Weekday Masses

Monday (9th January)

Tuesday (10th January)

Wednesday (11th January)

Thursday (12th January)

Friday (13th January)

No Mass

No Mass

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

Christmas Day Year A 24th December 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: 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

Christmas Wishes to All...

Here in the church, as in all our churches throughout the world, we have once again prepared a Christmas crib, a tradition that originated with St Francis of Assisi in the thirteenth century. Not everyone can go to see the birthplace of the Lord in Bethle-hem and so we recreate its presence among us by means of a simple crib. Some cribs can be very dramatic affairs, with flowing water and many other features. Ours is rather more modest but I think this one captures the simplicity and unpretentious-ness of the “safe arrival” of the Christ child. People love to make cribs. They are a powerful focus for our attention and prayer.

Cribs have a special attraction for children and indeed for the child inside each one of us. The mysteries of the Lord are hidden from the learned and the clever and are revealed to mere children. Gathered around the figures in the straw we see the beau-ty of the human person in the form and features of a newborn baby. This is the child who will be the Prince of Peace.

And yet once again this year our Christmas is celebrated in a world that seemingly mocks the peace which Christ proclaimed. Disrespect for human life is evident in Ankara, in Berlin, in Aleppo and even in our own streets and in too many homes in our own city.

That peace for which we long has to start in our own hearts and in our own homes. At this special time let us say “no” to all violence and selfishness and do what we can to be instruments of peace among all in our families and in our community.

And be thankful.

Thank you to all who have contributed to the life and activity of our Parish in 2016. On behalf of our Parish Pastoral Leadership Team we want to express our apprecia-tion to all those who have put themselves forward during the year. Please know that nothing that you do is taken for granted. Special thanks to Irene and Cherie in the Office and to Pat at the School for their hard work for the Parish and for their per-sonal support.

Do have a wonderful Christmas and a safe and most enjoyable holiday. May God continue to bless all that we do.

Please note:

Weekday Masses will resume on

Wednesday 11th January 2017

Wishing all our Parishioners

and visitors a Very Merry

Christmas and a Happy,

Safe Holiday Season.

Fr. Laurie, Irene, Lys,

Cherie

PAGE 2 SEASONS CHRISTMAS DAY YEAR A

We pray for...

Liturgy - Christmas Day - Year A

Financial Matters Stewardship

Received last weekend .............................. $3,411

Pledged last weekend ................................ $2,951

Average received in November .............. $3,624

Presbytery

Amount received last week ..................... $1,392 Thanks to all of you who give so generously to support our

parish.

First Reading: Isaiah 62:11-12

Your Saviour is born.

Responsorial Psalm

A light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born

for us.

Second Reading: Titus 3:4-7

His own compassion saved us.

Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia! Glory to God in the highest, peace to

his people on earth. Alleluia!

Gospel: Luke 2:15-20

The shepherds found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying

in the manger.

Those who have died

Ian Leslie

those whose anniversaries fall

at this time…

Tom Saunders, George Vines, Tom Shannon, Margaret

Rutherford-Smith, Marianna Landman, Margaret

Bourke, John Mitchell

and the Sick...

Margaret McLoughlin, Penelope Allen, Mike Seymour,

David McDougall, Anne Wirth, Dennis Sullivan, Les

Harper, Gordon Foulis, Les Malseed, Len Crowe, Jose

Gomes, Des Leyden, Pat Crowther, Margaret Beale,

Angela Butler, Sue Kelly, Maria Kelly, Jan Deakin, Will

Murray, Sr. Tarcissius, Frank Nolan, Jo King, Paula Stu-

art, Kathryn Hart, Fr. Michael Walsh, Shane Dobson,

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.

November Mass Offerings Mass will be offered during this week for

the Family, Friends, Relatives and Bene-

factors of (w/c 26/12/16) Yolande & An-

selm Gunesekera, Julian & Sharon Collins

& Shirley Spry

(w/c 02/01/17) Denvir, Hamilton, Norman and Mary

Charley

(w/c 09/01/17) Pinnuck, Anon

Next Week’s Roster

Mass Time Lector Commentator

6 pm Mary Cameron Des McLoughlin

8 am Lou-Ann Gibson Andrew Moloney

10 am C. Tirtowinoto Barbara Smith

Mass Time Ministers of the Eucharist

6 pm

Lys Crowe (Book)

Anne-Marie Hyde (Gifts)

Volunteer Needed (Gifts)

8 am Tricia Woods (Book)

Del Seletto (Gifts)

Mary Goss (Gifts)

10 am Gui Hone (Book)

Adrian Coughlan (Gifts)

Alison Ferguson (Gifts)

10 am Children’s Liturgy

No one needed during School Holidays

Counters Mike Symes

Peter Royal

Sandor Egyed

PAGE 3 CHRISTMAS DAY YEAR A SEASONS

What’s Happening Here...

Annual Christmas Collection This week the St Vincent de Paul Society is holding

their Annual Christmas Collection at the end of each

Mass to help support those less fortunate in the

Frankston/Seaford area.

Please give generously.

Wishing you all the Peace, Joy and Love that Christ-

mas brings.

Marilyn Hoban

Bunnings Sausage Sizzle Thankyou to all those who helped on the roster last

weekend - Mark Renouf, Sally Cooper, Maree Shel-

ton, Judi Hannan, Mary Martin, Barry Hansen, Beatrice

Rodriguez, Mary Cameron, Pam Cairns, Jim & Betty

Bourke, Carolyn Gascoigne, Irene Owsianka, Debra

Matuk, Don & Liz McKenzie, David McGregor, Barba-

ra Hunt, Fr Laurie, Peter Whyte, Pat McConvill, Eileen

Mann, Ann Balette, Gerard Carra, Ange Virgona. And

a special thankyou to Maree Taverna, Anne-Marie

Hyde and Lys Crowe who co-ordinated it all and were

there all day.

Thanks also to those who came along and bought sau-

sages and drinks!

We raised $2233.

Christmas Hamper Raffle Congratulations to our winners!

1st prize – John Bruitzman

2nd – Bernie Cooper

3rd – Sally Blake (daughter of Doreen Gregory)

4th – Charlotte Congues

5th – Max Kufer

6th – Evelyn Bodger

Thankyou to all who supported the raffle by donating

things and/or buying tickets.

We raised $890 from this fundraising effort.

Christmas Wallhanging

Could the person who donated the beautiful “to be

finished” wallhanging (pictured above) to the Christ-

mas Raffle, please contact Lys at the Parish Office.

We’d like to be able to acknowledge your work.

Thankyou.

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.

The Welfare Officers for December are Tom & Ma-

ree Shelton 9787 3593.

The Welfare Officers for January will be John & Mar-

garet Gallagher 9787 5949.

STM Social Club Fun & Friendship For All

St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria To All Dear Parishioners

of St Thomas More Over a year of prayers on your Prayer List every

week… A miracle occurred this year on 18th April

2016. A life changing operation!!

I cannot thank you enough as with your prayers

God has given me a second chance of life. I am so

grateful to be with my family this Christmas and

plan to be for many more.

May the joy of Christmas and the coming New

Year of 2017 be with you all. So grateful.

With thanks and love

Lilia Screaton

Last ‘Seasons’ for 2016 This is the last edition of ‘Seasons’ for 2016. The first

edition for 2017 will be on 28/29 January. If you

would like something included in this, it will need to

be at the Parish Office by 9 am on Wednesday 25th

January.

PAGE 4 SEASONS CHRISTMAS DAY YEAR A

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 parishion-

ers, both old and new.

Just fill in the form in the folder at the Church porch

and we will be in touch.

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 fur-

ther details.