Image used with permission of artist Paul Newton 

Home    About Us    Contact Us    Mass Times    Marriage    Baptism    Memorial    Becoming Catholic   
Priest-Brother-Sister    Youth    St Joseph's   
 St John's   Salesian    Good Shepherd    Links

 


See lower far right column for options 


2023 Newsletter
Aug 5-6 + Readings
Aug 12-13 + Readings



 Cộng Đoàn Thánh Gioan Hoan - Collingwood
Thanksgiving ways

... or direct debit BSB 083-347 Account 16647 1224
or credit card or envelope.
25% tax deductible


Today's Mass Scripture
Today's Morning Prayer
2023 Liturgical Calendar


News & Stories
Cathedral Daily Mass


Diocese Youth Site

 


August 2023     
6 Transfiguration,
Vocations Awareness Week
8 Mary MacKillop
10 Lawrence
13 Sun 19A
17 Assumption, Mary Glowrey Museum visit
20 Sun 20A
24 Bartholomew
27 Sun 21A,
Fr Peter Varengo 50th Anniversary 11am
29 Passion of John Baptist

September 2023
3 Sun 22A
8 Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary
10 Sun 23A
14 Exultation of the Cross
15 Our Lady of Sorrows
17 Sun 24A
21 Matthew
24 Sun 25A
27 Vincent de Paul
29 Michael, Gabriel, Raphael

October 2023
1 Sun 26
2 Guardian Angels
3 9.15am School and Parish Mass with special school activities to follow
4 Francis Asisi
8 Sun 27A,
St John's Church Centenary of Consecration Celebration Mass, History book launch and parish celebration

Samoan Mass 12.30 4th Sundays


Sacramental Reception
Baptism :
Second and fourth Sundays of the month at 12 noon (email the office to book)
Marriage:
by appointment
Reconciliation:
approach a priest before Mass
First Communion and Confirmation:
Preparation for this is conducted in our two schools; we also offer this preparation to State School children. Email our office at office@olsc.org.au for further information.


Our Parish Priest   
Fr Anthony Dung Ngoc Nguyen SDB PP 
The mobile phone is available anytime via text. In case of an emergency a call can be made. 0424 376 193
A word from Fr Anthony
If a parishioner would like to have a pastoral visit
from the Parish priest, or a priest, or a seminarian, or
a co-parishioner, kindly leave a message to the office
or to my cell phone number: 0424 376 193.
 


Assistant Parish Priest
Fr Peter Varengo SDB

Help bring St John's history to life
If you have any photographs, publications or personal memories that can bring St John’s Story (since
1864) to life, then your help is needed and appreciated.
For more information, please ring John Andrews, care of the office on 9481 7333 or email to
collclift@hotmail.com
 
          
Just a gentle reminder that two dates are important for our
Centenary of the Consecration of the
church of St. John the Baptist:
#
3 October: 9.15am School and Parish Mass with
special school activities to follow.
#
8 October: Celebration Mass, History book launch
and parish celebration
Please keep these dates free to join in our commemoration and celebration. More information to follow.

IS YOUR FAMILY THE FIRST CATHOLIC FAMILY AT ST. JOHN’S? Our Denton family descendant, Julia Manickam tells me her family arrived in Fitzroy in 1884 and bought the site at 151 McKean Street in 1886, building Dentonville in 1887. Does anyone have an earlier connection with the Clifton Hill-North Fitzroy area or St John’s? If so, can you please let Joan know at the office on office@olsc.org.au

Consecration Centenary
Where was the original site for St. John’s? When land was set aside by the colonial government St. John’s was to be built near the corner of High Street and Cunningham Street. ‘Careful’ negotiations saw it moved to the present and higher point.




Whose heads
are above the arches? At the end of each arch of the central nave and the east and west aisles of the church are heads. Whose heads are these? Watch this space.

Did you know?

Who were Thomas and Elizabeth Verga?
On either side of the entrance to the side chapel,
the Lady Chapel are two brass plaques, one to each
of Thomas and Elizabeth Verga. To find the answer
to the question, take the time to read these two
plaques. Where else in the church might you find
reminders of these two people?

Consecration Centenary Corner
Where did our stained glass windows come from?
Most are locally made but a significant number
(8) came from Birmingham where they were created by stained glass makers, John Hardman and
Company. Can you tell the difference? When published, the new history of St. John’s will give you the
answers.


 
Support
lifeline.org.au   13 11 14
BeyondBlue.org.au  1300 22 46 36
Defence Family Helpline  1800 624 608
Open Arms  1800 011 046
SANE Helpline  1800 18 SANE (7263)
Domestic Violence  1800 RESPECT (737 732)
Vic Statewide Suicide helpline  1300 651 251
Mensline Australia  1300 789 978
Drug info. to your mobile phone 0439 TELL ME
CrimeStoppers  1800 333 000
Suicide Helpline Victoria  1300 651 251
parentsbeyondbreakup.com  1800 853 437
Where homeless people might go for help ...
* Ozanam House in North Melbourne
* Mary House of Welcome in Fitzroy
* Jesuit Social Services in Richmond
* Margaret Oats Van, corner of Smith and Stanley Streets (near Safeway) in Collingwood.
For further information on where people can get free meals contact Joan in the office on 9481 7333.


At Our Lady of the Southern Cross, we hold the care, safety and wellbeing of children and young people as a central and fundamental responsibility of our parish.
We acknowledge that we are meeting on the traditional land of the Wurundjeri people and offer our respects to the elders past, present and future. We recognise and respect the cultural heritage of this land.


 

Parish of Our Lady of the Southern Cross
St John the Baptist, Clifton Hill - St Joseph's, Collingwood

Webmaster will be overseas for six weeks from  August 19 and will resume updating this page from 4 Oct 2023

Gospel/Scripture Reflection 2023

 Sunday 19A - Aug 13 

    See Fr Anthony's reflection below 

 Sunday 20A - Aug 20 

Knowing about Jesus’ debate with the Pharisees helps us to understand today’s Gospel. In fact the story heightens the surprise and shock we feel as we hear Jesus’ exchange with the Canaanite woman. The woman, who is not Jewish, approaches Jesus, requesting that he heal her demon-possessed daughter. At first Jesus ignores her; he says nothing. The disciples ask Jesus to send her away, and Jesus agrees, remarking that he was sent to minister to the Jews alone.
The woman persists, paying homage to Jesus, and yet Jesus denies her request again. He even insults her, using a Jewish word of derision for Gentiles, “dog.” But the woman cleverly turns Jesus’ insult into an affirmation of faith. Only then does Jesus grant her request and heal her daughter.   < Read on>  

Audio Gospel Reflections -  Fr Frank Moloney SDB




Aug 13


Aug 20







Sunday Cinema
Online Viewing
for this Week's Liturgy

[Updated Aug 12]

Fr Anthony’s Message
Dear brothers and sisters,
I wish you and your family a blessed Sunday. Today is the final day of our National Vocations Awareness
Week. It is providential that we hear the account of Jesus breaking five loaves [and two fish] and then
giving them to his disciples, who in turn distributing to people. I be lieve this is the true meaning of all
vocations in the Church, namely, we are called to give to one another what God has blessed and handed to us.
Allow me to firstly focus on Jesus, who, for the
sake of the crowds, had postponed his time of solitude
to feed them. Now, at last, when everything is done, he
finds some time for quiet and prayer. He sends his
disciples ahead of him by boat, dismisses the crowds,
and then withdraws to the mountain to pray. This
calls us to pay attention to our time for quiet and
prayer; to our time for being alone with ourselves and
with God; to be alone with our loved ones and to what
is most important in our life.
Dear brothers and sisters, time for quiet and prayer is important when we struggle to weather the wind and waves, making little progress in our journey like the twelve. It is here that we are reminded of a previous story in Chapter 8 of Matthew’s Gospel, when Jesus calms the seas. This time, however, Jesus does not calm the seas, and the disciples do not express
fear until they see Jesus walking toward them on the water. In this story it is not the storm that is feared but the sight of Jesus before them, whom they mistake for a ghost. While the disciples confused, Jesus calls
them and calms their fears. He is not a ghost. The impulsive Peter seeks proof that the person is indeed Jesus. He asks Jesus to call him out onto the water, and Jesus grants this request. Peter’s fear and doubt overtake him, however, once he is walking on the water. Jesus reaches out to Peter and saves him. When Jesus and Peter enter the boat, Mat thew reports that the wind ceases, and the disciples confess that Jesus is the Son of God.
In the last analysis, this Sunday’s Gospel calls us to
faith in Jesus. This is the faith that enables us to do the
work that Jesus has done: to walk on water, to feed a
multitude of people. However, we need to learn from
Peter that when he fears and doubts the person of
Jesus, he falters. Peter’s example teaches us that true
Christian ministry emerges from the faith that Jesus is
the Messiah, God’s only Son.

National Vocations Awareness Week
Please pray for our priests today in thanksgiving for their ministry and presence in our community. Please pray for the religious who do so much in pastoral care, education, health care and many other ministries. Pray also that the saints may inspire many vocations to consecrated life and priesthood, especially from our community.

Mary Glowrey Museum visit [see articles below]
Following the recent article in the parish bulletin about the nearby Mary Glowrey Museum
https://maryglowreymuseum.info, a number of
parishioners have expressed interest in visiting the
Museum and learning more about Sr Dr Mary Glowrey JMJ, whose cause for canonisation is being promoted.
The Museum is located at 20 Brunswick Street,
Fitzroy, on the second floor of Cathedral Hall. The
planned visit is on Thursday, 17 August at 10 –
11.30am.

Those intending to participate are asked to
advise the Parish office: collclift@hotmail.com The
outing is no charge, but bookings are essential.
Participants will gather to commence the Museum
visit at 9.50am in front of Cathedral Hall. Trams 11
and 86 both stop on the corner of Brunswick and
Gertrude Streets which is two minutes walk from
the Museum. Gabrielle.


Fr Peter Varengo will be celebrating his 50th year of priesthood on Sunday, 27th August at our 11am Mass. Please join us for Mass and refreshments afterwards. All welcome !!


A working Bee
is being held on Saturday, 19th August
starting at 10 am
at St John’s. Please help us clean the
church.

A very warm thank you to Madeline and Barry again for their generous availability of a skip for St Joseph’s working bee. Thank you most sincerely.

PHOTOGRAPHER(S) WANTED
Are there any budding photographers out there who would like to have their work immortalised? If so, could you please offer your services to record the Celebration of the Consecration of our church, St John the Baptist on Sunday 8 October. Digital images are fine. History will be indebted to you. Please let Joan at the parish office know. John Andrews

Parish Pastoral Council
Greetings and a quick update from the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC). We have met twice this year and our initial focus was on how we work together as a new team and defining our operating model under the Instruction "The pastoral conversion of the Parish community in the service of the evangelising mission of the Church", of the Congregation for the Clergy, 20.07.2020, Rome. Closer to home, we are excited about being involved in a number of upcoming activities, including:
   • Working with the Planning Committee for the Parish Centenary of Consecration and representatives across all community groups to make October a very special month of celebrations, particularly, our combined mass on 8 Oct. We will be looking for volunteers to help with the celebrations, including greeters, singers, musicians and readers. Please email the office if you would like to be involved.
   • Working Bee on Sat 19 August from 10am – Please come and join us and the Samoan Community to spruce up our church and hall.
  • Finalising the Vision and Mission Statement – many of you have been involved in the discussions and drafting of the Parish Vision & Mission Statement – coordinated by our very own John Andrews. There is a copy of the statement at the back of the church for your review before it goes live mid-August. We will keep you posted with other Parish activities including the return of our Parish Fun Night!! We would also love to hear your ideas on how we could enrich our parish life. Quyen Pham-Nguyen.



Online training program for Ministers of the Word
The Archdiocese is running another "online training program for Ministers of the Word starting 16 August". The link is https://www.acu.edu.au/about-acu/institutes-academies-and-centres/acu-centre-for-liturgy/pastoral-training

Parishioners’ Column

We recently celebrated the birthday of Sr Dr Mary Glowrey JMJ, an Australian woman whose cause for canonisation is being promoted – she was born on 23 June 1887 in Birregurra near Colac. Before leaving

Melbourne in 1920 to spend 37 years in India serving the sick poor, she worked in our neighbourhood, both at
St Vincent’s Hospital and the Eye and Ear Hospital. In 1916 she was the founding President of the Catholic Women’s Social Guild, now the Catholic Women’s League Victoria and Wagga Wagga. During the years of World War I, Mary both advocated for social reforms and actively served the disadvantaged in Fitzroy and Collingwood.
Her Indian legacy includes the Catholic Health
Association of India (CHAI), which she founded in
1943 and whose members today care for at least 21
million people annually. Mary Glowrey's cause for
canonisation opened in 2010 and she has been declared a Servant of God.

Some years ago, a museum in her honour was
established on the top floor of Cathedral Hall in
Brunswick Street, which is now part of Australian
Catholic University. Here is a link to the Museum
website: https://maryglowreymuseum.info/, which
provides information about Mary’s remarkable life.
On her birthday this year, the Museum launched
the Mary Glowrey Circle which will both promote
her cause and seek to preserve and catalogue her
extensive correspondence and other artefacts.
Given the location of the Mary Glowrey Museum in our precinct, perhaps we could organise a parish visit. I would be happy to arrange that.
Gabrielle McMullen







There are several avenues in which Mass can be viewed.

1.  EWTN provides Masses every day at 8am and many other quality programs about the Catholic faith. the EWTN App can be downloaded to your phone or iPad. It has continuous live streaming of programs. These include news, interviews, children's and teenager's programs and more. Access the EWTN schedule at https://www.ewtn.com/tv/
schedule/asia-pacific
or on the EWTN App go to "Program Schedules" then "Pacific Rim".

2Daily streaming of Masses at St Patrick's Cathedral https://www.youtube.com/
user/archmelb


The 11am Sunday Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral will continue to be televised free to air on
C31 (often listed as Channel 44 on digital TVs)


3. Mass for You at Home
6.00-6.30am Sundays or catch up on 10 Play Freeview [need to sign up!]





 Returned to the Father 
Condolences: We pray for the families and souls of
those who have departed recently: especially for
(Enis) Dorina De Rango whose funeral is scheduled for tomorrow (Monday) at St John’s starting at 10 am. Both Dorina and Attilio have been parishioners at St John’s for many, many years. It is sad when we lose our dear friends

Anniversaries:

Enrico Di Blasio
   
 We remember ... 
Prayers for healing:
Ian Armstrong,
Matt Kennedy,
Lorena Ferri,
Tony Addamo,
Betty Croker,
Attilio De Rango,
Teresa Boetti,
 Fr Chris Riley,
Cecily Hollingworth,
Mario Misurelli,
Julia O’Malley.
Please let us know if the office can help in any way.