24 March 2020 – Corona Virus Update – Our Parish Churches are now closed and no access or activities in our churches
Sadly, the decision has been made this morning that our parish churches, including the Prayer Chapel, will be CLOSED FOR ALL ACTIVITIES – Masses, Rosary, Adoration, Stations of the Cross and private prayer – until further notice. All church cleaning and communion visitation are also suspended until further notice. We recommend that any small group activities currently being undertaken (e.g. Lenten groups or prayer groups) should stop for the time being. We hope and pray that by undertaking these measures we be able to help contain the spread of covid-19 in our parish and local community. If you have any queries or concerns regarding this update, please phone the parish office. We will continue to send updates to you by email. We have also commenced sending SMS messages to parishioners who do not have email but do have a mobile; and we will continue to contact others who might only have a home phone. If you are able to help us with phoning a small group of people with updates, please call Mary-Ann on 6672 1118 or email shpmbah@norex.com.au – we’ll provide you with a list of names and contact numbers. We’re also planning to do some letterbox drops with weekend bulletins and liturgies, so if you can help with some deliveries of same, we’d be grateful. With every best wish and God’s blessings. Fr...
Read More23 March 2020 – Corona Virus Update – Update on Mass Closures – NO WEEK DAY MASSES OR SUNDAY MASSES
Dear Brothers and Sisters It is with sadness that I announce that due to the Corona Virus we are no longer able to hold any Masses or public Sacraments for the foreseeable future. With time we will learn what is permitted and what is not. I’ll inform you as soon as I reliably can. This means no further week day or Sunday Masses at all. Funerals can only be held at the graveside and only with immediate family members. This too may be restricted. Baptisms and Weddings will, at this stage, not go ahead. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick and Viaticum will be offered as long as I am permitted to do so by the authorities. So, what happens if you can’t access a priest in time of need, such as imminent death or serious illness? Pope Francis advises us that God’s love for us is perfect and without condition, as Scripture says God will not abandon us in our hour of need. “Where the individual faithful find themselves in the painful impossibility of receiving sacramental absolution, it should be remembered that perfect contrition, coming from the love of God, beloved above all things, expressed by a sincere request for forgiveness (that which the penitent is at present able to express) and accompanied by votum confessionis, that is, by the firm resolution to have recourse, as soon as possible, to sacramental confession, obtains forgiveness of sins, even mortal ones (cf. CCC, no. 1452).” Code of Canon Law Lastly, we will do our very best to stay in touch with you, via phone, letterbox or electronically. Please share this information with your family, friends and neighbours. Our Lady of the Way, pray for us St Joseph, pray for us. St Patrick, pray for us. With every best wish and God’s blessings Fr Anthony Whilst the Parish Administration Centre remains open at the moment – Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm each day – we ask that you phone us with any queries or concerns on 6672 1118 rather than a personal visit. ...
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