PARISH OF ST. THERESE, DENISTONE

Presbytery and Office

8 Inkerman Rd, Denistone 2114 Tel: 9809 2925, Fax 9809 5546

Website: www.sttherese.org.au

Parish Priest: Fr Roberto Castillo

Parish Secretary: Gayle White admin@sttherese.org.au

Office hours Tues-Fri 9am-3pm St Therese’s School

448 Blaxland Rd, Denistone 2114 (02) 9874 0412

School Principal: Mr Adam Nolan

MASS TIMES:

SATURDAY VIGIL: 6:00 pm.

SUNDAY: 8:00 am and 9:30 am.

MONDAY: No Mass.

TUESDAY: 8am Mass.

WEDNESDAY through to SATURDAY: 9.00 am Mass.

FRIDAY: 9.00 am Mass.

Exposition & Benediction every Friday after Mass.

RECONCILIATION Saturday 5pm – 5.45pm or by appointment.

Baptism: Every Sunday at 11am or 11.30am. Please contact Parish Office.

Marriage: By appointment.

Anointing of the sick: Please give names to Father Roberto Castillo.

19th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (Year A)

12th / 13th August 2017

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON: Look to your covenant, O Lord, and forget not the life of your poor ones for ever. Arise, O God, and defend your cause, and forget not the cries of those who seek you.

FIRST READING: 1 Kings 19:9. 11-13

A reading from the first book of the Kings

Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord God.

When Elijah reached Horeb, the mountain of God, he went into the cave and spent the night in it. Then he was told, 'Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.' Then the Lord himself went by. There came a mighty wind, so strong it tore the mountains and

shattered the rocks before the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there came the sound of a gentle breeze. And when Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Ps 84:9-14

RESPONSE: Lord, show us your mercy and love, and grant us your salvation.

I will hear what the Lord God has to say, a voice that speaks of peace. His help is near for those who fear him and his glory will dwell in our land. Response.

Mercy and faithfulness have met; justice and peace have embraced. Faithfulness shall spring from the earth and justice look down from heaven. Response.

The Lord will make us prosper and our earth shall yield its fruit. Justice shall march before him and peace shall follow his steps. Response.

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SECOND READING: Romans 9:1-5

A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans

I would willingly be condemned if it could help my people.

What I want to say is no pretence; I say it in union with Christ - it is the truth - my conscience in union with the Holy Spirit assures me of it too. What I want to say is this: my sorrow is so great, my mental anguish so endless, I would willingly be condemned and be cut off from Christ if it could help my brothers of Israel, my own flesh and blood. They were adopted as sons, they were given the glory and the covenants; the Law and the ritual were drawn up for them, and the promises were made to them. They are descended from the patriarchs and from their flesh and blood came Christ who is above all, God for ever blessed! Amen.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: Ps 129:5 Alleluia, alleluia! I hope in the Lord, I trust in his word. Alleluia

GOSPEL: Matthew 14:22-33

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Command me to come to you over the water.

Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he would send the crowds away. After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, while the boat, by now far out on the lake, was battling with a heavy sea, for there was a head-wind. In the fourth watch of the night he went towards them, walking on the lake, and when the disciples saw him walking on the lake they were terrified. 'It is a ghost' they said, and cried out in fear. But at once Jesus called out to them, saying 'Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.' It was Peter who answered. 'Lord', he said 'if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.' 'Come' said Jesus. Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water, but as soon as he felt the force of the wind, he took fright and began to sink. 'Lord! Save me!' he cried. Jesus put out his hand at once and

held him. 'Man of little faith,' he said 'why did you doubt?' And as they got into the boat the wind dropped. The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, 'Truly, you are the Son of God.'

The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

COMMUNION ANTIPHON: O Jerusalem, glorify the Lord, who gives you your fill of finest wheat.

READINGS FOR NEXT WEEK: Is 56: 1, 6-7;

Rom 11: 13-15, 29-32; Mt 15: 21-28.

Parish Council Meeting update Discussion at the August Parish Council meeting included the following: Finances – No unusual expenses for the month. School – The trivia night was a great success.

Youth – the monthly Family Mass continues each month - Year 2 were scheduled for the August Sunday. Parish activities – plans for celebrations of the Feast of St Therese with the school are in progress. The parish luncheon will occur again this year and will be in November. Liturgy – weekend 12/13 August will include special prayers for the 100th anniversary of the Apparitions at Fatima. There will be extra 7.30pm Mass on the Assumption.

THIS WEEKEND 12 / 13 AUG 2017

19TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME SATURDAY 6.00PM SUNDAY 8.00AM SUNDAY 9.30AM

Acolyte T DABBAH D ELLIS (M&H) J RAPER (M&C)

Minister of HC J KEYSER A BOURONCLE P CRONIN

Minister of HC VOLUNTEER J KWONG J PERERA

Reader ROBERTO BLASSONATO

B CLARK

CATHERINE D’HEUREUX

P TREACY N BRIERLEY

Wardens P BURGE VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEER

Offertory TALIA GREGO & JAKE IEMMA VOLUNTEER FAMILY D BRENNAN

Projection T MORFUNI S PERERA

Altar Servers GROUP 2: CAITLIN & EMMA

TEIXEIRA NO ROSTERED GROUP GROUP 6: TAMPOE FAMILY

Welcomers A CHAN D BRENNAN

Counters Group 5: P HO F HO A STANTON

Altar Flowers N HAHN AUGUST ALTAR LINEN: MIRA SAVIC

NEXT WEEKEND 19 / 20 AUG 2017

20TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME SATURDAY 6.00PM SUNDAY 8.00AM SUNDAY 9.30AM

Acolyte J RAPER T DABBAH (M&H) K GLEESON

Minister of HC J KEYSER S DIMICHIEL P CRONIN

Minister of HC B CLARK VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEER

Reader T DABBAH M PEARCE / S JAYAMANNE H VAZ

Wardens L SEETO VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEER

Offertory DABBAH FAMILY VOLUNTEER FAMILY VOLUNTEERS

Projection A PLEADIN NO MUSIC

Altar Servers

GROUP 3: FELIX WATSON,

MATTIA BARGONE & JAKE

ARICO

NO ROSTERED GROUP

GROUP 7: SUCCAR FAMILY

Welcomers A CHAN D BRENNAN

Counters Group 6: C BRERETON S RATH P BRODERICK

Altar Flowers A NAGANATHAN AUGUST ALTAR LINEN: MIRA SAVIC

PARISH NEWS & NOTICES: Request for Mass and Prayers Recently deceased: Kathleen Hayman (funeral will be held at St Therese Denistone on Thursday the 17th August at 11am), Denis Petrich, John Khoury, Tony Daher, Shirley Khoury, Salvatore

Giglio, Sergio Cugola and Sam Gerardis. Pray also for the souls of: Garry Wooden and Marie Santamaria

Planned Giving Envelopes and tax receipts for 2016 / 2017 There are still some Planned Giving Envelopes and receipts waiting to be collected. Please pick them up ASAP and also take note that there was a period of six months when no tax deductibility was available but we kept recording your donations.

The Apostolate of Renewal Talks. Rejoice! Be filled with the joy of the Gospel. The Gospel allows you to know the real Jesus, it lets you know the living Jesus: it speaks to your heart and changes your life. The Apostolate of Renewal is a New Evangelisation movement in the Catholic Church. We invite you to a gradual discovery of the whole of the Church’s two thousand year tradition. A series of initiation talks will be held every Friday commencing 18th August from 7 p.m. to 8.15 p.m. at the St Therese Church, Denistone.

Children’s Mass colouring worksheets Parents, don’t forget that we have some activity sheets that relate to the Gospel of the week. Please feel free to take a page and some textas at the beginning of Mass and help your children to start the activity.

HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION

Tuesday the 15th August 2017. Masses will be celebrated at 11.30am &

7.30pm.

This is when we celebrate our Holy Mother, having completed her course of earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory. This is the only day of obligation in Australia dedicated to celebrate the Mother of God and the Mother of the Church. I hope you all will fulfil this obligation with great love for her. Even though it is a day of obligation, don’t come only because of that. Come because you want to honour your heavenly mother in the same way we honour our mothers here on this earth. We are called to honour the one who gave us Jesus our saviour, the one who intercedes for us and the one who continues to bless us in so many different ways. Please come along and make sure we all venerate the Virgin Mary.

Confirmation at St Therese. CONFIRMATION PROGRAM SESSIONS continue this week on Wednesday the 16th August in the Early Learning Centre at 7pm. You are also reminded about the Rehearsal on Saturday the 19th August at 3.30pm in the church. Please be prompt. Confirmation is on the 20th August at 11.15am with Bishop Richard Umbers. All parishioners are welcome to attend.

Catholic Weekly is on sale • Be not silent: UK barrister’s urgent message for Australia’s Christians • Excommunicating the Mafia? • Archbishop’s homily: Out of the mouths of (trainee Jedi) babes • The Nazi template for modern euthanasia • This year’s best Catholic book

Parish 2020 / Response suggestions We sincerely thank all those who responded to the Parish 2020 survey. Over the coming weeks I would like to draw to your attention some of the positives that are happening within our parish that you may not be aware of. Parish 2020 suggestions about how to bring people back to Church. Some suggested that there should be more advertisement of activities that people could join in with to meet people and get a sense of community. Bringing together the social aspect and supporting aspects. I appreciate all the comments because I believe they are given from genuine concern for the church and they come from personal perceptions and experiences. And we will try to make sure we do more about those things and respond better to each of them. In response, I believe that those who participate regularly at Church, get a better picture of what’s happening in our parish. We usually advertise with ample time (at least 2 weeks and sometimes 5 weeks in advance) the different activities that happen in our parish: Parish Luncheon, Sunday Cuppas, Bingo nights, Christmas carols & Pilgrimages. Also we have some groups available with opportunities for you all to grow in your faith and build up our community: Neo-catechumenate, Apostolate of Renewal, etc. But like in everything, you need to discover this. And it is only when you are a very regular parishioner, you can find out all the things that happen in our community. Some people who do this are finding enjoyable activities we have here and they feel more and more part of the family. It is true that it is always possible to do more and I am very open to hear your ideas. So I encourage everybody to come forward and in turn help to put them into practise; after all the Parish Priest cannot do everything. Everybody should take some responsibility, we are all church. Think about how you could help to make things happen in these aspects. Father Roberto

OTHER NOTICES: FATHER FACT: DID YOU KNOW those men who had a good relationship with their father have a higher life satisfaction level later in life. Robert Falzon, co-author of The Father Factor, will talk about the importance of fathering and provide practical info on intentional fathering on Tuesday the 15th August at 7:30pm at St Kevin’s Eastwood.

If you want to know what is happening within the deanery and the diocese please check the notice boards at the Church entrances.