Weekday Masses
Monday
Tuesday, Liturgy of the
Word with Holy Communion
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday, followed by Morning Tea
No Mass
9.15 am
9:15 am
7:00 pm
9:15 am
Sunday Masses
Saturday Sunday
6:00 pm 8:00 am
10:00 am
Reconciliation
Saturday 5:00 pm - 5:30 pm
First Sunday of Advent, Year A 27th November 2016
SEASONS Newsletter of the Catholic Parish of St. Thomas More, Mount Eliza
313 Canadian Bay Rd Mount Eliza Vic. 3930
Phone: 9787 7777 Fax: 9787 9734 Email: [email protected]
Web: www.stm-mteliza.org
Pastoral Leadership Team
Fr. Laurie (Parish Priest) Lys Crowe (Pastoral Associate)
Peter Whyte (School D Principal)
Anne-Marie Hyde (Chairperson) Ange Virgona Bill Hunt
John Bruitzman Jim Bourke Maree Taverna
PPLT Email: [email protected]
PCC=Parish Community Centre U=Undercroft
C=Church
MPR=School Multipurpose Room
SSR=School Staff Room
Tuesday Social Club Committee Meeting,
9.45am, PCC Sip ‘n’ Sew Group Christmas Lunch, 12.30pm, The Royal Hotel,
Mornington Parish Education Board Meeting, 7pm,
Wednesday
Inter-Church Advent Prayer, 7.30pm, C
17th December Bunnings sausage sizzle
God of hope, As we prepare for Christmas, help us to take the time to open our hearts to others and to new opportunities.
To stop, listen and wait purposefully in your love, resisting the pressure to do more and buy more
by living more simply and sustainably. May we recognize the talents you have given each of us
and seek the opportunity to be a light for others: offering a message of hope. Advent is a time of waiting. Sometimes it can be hard to wait, to be patient, in a world where we find ourselves willing things to be faster: faster internet service, faster table service, faster commutes to work……………..
However, waiting for Christ is not time spent doing nothing. ‘Advent’ wait-ing time implies an intentional focus on the action of God in this time. It im-plies we get ready, in hope.
What are you waiting for? What are you hoping for? Is there a difference? Why? What gifts or talents do you have that can offer hope to others?
from Caritas Australia- Parish Advent Resource
Inter-Church Advent Prayer At St Thomas More The now annual Inter-Church Advent Prayer, hosted by
our Parish, is on Wednesday 30th November at
7.30pm. We have invited the St James the Less Anglican
community and The Village Church Uniting community to
join us for this prayer time together.
Please come along and, if possible, bring a plate of food to share for supper togeth-
er after the prayer. It’s a great chance to pray together and to get to know others
in our neighbouring Christian communities. All welcome!
PAGE 2 SEASONS FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR A
We pray for...
Liturgy - First Sunday of Advent - Year A
Financial Matters Stewardship
Received last weekend .............................. $3,208
Pledged last weekend ................................ $2,881
Average received in October .................. $3,070
Presbytery
Amount received last week ..................... $1,460 Thanks to all of you who give so generously to support our
parish.
First Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5
The Lord will gather all nations in eternal peace in
the kingdom of God.
Responsorial Psalm
Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Second Reading: Romans 13:11-14
The time has come, our salvation is near.
Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia! Lord, show us your mercy and love,
and grant us your salvation. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 24:37-44
Stay awake, you must be ready.
Next Week’s Readings:
Isaiah 11:1-10, Romans 15:4-9, Matthew 3:1-12
Those who have died recently
Peter Stuart
Those whose anniversaries fall
at this time…
Wilfred Oakes, Vernon Hussey, Rita Fisscher, Millicent
Leydin
and the Sick...
Mike Seymour, David McDougall, Anne Wirth, Dennis
Sullivan, Les Harper, Gordon Foulis, Les Malseed, Len
Crowe, Jose Gomes, Des Leyden, Pat Crowther, Mar-
garet Beale, Angela Butler, Sue Kelly, Maria Kelly, Jan
Deakin, Will Murray, Sr. Tarcissius, Frank Nolan, Jo
King, Paula Stuart, Kathryn Hart, Fr. Michael Walsh,
Shane Dobson, Ken & Mary Allen, Ray Grant, Rob
Nicholls, Adrian Gobel, Rachael Sanderson (nee Da-
vies), and all of the sick at the George Vowell Centre
& Ranelagh Gardens Nursing Home.
and the parishioners of St Thomas More Parish,
Tequinomata, East Timor.
Morning Tea Your hosts this week will be
Brian and Sally McAnallen.
You are all warmly invited to
linger after 10am Mass for a
cuppa and an opportunity to get to know some
other members of your parish community better.
Your hosts next week will be Anne Davey & John
Bruitzman.
Next Week’s Roster
Mass Time Lector Commentator
6 pm Graeme Hannan Mary Charley
8 am Dennis Cleary Andrew Moloney
10 am C Tirtowinoto Jim Bourke
Mass Time Ministers of the Eucharist
6 pm
Mary Cameron (Book)
Helen Steyn (Gifts)
Judi Hannan (Gifts)
8 am Tricia Woods (Book)
Del Seletto (Gifts)
Pat McConvill (Gifts)
10 am Jacinta Griffin (Book)
Judy Jones (Gifts)
Lois Bracken (Gifts)
10 am Children’s Liturgy
Alina Dremel
Bernd Dremel
Counters Colleen McNamara
Marie Alaimo
November Mass Offerings Mass will be offered during this week for
the intentions of Dot Wines, Maurie
Hutchinson & Chris Cheah.
Baptism Welcome Congratulations and Welcome to
Noah McCartney-Rogic (Parents
- Joseph & Katherina) who will be
baptized at the 10am Mass this
weekend.
PAGE 3 FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR A SEASONS
What’s Happening Here... St Vincent de Paul Christmas
Toy Appeal We are appealing for toys to give out
with our Christmas Hampers. Toys for
boys and girls up to the age of 12yrs.
Unwrapped please.
Just leave them in the box provided in the foyer of the
church by Sunday, December 4th.
Thank you in anticipation
Marilyn Hoban
Morning Tea After Friday’s
9.15am Mass This Friday - 2nd December - will be
the last morning tea for the year, after
9.15am Mass, hosted by some of the
Year 4’s from our school. All are welcome to come
along to the Parish Community Centre, and share in
this special hospitality.
30th Anniversary of St John Paul II’s Ad-
dress to Aboriginal & Torres Strait Is-
lander People This Sunday is a National Day of celebration of the
address made when Pope John Paul II visited Alice
Springs: “You are part of Australia and Australia is part of
you. And the Church herself in Australia will not be fully the
Church that Jesus wants her to be until you have made
your contribution to her life and until that contribution has
been joyfully received by others.” We will acknowledge
this in our Prayers of Intercession this weekend.
Nametags: The Parish Pastoral Leadership Team
invites you to wear a nametag to Mass! This is just
one way of us getting to know each other better. You
can BYO, or we will have some stick-on ones availa-
ble each week.
New members welcome. Please contact Christine
5975 6687 or Carol 9775 2315.
Please note: there will be no more Pizza Nights this
year!
The Sip ‘n’ Sew Group will meet 12.30pm, Tuesday
29th November at The Royal Hotel, Mornington for
our Christmas Lunch.
For further information please contact Gui on 9787
1449.
The Welfare Officers for November are Sally and
Brian McAnallen.
STM Social Club Fun & Friendship For All
Norwood House Christmas Lunch Norwood House Christmas Lunch - Tuesday, 13th
December @ 12 noon. Cost $40. Bookings and
payment at our next Social Club Meeting on the
6th December.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You
Hello Fr Laurie.
I am overjoyed and most grateful and need to communi-
cate the significant improvement of my sight since the
stroke on 11th September 2016. I attribute the improve-
ment to the prayers of yourself, our parishioners of STM,
Mt Eliza and the people of Timor Leste as well as to my
beautiful Patty who has taken on the burden of looking
after me with generous loving care.
Initially the stroke/aneurism affected brain cells controlling
my optic nerves, especially peripheral vision, as well as cog-
nition and memory. I had difficulty seeing through the up-
per right and left quadrants of my eyes. Most disconcert-
ingly I could not recognise faces or places because of the
effect on cognition. As a result my driver’s licence was sus-
pended by Vic Roads. Since the stroke, my eyesight has
recovered sufficiently in the upper right quadrant to be
able to receive specialist recommendations that I be able
to undergo Vic Roads tests for reinstatement of the licence.
Also speed of cognition has improved significantly. Joyously
I can now recognise faces and places. I’m working hard on
memory. Also working hard on relearning and remember-
ing the road rules. Driving tests and other tests will take
place over the next weeks.
The specialists have no explanation as to why the brain
cells which had been damaged by the aneurism, have re-
vived. I attribute the improvement to the prayers of our
parishioners of St Thomas More Mt Eliza and our friends
in Timor Leste, especially Fr Manuel and the children in the
schools built or refurbished, for their prayers to the Holy
Spirit and Our Lady.
Could this message of deep gratitude be passed on to the
parishioners of St Thomas More Parish for their prayers
and well wishes. Thank you, Les Harper
Silent Prayer in the Church Every Wednesday 8:30am - 9:15am
This is an opportunity to pray for our
Parish Intentions. The readings of the
day are at the Lectern or BYO spir-
itual reading, read or sit in silent
prayer. “Where two or more gather in God’s name, God is
among them”. A simple but suitable exercise as we
continue to develop our Pastoral Plan.
More of What’s Happening Here….
PAGE 4 FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR A SEASONS
SOME GOOD NEWS TO SHARE….
The ten year loan from the Catholic Development Fund that was taken out to fund the building of the new
Priest’s House in 2007 will be paid out in December. The loan was for $90,000.
The story is a good one - worth remembering and sharing with those who have come to the Parish in more re-
cent times.
Before then the present Parish Community Centre was used as a residence (often for two priests), for Parish
Admin and for Meetings and other Parish Gatherings. It’s hard to imagine now and there is no doubt that it was
inadequate for all three uses.
The decision to build a new residence was embraced with enthusiasm by parishioners. Peter Healy (East West
Homes) was the builder and managed the project. But the ‘Tradies’ amongst the school parents were extremely
generous with the donation of time and materials, while other parishioners got right behind the fund raising ac-
tivities that happened, such as the “Buy A Brick” Appeal. Others were extremely generous with donations.
It was perhaps the best time in the Parish during my time at St Thomas More. People who did not know each
other had a shared purpose. The only complaint was that as the building grew folk were no longer able to look
out over the Bay during the Sunday Homily!
Of course I am very aware that I have been the beneficiary of the commitment and generosity of people at that
time and of those who have continued to support our Parish. I am most grateful to all of you and I never take
your generosity for granted.
Of course our Church is now over 33 years of age and is looking a little “tired” – a fact even noted by the Arch-
bishop on his recent visit. Unfortunately he wasn’t forthcoming with the financial means to do something about
it. So once again it will be up to us. A Refurbishment Committee was established this year, has recommended
some changes including extension of the Sanctuary area, re-carpeting, replacing the pews, alteration to the front
entrance porch, creating a more spacious Sacristy and replacement of the rotting fascia at the front and sides of
the Church. We’re now at the stage of “costing” all of this.
So 2017 will be a significant one for our Parish. If we can approach it with the enthusiasm and commitment that
happened in 2006 it should be a great one for us all. May God continue to bless all that we do.
Are You (Fairly) New to Our Parish? We would love to invite you to a meal
at Fr. Laurie’s house to enjoy the com-
pany of other parishioners, both old
and new.
Just fill in the form in the folder at the
Church porch and we will be in touch.
Christmas Raffle In the lead up to Christmas we will be
holding a Christmas Raffle. All proceeds
to the Parish. 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes will be
different sized Christmas hampers.
We are asking for donations to include in these
hampers. All inclusions need to have something
to do with Christmas! e.g. Christmas food, lollies,
decorations, craft items, serviettes etc., etc.
Please bring along something and place in the box in
the foyer of the Church, or leave at the Parish Office.
Donations need to be in by Tuesday 29th Novem-
ber. Tickets go on sale next weekend. Thank you in
anticipation.
Would you like to advertise
your business in this space in Seasons?
In colour
Business card size
$50 for one week
We print 200 copies per week, and distribute to all
STM School families by email. It is also available on
the Parish website for six months.
Please contact the Parish Office on 9787 7777 for
further details.
School Christmas Fundraising The school have puddings, hams & wine that can be
ordered before Wednesday, 30th November. Order
forms available at the back of the Church.