*
6pm Mass on Saturdays at St John’s is back !!
* Weekday Masses at St John’s : 9:15 am
CTC 2020 Study options
The Parish and Pastoral Ministry in a New Environment
The parish of the future will be built on the missionary
crea-tivity of people and priests working together in a changed
social and ecclesial environment.
Fr Brendan Reed, author of Engaging with the Hopes of Parishes,
will be teaching this new unit in 2020. This intensive unit will
be beneficial for anyone involved in parish life, parish
councils, parish teams and parish ministry. It will be
particularly of use to those wishing to engage in parish life in
light of the 2020 Plenary Council. 12, 14, 19 March; 30 April;
2, 23 May + online learning (12 hours equivalent)
Sacramental Studies
Janice O’Rourke and Jenny Perry wish to announce that
their Sacramental Studies Group will again be meeting at the
rear of St John’s (in O’Connell Hall, entry from Hodgkinson
Street) on Tuesdays commencing on 11th February, between 4 and
5pm. All welcome.
Shrove Tuesday
Vivienne Sullivan and parishioners at St Euphrasia’s are
hosting a Shrove Tuesday celebration again this year on 25th
February starting at 6pm at St Joseph's, Collingwood.
St Euphrasia parishioners are happy to provide the pancakes and
just ask that people bring a topping and/or a plate of something
sweet/savoury to share. Everyone most welcome.
Did you know ??
Thomas Edmund Verga of Queens Parade was an early
activist for and generous benefactor of our church. You can see
memorial plaques to him and his wife on the eastern side of the
church. His business was printing and stationery. Unfortunately
Thomas died aged 77 years from a motor car accident in
Heidelberg Road.
History of St John’s Church
HELP BRING ST JOHN’S HISTORY TO LIFE
If you have any photographs, publications or personal memo-ries
that can bring St John’s Story (since 1864) to life, then your
help is needed and appreciated. For more information, please see
the take-away notice at the back of the church.
A message from Fr Martin ...
Last Thursday Jennifer Jacobs-Vandegeer and I started the
RCIA process in our parish for the first time. RCIA is a process
where those interested in becoming Catholic or to explore their
faith come together to begin this journey. The group was made up
of those who wanted to further nurture their faith, and some
were there as supporters. We spent the session introducing the
process and spent much of the time getting to know each other
and our journey thus far. When nurturing our faith, or starting
afresh it can be challenging, overwhelming, insightful and a
life changing event. It needs to be a safe environment where all
are accepted and respected. Can I invite you to pray for these
people as they journey through this process and ask the Holy
Spirit to be with them, giving them courage, wisdom and faith.
One Sunday in the near
future we will present the candidates as part of their
connection to the parish. Everything being well, they will be
fully received into the church at the Easter Vigil Mass at St
John’s this year.
Last week we also began the Foodbank Ministry at St Joseph’s in
Collingwood. Thanks to Sr Zita for her continual drive to keep
helping those in need and thanks to all her many volunteers who
assist her. If anyone in the parish or if you know of someone
who has some spare time and would like to get involved in
Foodbank please let me know.
Finally, I attended Mercy place in Abbotsford and TLC Clifton
Views for the sacraments of anointing and communion. Let us
continually pray for those in our community who are elderly,
infirm and who are not so mobile to receive they need to live a
quality life in the midst of their struggles.
Have a great week Fr Martin
2020 Feast Day Youth Festival
All are invited to the annual Feast of Don Bosco’s Youth
Festival at St John’s Church on Sunday February 9th, begin-ning
with 10.30 am youth mass and will be followed by a festival in
the schoolyard behind the church.
We'll have awesome food trucks from Biggie Smalls and Sliders On
Tyres providing all attendees with a free lunch! Please register
via our web page to ensure that we have enough yummy food for
everyone—www.salesians.org.au/feastday.
Please bring some cash along to buy raffle tickets on the day.
All proceeds from the raffle will be donated to one of our
Salesian high schools in Victoria, Nagle College, Bairnsdale.
Many of the staff and students have been affected by the
bushfires and we want to extend any support we can to help our
Salesian sisters and brothers at this really difficult time.
