatima, and Lourdes with visits to other sites of notable saints such as Teresa of Avila and Ignatius of Loyola in Spain, Therese of Lisieux and St Vincent de Paul in France, then to Padua, Florence, Assisi (being in Assisi for St Francis’ Feast Day on 4 October), Rome and return to Sydney on 11 October. For more information call Harvest 1800 819 156 or www.harvestjourneys.com Tour Code PV5120.
Other Notices
Positions Vacant
- Administration/Travel Assistant – Catholic Education Northern Territory, Darwin, NT – Applications close 4pm Monday 16 March
- Deputy Principal Secondary – Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Thamarrurr Catholic College, Port Keats – Wadeye, Northern Territory – Applications close 4pm Monday 16 March
- Education Officer – Early Years Literacy – Catholic Education Northern Territory, Darwin, NT – Applications close 4pm Wednesday 1 April
For more details, please visit www.ceont.catholic.edu.au/employment/current-vacancies/
Country Care Link Volunteers Needed
Open Support, a not-for profit, community service organisation is in need of volunteer drivers for their Country Care Link program, which is a transport service for regional NSW families, couples and individuals when in Sydney for medical appointments and hospital stays. For more information or to receive a volunteer information pack, please email volunteer@opensupport.org.au, call (02) 8382 6437 or visit www.opensupport.org.au.
Catholic Mission Camino 2020 Pilgrimages
Catholic Mission is organising two pilgrimages to walk the Camino Portugués (17 days) from 11 to 27 May 2020 and the Camino Francés (16 days) from 19 September to 5 October. Each pilgrimage will offer small groups lead by an experience guide. For more information, please contact Sr Veronica Rosier OP on 0451 387 906 or visit www.catholicmission.org.au/camino2020.
ACU Themes of the Plenary Council Lecture Series: March 2020
Australian Catholic University are hosting a series of lectures on the key themes of the Plenary Council 2020 during March. The lectures will be held in the Edmund Rice Building at its Strathfield Campus on each Wednesday through March. Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv and Fr Peter Williams will be guest lecturers. Cost for attendance is $60, or $100 with a certificate of accreditation. For more information and registration details, please visit www.acu.edu.au/short-courses-sydney
Sisters of the Holy Family Bible Sharing: 19 March
The Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth are inviting youth aged between 18 and 35 to join them for Bible sharing on Thursday 19 March from 7pm at Our Lady, Queen of Poland Convent, 116-132 Quakers Road, Marayong. To RSVP, please contact Sr Paula on 0449 656 406 or vocationscsfn@gmail.com.
Paul’s Letter to the Galatians Retreat: 20 – 26 March
St Mary’s Towers Retreat Centre, Douglas Park, NSW, is hosting a six-day retreat on St Paul’s Letter to the Galatians from 20 to 26 March. Fr Michael Fallon msc will lead retreatants through Paul’s life and what Jesus meant to Paul. A weekend option is available for 20 to 22 March. To RSVP, please contact (02) 4630 0233, email contact@towersretreat.org.au or visit www.towersretreat.org.au.
Men’s Prayer Weekend Retreat: 27 – 29 March
St Mary’s Towers Retreat Centre, Douglas Park, NSW, is hosting a men’s prayer weekend from 27 to 29 March. Paul White and Fr Thang Nguyen msc will reflect on scripture and modern writers regarding the interaction between trust and discernment in times of transition in our lives. To RSVP, please contact (02) 4630 0233, email contact@towersretreat.org.au or visit www.towersretreat.org.au.
Holy Hour for Vocations: 2 April
Families and youth aged 18 to 35 are invited to join the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth for their Holy Hour for Vocations on Thursday 2 April at 7pm at The Good Shepherd Parish, Plumpton. A meal will be served afterwards. To RSVP, please contact Sr Paula on 0449 656 406 or vocationscsfn@gmail.com.
National Association of Catholic Families Conference: 3 – 5 April
The National Association of Catholic Families is holding a weekend family conference and retreat from 3 to 5 April at The Collaroy Centre, Collaroy. This is an excellent means for Catholic families to connect with one another, extend their formation in their vocation and partake in collective prayer, Adoration and reparation for families nationwide. To register by 13 March 2020, visit www.trybooking.com/BHPPT, and for more information, please contact Mary Clare Meney on 0435 496 624.
Schoenstatt Family Groups Information Day: 5 April
You are invited to attend a Schoenstatt Family Groups information day on 5 April at Mt Schoenstatt, Mulgoa from 11am to 2.30pm. A family group is made up of 4-8 families who journey together as a small community, where couples support one another while their children make friends with other children in a faith-filled environment. For more information and to RSVP, please contact Bernard on 0416 106 871 or families@schoenstatt.org
Mt Schoenstatt Stations of the Cross: 10 April
All are welcome to participate in the Good Friday Stations of the Cross at Mt Schoenstatt, Mulgoa, on 10 April from 10am. Join fellow Catholics to walk the Stations of the Cross from the Valley to the Shrine. For more information, please contact the Centre on (02) 4773 8338, info@schoenstatt.org or visit www.schoenstatt.org.au
A Weekend of Poetry and Religion: 17 – 19 April
Fr Dom Carrigan CSsR invites retreatants to bring their religious poems to share with others, in the spirit of Les Murray’s poem ‘Poetry and Religion’. St Clement’s Retreat Centre, Kalangan Rd, Galong, NSW, from 17 to 19 April. Ensuite room $300, room with shared facilities $260. For enquiries and bookings, please contact info@stclement.com.au.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter Marriage Enrichment Weekend: 17 – 19 April
The Worldwide Marriage Encounter are hosting a Marriage Enrichment Weekend from 17 to 19 April at the Mt Carmel Retreat Centre, Varroville, NSW. Take the time to step back from everyday distractions and rediscover your relationship. Book online at www.wwme.org.au or contact Adrian and Janet on 0490 774 419 or adrian.janet1@bigpond.com
BBI-TAITE Women as Church Conference: 29 April – 1 May
BBI-TAITE invites you to the Women as Church Conference from 29 April to 1 May at St Joseph’s Retreat Centre, Baulkham Hills. How can contemporary Catholics open new spaces, explore new frameworks and renew their calling to engage in ministry as a ‘discipleship of equals’ where women and men all participate and are equally valued? Early Bird tickets end 29 February. For more information, contact Belinda Srour on (02) 9847 0030 or visit https://www.bbi.catholic.edu.au/courses-conferences/women-as-church-conference/
Healing after Abortion Retreat: 1 – 3 May
Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries, Sydney offers healing retreats for those who have experienced an abortion. The next retreat, held from 1 to 3 May, offers a sanctuary in which to renew, rebuild and redeem hearts broken by abortion in a safe, supportive, confidential and non-judgmental environment. Information and a brochure can found at www.rachelsvineyard.org.au or call us on our confidential voicemail number 0400 092 555 or email info@rachelsvineyard.org.au.
For more events please go to: parracatholic.org/events
Please note, some of these notices have been provided to the Diocese of Parramatta, with the request they be made available to parishes and parishioners. The Diocese of Parramatta makes these notices available for information purposes only and does not expressly endorse any of this material, unless otherwise specified. The Diocese of Parramatta cannot be held responsible for any inaccurate or defamatory content.
