Welcome to our first newsletter for 2022. As a community of faith we begin our parish year with hope and confidence that the God who has walked with us in the past will continue to accompany us this year too. The Scripture readings for this weekend remind us that God has called and chosen each one of us, from before our birth, to make us witnesses to God’s love for the world. St Paul will remind us that there are things that last: faith hope and love; and the greatest of these is love! So I encourage each of us to take up these words and begin the year with faith, hope and love. For a parish community the preeminent way that we do this is when we gather together to celebrate Eucharist. From the Eucharist flows our outreach activities as we witness to the love of God for all.
One of the priorities for our parishes this year will be the care of the sick and elderly. The Royal Commission into Aged Care threw a spotlight on the hardships that many of the elderly face in our communities as they age and experience decline in health. We have many parishioners living in our community in Aged Care and we have a significant number who are housebound. Together we have an opportunity to make their lives better and to allow them to experience the hope and love to which we are called. If you would like to be involved in any of our ministries to the sick and elderly please contact Tricia Norman at the Parish Office. We will be able to connect you to one of the many Aged Care facilities in our parishes or to someone in your own neighbourhood who is housebound. Thanks to many of you who already undertake this ministry.
This week our three parish schools will commence for the year. We welcome back all our staff and students and look forward to engaging with them and hearing about their learning and their development this year. We welcome back our principals Frank Dame, Surrey Hills; Annie Engellenner, Wattle Park; and a special welcome to our new Deepdene Principal, Erin McDonald. We look forward to hearing from our school communities throughout the year. Another priority for our parishes this year will be connecting to our schools and the families which attend them. Our parish community is enriched by the life and activities of our schools and we will be exploring some of the ways that we can support and learn from each other this year. Please keep our school communities in your thoughts and prayers as they start the year.
Our parishes themselves will continue the partnership journey this year. 2022 marks the third year of partnership for Camberwell, Deepdene & Balwyn and Surrey Hills Wattle Park. During this year we will continue on our pathway to establishing a new combined Parish Council and the new ministry of Parish Life Teams at each of our Churches. Our Parish Team is now working across all three parishes and are based in the Parish Office located at 19 Brenbeal Street, Balwyn. Please feel free to make contact with us and to engage with this year’s activities as they emerge.
I look forward to seeing many of you at the official Opening of the Parish Year on the weekend of 19 and 20 February.
19 Brenbeal Street, Balwyn VIC 3103
Telephone: 03 9816 9291
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours:
Tue - Fri 9:00am – 5:00pm
David Rush says:
With my very best wishes to Fr Brendan for the year ahead