CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION AND ST. PAUL OF THE CROSS

Catholic Parish of Dulwich Hill, Archdiocese of Sydney, Established in 1907 532 New Canterbury Road, Dulwich Hill NSW 2203 PO Box 149 Dulwich Hill NSW 2203 Ph: 9558-3257 Fax: 9559-3752 Facebook: www.facebook.com/StPotC Website: dulwichhillparish.org.au Email: church@dulwichhillparish.org.au, or secretary@dulwichhillparish.org.au

Bishop Richard Umbers DD VG (Bishop in Residence) Fr. Andrew James (Parish Priest), (Deacon) Rev Louis Azzopardi

Parish Office Maria - Mondays Cecilia –Wed-Friday 9.30am - 2:30pm

Parish & Hall enquiries 9558 3257

Mass Times Sat: 5:30pm (Vigil) Sun: 8am & 10am Mon to Fri: 9:00am Sat: 9:30am

Family Mass with Children’s Liturgy 3rd Sunday of the Month 10am Mass Family Rosary & Morning Tea - 2nd Sunday of the Month after 10am Mass in the Church Hall

Filipino Mass 1st Sun 11:30am

Il Gruppo di Rosario Italiano Il gruppo di preghiera Italiano, si raduna ogni giovedi alle ore 10 nella salla parrocchiale.

Sacraments Confession Sat 8:30-9:20am, 4:45pm or any time by appointment

Baptism Every 2nd, 3rd and 4th Sunday 11.15am

Marriage At least 6 months notice required

Anointing of the Sick Any time on call

Devotions Holy Hour & Rosary Sunday - Friday before morning mass

Rosary & Benediction Sat 8:30-9:30am

Elsa George Rosary Group Second Saturday of the month at 2.30pm 9716 6676 All welcome

Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Wednesday 7pm

With St Paul of the Cross we pray …

For the sick Lourdes Tee

Fr Jim Duggan Paul Weber

Kevin Russell Pat Allport

Cardo, Zennie, Ian, Pat Martin Welfare

Frank Katra Francheska Bechara

Recently Deceased

Death Anniversary Richard Puquim

For the Souls

All forgotten Souls and Holy Souls in Purgatory

Special Intentions

Leonor Delgado Ian Pinto

Rian Galliott

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Ph: 9558 5308 Fax: 9558 4909 Principal: Ms Frances Stewart REC: Ms Jo-Anne Ross

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time / A 26 July 2020

What do I need?

A man once wrote this letter to a New York rabbi who was well known for the wise advice he gave:

Dear Rabbi, I need your help. I wake up every day feeling sad and anxious. I can’t concentrate on anything. I can’t pray because I have too many things on my mind. I go to the synagogue but I feel alone. I wonder what life is all about. Please help me!

The rabbi gave him an answer that helped him a great deal but he didn’t write a single word in reply. He simply circled every “I” in each sentence and sent the letter back to him. This story takes us to the question that is at the heart of our reading from the Book of Kings. What do we really need? When Solomon asked God for “the gift of a heart to understand how to discern between good and evil”, he was, first of all, acknowledging his own limitations. He was an inexperienced young man ruling as king in the shadow of his father, the great King David. What he asked for, however, was not for himself-to be richer, to be more powerful or to have a longer life. He asked for a gift that would benefit the people he governed. What pleased God in our story was that Solomon didn’t ask for things for himself alone. He was not at the centre, his people were, a people who had been chosen by God. What Solomon wanted was the wisdom to govern God’s people in the way that God would want them to be governed. There is a shift here, a change of emphasis that we all find hard to make. As children, our world is basically centred on ourselves and our own needs; as teenagers, we become very conscious about how other people think about us and as adults we spend a great deal of time and energy in making a success of our lives. It is often only when we are married and have children or are entrusted with a unique vocation or responsibility that we realize that our life isn’t about ourselves. Wisdom in the Old Testament is considered to be one of the attributes of God. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 1:7). When we experience this gift, especially through the sacrament of Confirmation, we begin to see the world as God sees it not from our self- centred vantage point. The Book of Proverbs goes on to contrast the wise person and the fool. Whereas Solomon prayed to God and was given the gift of wisdom and understanding, the fool “takes no pleasure in understanding but only in expressing personal opinion” (Proverbs 18:2) Jesus’ parables were meant to move people away from themselves and their limited understanding of life, to life lived as God intended us to live. We don’t value our relationship with God as being like “ treasure hidden in a field” or “a pearl of great price”. We forget about what we’ve found and can claim as our own and carry on with our life as if this ‘treasure’ didn’t exist. This, in the end, was the treasure that Solomon was looking for when he asked God for the gift of wisdom and understanding. It is a gift because it can come only from God and it enables us to put everything into perspective. It makes us realize that it is God and not us at the centre of life as ‘the measure of all things’. This gift of faith, our relationship with God experienced through our lives, is the gift our fragmented, confused and hate-filled world needs more than anything else. Deacon Louis

Feast/Solemnity/Memorial/Saint

of the Week

(27 July - 1 August 2020)

Wed 29/7 St Martha Thu 30/7 St Peter Chrysologus, bishop, doctor Fri 31/7 St Ignatius of Loyola, priest Sat 1/8 St Alphonsus Liguori, bishop, doctor

A message from the Archdiocese of Sydney Child sexual abuse is a crime. The appropriate people to deal with crimes are the police. If you, or anyone you know, have been abused, please contact the police. Alternatively, you can contact the Safeguarding and Ministerial Integrity Office at (02) 9390 5810 or safeguardingenquiries@sydneycatholic.org. You may also want to speak to your Parish Priest who will be able to provide support and guidance. The Archdiocese has a legal obligation to report crimes to the police.

Planned Giving Envelope FY 2019-2020 receipts now available. The envelopes (receipts) are on the small table at the back of the church. Also, please return urgently the Form for the Planned Giving Envelope and tick/sign whether you are opting for 30% Tax Deduction or No Tax Deduction.

ACBC National Catholic Men’s Gathering

The ACBC National Catholic Men’s Gathering for 2020 is now being offered as an online event for registered participants. This modified program will be delivered in four pre-recorded sessions of approximately 1 hour in length. Each session will offer input from a variety of speakers and musicians, along with a response and questions for group discussion or individual reflection. The program is flexible, allowing you to participate individually or gather with others from your parish/diocese or men’s ministry group. Aim: To inspire and encourage all Catholic men

with a vision for personal discipleship, service and mission in the family, parish, diocese and the world.

Cost: FREE Registration: Available from Monday 29th June Event Program: Available from Saturday 15th August, 2020 Go to: www.catholicmensgathering.com.au

Preparation for First Reconciliation and Holy Communion Now that restrictions on the number of people gathering together have begun to ease, we are able to continue to prepare our children to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist. The new dates are: First Reconciliation: Preparation classes July 25th and 26th; August 1st and 2nd on Saturday at 4:30pm and Sunday 9am in the Parish Hall The sacrament of first reconciliation will be celebrated on Tuesday 4th August at 7pm First Communion: Preparation classes August 15th and 16th; 22nd and 23rd; 29th and 30th; September 5th and 6th on Saturday at 4:30pm and Sunday 9am. The children will receive their First Communion at the weekend Masses on the 12th and 13th September.

Martha’s great glory is her simple and strong statement of faith in Jesus after her brother’s death. “Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world’” (John 11:25-27).

St Peter Chrysologus was Bishop of Ravenna from about 433 until his death. He is known as the “Doctor of Homilies” for the concise but theologically rich reflections he delivered during his time as the Bishop of Ravenna.

St. Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish priest and theologian who founded the Jesuit order in 1534 and was one of the most influential figures in the Counter-Reformation. Known for its missionary, educational, and charitable works, the Jesuit order was a leading force in the modernizing of the Roman Catholic Church.

Saint Alphonsus Liguori, was an Italian Catholic bishop, spiritual writer, composer, musician, artist, poet, lawyer, scholastic philosopher, and theologian.

Vinnies is proud to announce the launch of the Mini Vinnies Formation Program (MVFP) for students in Years 4 – 6, who wish to undertake Social Justice Formation in their own time. For more information please go to https://bit.ly/MVFPinfo

This is the link to the Vinnies Metropolitan Schools July 2020 Newsletter: https://bit.ly/VinniesMetroSchoolsNewsletter2020Term3