Weekday Masses

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Holy Thursday

Good Friday

No Mass

No Mass

9.15 am

8.00 pm

3.00 pm

Sunday Masses

Easter Vigil Easter Sunday

8.00 pm

8.00 am

10.00 am

Palm Sunday Year A 9th April 2017

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: MountEliza@cam.org.au

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: MountEliza.PPLT@cam.org.au

PCC=Parish Community Centre U=Undercroft

C=Church

MPR=School Multipurpose Room

SSR=School Staff Room

Diary

This Sunday

Film Group, Beauty &The Beast,

Mornington Cinemas @ 2.05pm

Monday St Vincent de Paul Meeting, 9.30am, U

Choir Practice, 4pm, C

Tuesday Sip ‘n’ Sew Group, 2pm, PCC

Wednesday RCIA, 7.30pm, C

To Our Visiting Priest

Fr. Peter Conroy

Preparing For Easter Fr. Peter Conroy sent this article from an American publication “The Bible

Today”. In the article Donald Senior tells the story of his witnessing the East-

er Vigil at Santa Cruz Mission celebrated by the T’Boli Native American

tribe of Western USA. I offer this story to you because I think it really cap-

tures the spirit of the Easter Vigil and the welcome with which we embrace

Marcus, Steve, Emma and Lauren who will be baptised as well as Kahu, Kim,

Craig, and his daughters Brooke and Brianna and Mia Flanagan and Olivia

Batsch from Padua College who receive the other Sacraments of Initiation.

“I was grateful to be there for the Easter Vigil celebration - an event I will

never forget. A stream ran near the mission church and it had sacred conno-

tations for the T’Bolis. It became the focus for the baptism that is a central

part of the Easter Vigil service. Lined up on one side of the rapidly flowing

stream were the candidates for baptism, along with their sponsors. On the

opposite bank was the congregation waiting to receive them. The evening air

was filled with the entreaties of the congregation urging the candidates,

“Please come over. Don’t be afraid! Join us!” One by one, assisted by their

godparents and clad only in light clothing, the adult candidates waded

through the cold rushing waters to be baptised by the priest, who stood in the

stream near the far bank, and then the newly baptised fell into the waiting

arms of the congregation. Each was wrapped in warm blankets and smoth-

ered with kisses and hugs!

What a scene - what a liturgy! Seldom, if ever, have I witnessed such an en-

actment of what Baptism meant, as those T’Boli Candidates plunged into

those living and sacred waters to be baptised and then were embraced by

their new Christian community. Of course, few parishes in the world could

match the dramatic setting for such a baptismal service, even at the Easter

Vigil. As a friend of mine likes to say, ‘Not every liturgy can be like opening

night at the Met!’ Yet the meaning of baptism as transformation into a new

life so vividly enacted in the remote T’Boli region is true for all of us. In a

world so burdened now with injustice and violence, in this Easter season we

need more than ever to remember that through baptism we have been given

the radical power to lead a new life, one marked with compassion and justice

and love…”

The Easter Vigil is far and away the most significant celebration in the

Church’s Liturgical Year. We hope many of you will come along not only to

warmly welcome our Candidates and make them feel “at Home” with us but

also to recommit ourselves as we celebrate the great event of the Resurrection

and our own coming to Life.

PAGE 2 SEASONS PALM SUNDAY YEAR A

We pray for...

Liturgy - Palm Sunday

Financial Matters Stewardship

Received last weekend ...............................$6,934

Pledged last weekend .................................$6,921

Received January to March .................... $42,149

Pledged January to March ....................... $42,295

Presbytery

Amount received last week ......................$1,309 Thanks to all of you who give so generously to support our

parish.

First Reading: Isiah 50:4-7

I did not cover my face against insult and I know I

will not be ashamed.

Responsorial Psalm

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

Second Reading: Philippians 2:6-11

He humbled himself to become like us and God raised

him on high.

Gospel Acclamation: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, king of endless glory!

Christ became obedient for us even to death, dying

on the cross. Therefore God raised him a name

above all other names. Praise to you, Lord Jesus

Christ, king of endless glory!

Gospel: Matthew 26:14 - 27:66

The passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mat-

thew.

Those who have died recently

Jose Gomes

those whose anniversaries fall

at this time…

Nora Hanmer, Donald Young, James Breen snr, Lau-

rie Pendlebury, James Bourke

and the Sick...

Arnold Mann, Penelope Allen, Gordon Foulis, Len

Crowe, Des Leyden, Pat Crowther, Margaret 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 Dob-

son, Ken & Mary Allen, Ray Grant, Rob Nicholls,

Adrian Gobel, Rachael Sanderson (nee Davies), 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.

Radio Port Philip Presents -

Two Hours of Reflection RPP Peninsula Radio 98.7 fm (or 98.3 fm) will be

presenting between 8am - 10am a Good Friday

Catholic program for reflection. On Easter Sunday

as normal, 8am - 9am.

Easter Triduum Liturgies

Foot Washing

Kahu Hutton

Marcus Hutton

Lauren Hutton

Emma Hutton

Craig Chapman

Kim Vrapcenjak

Steve Mellech

Missy Basic

Judi Hannan

Maree Shelton

Mercia Gleeson

Maurice Hutchinson

Ministers of the Eucharist

Jacinta Griffin (Oil)

Barbara Smith (Oil)

Brooke & Brianna Chapman (Oil)

Mary Cameron (Bread)

Carolyn Gasgoine (Wine)

Lys Crowe

Readers

Chris Young

Peter Griffin

Commentator

Anne-Marie Hyde

AV Operator

Julian Collins

Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper 8pm

Good Friday Celebration of the Lord’s Passion 3pm

Ministers of the Eucharist

Lys Crowe

Lois Bracken

Alison Ferguson

AV Operator

Bob Ribbons

Readers

Carmel Huggard

Peter Griffin

Jacinta Griffin

Commentator

Barbara Smith

Easter Vigil 8pm

Easter Sunday 8 am

Easter Sunday 10 am

Ministers of the Eucharist

Hutton family to bring up gifts

Lys Crowe

Carolyn Gascoigne

Jacinta Griffin

Peter Griffin

Barbara Hunt

Readers

Mary Cameron

Judi Hannan

Anne-Marie Hyde

Commentator

Irene Owsianka

AV Operator

Julian Collins

Ministers of the Eucharist

Sue Carr (Book)

Need 2 Volunteers (Bread & Wine)

AV Operator

Bob Ribbons

Reader

Dennis Cleary

Commentator

Beatrice Rodriguez

Ministers of the Eucharist

Lois Bracken (Book)

Alison Ferguson (Bread)

Need 1 Volunteers (Wine)

Gui Hone

Need another Volunteer

Reader

C. Tirtowinoto

Commentator

Barbara Smith

AV Operator

Lys Crowe

PAGE 3 PALM SUNDAY YEAR A SEASONS

What’s Happening Here...

Melbourne Catholic Magazine The April Edition of Melbourne Catholics is now availa-

ble from the Church foyer. $4 per copy.

The next meeting of the St Vincent de Paul

Society will be held on Monday April 10th

at 9.30am in the Undercroft. All parishioners are wel-

come.

A very special thank you to the children of St Thomas

More’s school for the fantastic donation of cans of

soup for us to distribute to the many families we visit

each week.

To love our neighbour in charity is to love God in oth-

er people. St Francis De Sales.

Sacrament of Confirmation 2017 There will be an Information Night for all parents of

children wishing to receive the Sacrament of Confir-

mation this year on Tuesday 18th April at 7.30pm in

the Multi-purpose area of the school. If you have a

child wishing to be confirmed this year, and they are

not at STM School, please contact Lys at the Parish

Office before this date.

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.

Film Group

This Sunday 9th April - Beauty and The Beast

Mornington Cinemas @ 2.05pm

In coming weeks

Sunday 23rd April - Frantz

Sunday 7th May - Their Finest

Sunday 21st May - Going in Style

Sunday 28th May - Viceroy House

Tuesday, 11th April - Sip ‘n’ Sew Group will meet

at 2pm in the Parish Community Centre. Enquiries to

Barbara 5975 2818.

Friday, 21st April - Walking Group will meet at

10am in the Dava Hotel car park (Mel 145 C6). We

will follow the foreshore track to Linley Point and

back, about 5-6 kms. Morning tea in Mt Martha. En-

quiries to Colleen 9787 2479.

Sunday, 30th April - Pizza Night at 5pm in the Par-

ish Community Centre. BYO nibbles & drinks. No

need to book.

Wednesday 10th May - Breakfast at Taggarts,

Time: 9.30am. $20 per head for a wonderful cooked

breakfast with all the trimmings. Book and pay $10

deposit at next meeting. Enquiries to Margaret Carr

5971 0237.

Friday 26th May - FAC @ 10.30am, Marine Pavey.

The Welfare Officers for April are Lois Bracken

9787 2970 & Catherina Tirtowinoto 5973 6339.

STM Social Club Fun & Friendship For All

New members are always most welcome!

Membership fee is $20. All enquiries to:

Grevis 0414 527 172 or to Colleen 9787 2479.

Silent Prayer in the Church This is an opportunity to pray for our

Parish Intentions. The readings of the day

are at the Lectern or BYO spiritual read-

ing, 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 live out our

Pastoral Plan and plan for our future.

Every Wednesday 8:30am - 9:15am

Easter Choir Practices The next practice date for Easter will be

held on Monday 10th April @ 4pm.

Expressions of Interest – PPLT The election of new members to the

Parish Pastoral Leadership Team

happens every two years and is due

to happen at the next Parish Teams

Meeting on Wednesday 10th May.

As the Parish community begins to implement our

new Parish Pastoral Plan, we invite YOU to take on a

leadership role in our Parish. We are looking for

people who feel strongly about the future of the Par-

ish and are willing to invest some time and energy to

ensure its growth. Please consider what skills, pas-

sion and hopes about the future that you might bring

to our Leadership Team.

To find out more, especially what’s required, please

take an Expression of Interest form from the foyer.

These need to be completed and returned by

Wednesday 12th April 2017.

St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria

P a r i s h

W o r k i n g

Bee A Working

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.

And From Elsewhere...

Buy Slavery Free Eggs This Easter Pope Francis said that “every person ought to have the awareness that purchasing is always a

moral – and not simply an economic – act.”

Thinking of buying Easter eggs? Use your money justly – please.

World Vision in its 2015 report, Chocolate’s Bitter Taste, estimates that Australians spend up to $3 billion on

chocolate a year, with sales peaking at Easter. Much of the chocolate we consume in Australia is made with cocoa

beans picked by enslaved children, particularly in West Africa. You can make a difference to the world, and to

the lives of these children, by buying only slavery-free chocolate.

ACTION: Please buy and eat only slavery-free Easter eggs and chocolate this

Easter.

Look for one of these three symbols on the chocolate wrapper and make a

difference.

Palm Sunday

9th April 2017

PAGE 4 SEASONS PALM SUNDAY YEAR A

A brief update on our progress with the raffle... We’ve now sold 164/200 of our original allocated books, including 21 which have been taken by parishioners but not paid for yet. Although there are still 3 weeks to sell the remaining 36 books, it would be preferable to achieve this sooner rather than later. Many thanks especially to those parishioners who have taken several books—we really appreciate your support. And to everyone else, please keep up the good work: consider buying a few tickets, a book, or even anoth-er book this week or next week.

All raffle books (including unsold tickets) must be returned to the Parish office with payment by Tuesday May 2nd.

Permit number 10949/16 150,000 tickets issued.

Catholic Parish of St. Thomas More, Mount Eliza

Participation in the Integrated Community Development Program has offered Aloma a lead-ing role in helping her vulnerable community prepare for extreme weather events and work together to protect their environment.

Please donate to Project Compassion 2017 and help vulnerable communities in the Philippines learn how to work together to care for their common home, creating a more secure future for their children.

You can donate through Parish boxes and envelopes, by visiting www.caritas.org.au/projectcompassion or phoning 1800 024 413.

Are You (Fairly) New to

Our Parish? We would love to invite you to a

meal at Fr. Laurie’s house to enjoy

the company 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.