Category Archives: The Community

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Reconciliation Ceremony of Healing

By | | Liturgy
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The community held a healing ceremony after Mass at St Vincent’s today to celebrate National Reconciliation Week. It was well attended, by far-flung community members and visitors alike.

Sadly, the Neocats followed their normal practice of evacuating the church as quickly as possible after Mass, even though an invitation to the ceremony was emailed to assistant pp Joe Pelle during the week (pp Mendes had been absent for 5 or 6 weeks). Pelle responded by berating the messenger’s divisiveness in specifically inviting the Neocatechumenal Way followers, and misguidedly assuring her that she was not representing the community.

Their final … Continue reading →

Letter by Fr Terry Concerning St Mary’s

By | | Miscellaneous
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The following "Letter by Fr Terry Concerning St Mary’s", posted on the St Mary’s Catholic Community South Brisbane website, so clearly sums up what is happening in the Catholic Church in general and in places like St Mary’s and St Vincent’s in particular that it would be remiss of the Church Mouse not to bring it to your attention.

There are many who believe the Catholic Community of St Mary’s in South Brisbane should have made compromises to sort out its difficulties with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

To suggest that compromise is possible in this … Continue reading →

Catholica comes to tea

By | | Miscellaneous
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The St Vincent’s community regularly sets aside the last Sunday of the month to enjoy a cup of tea and a leisurely chat after Mass. Guests are especially welcome, and the broad spectrum of "Redfernites" who visit the parish infrequently for many and varied reasons are heartily encouraged to mark their diaries accordingly.

Last Sunday, special guests singer-songwriter Amanda McKenna, and her husband Brian Coyne, editor of Catholica (formerly Catholica Australia) accepted an invitation to get together with the community.

They generously shared stories of their own journeys; Amanda sang a selection of her compositions and Brian spoke passionately … Continue reading →

Trevor

By | | Sharing the meal
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The following arrived today from Fr David Lancini, p.p. of Kirwan in Queensland. David, a great friend of Fr John’s, comes to Sydney for his annual holidays and helps out at The Meal for the two weeks that he is here. Over the many years that he has been doing this he had got to know Mary and Trevor.

He intends to put the following story on the front of his Parish Bulletin

MINISTERIAL REGION OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD Morindo Drive, Kirwan. Q. 4817 P.O. Box 203, Thuringowa Central. Q. 4817 Phone: (07) 4723 9844 Fax: (07) 4723 … Continue reading →

More thanks, and a question or two

By | | Sharing the meal
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The following letter was sent today:

Sharing The Meal

To Serve One Another With Generosity And Joy PO Box 206 Leichhardt 2040

6 July 2008

Dear Father Clesio

We just wish to thank all the pilgrims who have so generously and thoughtfully contributed so much towards our “Sharing the Meal" here at St Vincent’s Redfern. It is because of such kindness that we are able to keep going. There are lots of disadvantaged people who come in and share each Tuesday and Friday morning – roughly about 100. People who would not have the opportunity of sharing … Continue reading →

Thankyou, pilgrims

By | | Sharing the meal
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Sharing the Meal co-ordinator Kate Gavan was presented with a green bag this morning after the 9am Mass by Clesio Mendes and Joe Pelle. They told her that the World Youth Day pilgrims who attended St Vincent’s saw what was being done for the poor and wished to offer some support.

So impressed were the pilgrims with the Sharing of the Meal that they collected $1600 in loose coins and notes – the contents of the bag.

They also offered their assurance of continuing prayers for the poor, and for peace in our community.

Friends in Spain

By | | Miscellaneous
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Encomun is a Spanish collective of some 30 Christian communities from Madrid. Their blog is intended to serve as a virtual meting place for the communities. Intrepid translator, Joe C., has produced this English version of Part 2 of a recent article entitled WYD08 in Sydney and the parish of Redfern that the Mouse stumbled across during the week.

Many thanks for your support, members of Encomun.

It’s some time now, a couple of years, that I have been following the vicissitudes of a small Australian parish community, that of St Vincent’s in Redfern, a poor suburb … Continue reading →

Saturday night mass

By | | Morsels
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A newsflash just received from Michael G:

There was mass at St Vincent’s tonight with approximately 80 WYD pilgrims from Spain. The door was locked but three of us knocked on the door and managed to get in.

The mass was extraordinary, the sign of Peace was just like ours, the young people shared their ideas of the gospel spontaneously, and they even had a big dance around the altar for the final song.

During communion the priest went within the seats and gave the Eucharist. Everyone held onto it until the priest returned to his seat and devoured … Continue reading →