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

Assistant Parish Priest: Fr Norvin Dias

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 9:00am 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 or Father Norvin Dias

THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY & JOSEPH

26th

/ 27th

December 2015 (Year C)

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON:

The shepherds went in haste, and found Mary and

Joseph and the Infant lying in a manger.

FIRST READING: 1 Samuel 1:20-22. 24-28

A reading from the first book of Samuel

For the whole of his life, Samuel shall be lent to the

Lord.

Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son, and called

him Samuel 'since' she said 'I asked the Lord for him.'

When a year had gone by, the husband Elkanah

went up again with all his family to offer the annual

sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfil his vow. Hannah,

however, did not go up, having said to her husband,

'Not before the child is weaned. Then I will bring him

and present him before the Lord and he shall stay

there for ever.'

When she had weaned him, she took him up with

her together with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of

flour and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the

temple of the Lord at Shiloh; and the child was with

them. They slaughtered the bull and the child's

mother came to Eli. She said, 'If you please, my lord.

As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood

here beside you, praying to the Lord. This is the child

I prayed for, and the Lord granted me what I asked

him. Now I make him over to the Lord for the whole

of his life. He is made over to the Lord.'

There she left him, for the Lord.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

(continued on back page)

RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Ps 83:2-3. 5-6. 9-10

RESPONSE: How happy they who dwell in

your house, O Lord.

How lovely is your dwelling place,

Lord, God of hosts.

My soul is longing and yearning,

is yearning for the courts of the Lord.

My heart and my soul ring out their joy

to God, the living God. Response.

They are happy, who dwell in your house,

for ever singing your praise.

They are happy, whose strength is in you;

they walk with ever growing strength. Response.

O Lord, God of hosts, hear my prayer,

give ear, O God of Jacob.

Turn your eyes, O God, our shield,

look on the face of your anointed. Response.

SECOND READING: 1 John 3:1-2. 21-24

A reading from the first letter of St. John

He calls you his own children, and that is what

you are.

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,

by letting us be called God's children;

and that is what we are.

Because the world refused to acknowledge him,

therefore it does not acknowledge us.

My dear people, we are already the children of God

but what we are to be in the future has not yet been

revealed,

all we know is, that when it is revealed

we shall be like him

because we shall see him as he really is.

My dear people,

if we cannot be condemned by our own conscience,

we need not be afraid in God's presence,

and whatever we ask him,

we shall receive,

because we keep his commandments

and live the kind of life that he wants.

His commandments are these:

that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ

and that we love one another

as he told us to.

Whoever keeps his commandments

lives in God and God lives in him.

We know that he lives in us

by the Spirit that he has given us.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: cf Acts 16:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open our heart, O Lord,

to listen to the words of your Son.

Alleluia!

GOSPEL: Luke 2:41-52

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

His parents found him in the temple, sitting among

the learned men listening to them.

Every year the parents of Jesus used to go to

Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When he was

twelve years old, they went up for the feast as usual.

When they were on their way home after the feast,

the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his

parents knowing it. They assumed he was with the

caravan, and it was only after a day's journey that

they went to look for him among their relations and

acquaintances. When they failed to find him they

went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere.

Three days later, they found him in the Temple,

sitting among the doctors, listening to them, and

asking them

questions; and all

those who heard him

were astounded at his

intelligence and his

replies. They were

overcome when they

saw him, and his

mother said to him,

'My child, why have

you done this to us?

See how worried your

father and I have

been, looking for

you.' 'Why were you

looking for me?' he replied. 'Did you not know that I

must be busy with my Father's affairs?' But they did

not understand what he meant.

He then went down with them and came to

Nazareth and lived under their authority. His mother

stored up all these things in her heart. And Jesus

increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with

God and men.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

COMMUNION ANTIPHON:

Our God has appeared on the earth, and lived

among us.

PARISH NEWS & NOTICES: Please remember in your prayers all who have died recently especially Janet FLATON. We also pray for all who have anniversaries at this time. May the Lord grant eternal rest to all.

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR

WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS WHO

HAVE PREPARED THE CHURCH FOR

OUR FESTIVE MASSES.

Our parish is blessed by

involved parishioners who help

with all ministries. We thank

them for their commitments to

serve our community. May

God bless them, their loved

ones and families.

FATHER ROBERTO WILL BE ON ANNUAL

LEAVE from the end of December and most of

January for a much deserved break

from parish life here at St Therese.

We hope he has a great holiday

and he will be back refreshed for

another year of prayer,

evangelization and pastoral work.

In Fr Roberto’s absence we are

most fortunate to have Fr Norvin who will be here

for you all till the end of January.

As usual, please note that there will be no

“CUPPA” throughout January. Our monthly coffee after the 9.30am

Sunday Mass will resume on the 7th

February 2016.

NO BULLETIN THROUGHOUT

JANUARY: In an effort to give our secretary

some time to have a holiday, archive files and

organise the Parish Office it has

been decided that there will be no

bulletin for most of January. If

there is anything URGENT Fr

Norvin will announce it at Mass.

A copy of the January roster is on both

church notice boards and our website. The

Church sign will be installed in January.

ST. THERESE FAMILY MASS 2016 is held on the first Sunday of every month at the 9.30am Parish Mass and followed by a morning tea at 10.30am in the Parish grounds. This will be a great opportunity to mix with other parishioners and parents.

In 2016, the Parish Council (Liturgy Committee & Principal) has decided to allocate a class to a Mass according to the table below. The class will be responsible for the ‘Mass jobs’ (e.g. proclaiming the scripture, reading the prayers of the faithful and taking up the offertory gifts). This is an invitation to parents and children. Mass jobs will be allocated in the week prior to the Mass and the relevant readings will be forwarded to you via email so that you can practise with your child. You can volunteer for your class Family Mass by emailing Thomas Dabbah at thomas.aq333@gmail.com. There are two ‘whole school’ allocations where volunteers are required from any class. If you do not wish to volunteer for a Mass job then your attendance is more than sufficient.

Sunday 7th February - Whole school Sunday 6th March - Year 6 Sunday 3rd April - Year 5 Sunday 1st May - Year 4 Sunday 5th June - Year 3

Sunday 3rd July - School Holidays - No Family Mass

Sunday 7th August - Year 2 Sunday 4th September - Year 1

Sunday 2nd October -School Holidays - No Family Mass

Sunday 6th November - Kindergarten Sunday 4th December - Whole school

If you have any questions please email Thomas.aq333@gmail.com (Thomas Dabbah) or call the Parish Office 9809-2925 and speak with Fr. Roberto.

OTHERS NEWS: If you want to know

what is happening within the deanery and the diocese

please check the notice boards at the Church entrances

and our website at www.sttherese.org.au

THIS WEEK 26 / 27 DECEMBER 2015

THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS,

MARY AND JOSEPH

VIGIL 6.00PM SUNDAY 8.00AM SUNDAY 9.30AM

Acolyte T DABBAH D ELLIS A PERERA (M&H)

Minister of HC J KEYSER J KWONG Ka PERERA (M&H)

Minister of HC VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEER T DABBAH (M&C)

Lector J PERERA Y LEUNG E WHEELER

Wardens VOLUNTEER S WAN VOLUNTEER

Offertory VOLUNTEER FAMILY VOLUNTEER FAMILY VOLUNTEERS

Projection V. PERERA NIL NIL

Altar Servers GROUP 4: Hannah Arthurs,

Sonia Au No rostered group GROUP 8: Tehilan Tampoe Enosh Tampoe

Welcomers S CHAMISA D BRENNAN

Counters Group 9: K HOLDEN , T LEE

Altar Flowers J KEYSER DECEMBER ALTAR LINEN: MIRA SAVIC

NEXT WEEK 2 / 3 JANUARY 2016

THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD

VIGIL 6.00PM SUNDAY 8.00AM SUNDAY 9.30AM

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

Minister of HC VOLUNTEER J PERERA G HOGAN

Minister of HC VOLUNTEER J KWONG VOLUNTEER

Minister of HC T DABBAH (H)

Lector V PERERA A STANTON VOLUNTEER

Wardens L SEETO J DUFFY VOLUNTEER

Offertory VOLUNTEER FAMILY VOLUNTEER FAMILY VOLUNTEERS

Projection A. WHEELER NIL P. TREACY

Altar Servers GROUP 1: Robert Morfuni

Natasha Vithana No rostered group GROUP 5: Brittany and Jessica Khoury, Rebecca

Dearing Katherine Spencer

Welcomers S CHAMISA D BRENNAN

Counters Group 10: G WAITE V MAMO C MAMO

Altar Flowers J KEYSER JANUARY ALTAR LINEN: JOSEFINA DELAVEGA