2 / 28
F
or me it’s significant
and providential that we
celebrate the official opening
and blessing of our purpose
built southern Mass centre
just a few weeks short of our
first birthday as a parish - which as many
would be aware falls on 22 June 2016. As
any parent and grandparent (and uncle
for that matter!) knows firsthand the first
birthday of a child is a cause for great
celebration, but at the same time it is an
opportunity to look back with thanks and
to look forward to the future in hope.
The same is true for a parish as young as
ours. Our first birthday is an opportunity
to look back in thanksgiving for all that
has been achieved through the grace of
our ‘Good God’ but to also look forward
with hope as God continues to writes
the story of this ‘newest Catholic parish
in Australia’ through us who, from the
very first days of our lives together, I have
reminded us “are the Church”.
It’s also significant and providential that
we celebrate the building of this ‘domus
ecclesia’ (the house for us ‘the Church’)
in the year that the Sisters of St Joseph
(founded by our patron St Mary of the
Cross MacKillop and Fr Julian Tenison
Woods) celebrate their sesquicentenary.
Again as I have often reminded us, the
story of our new parish has mirrored in
many ways the story of the founding of
the Josephites: celebrating the Masses in
the southern part of our parish, not in a
church building but in the facilities of a
school; opening our first parish office
(aka ‘The Hub’) in a site shed probably not
much smaller than Mary MacKillop’s
Penola barn school house; the priest
not living in a purpose built presbytery
but in rented accommodation and
travelling between Mass centres (yes,
I acknowledge not on horseback
like Fr Julian) to administer the
sacraments; the opening of a convent
in Leppington and the presence
of the Sisters in the two Catholic
schools within our parish boundary;
and the generous contributions of
fellow parishioners, friends and
supporters (including those outside
the parish and even some who aren’t
Catholics - the Joanna Barr Smiths
and Emmanuel Solomons of our
day) that has allowed us to renovate
our northern Mass centre (St Mary
Mother of God Church Leppington)
and to construct our southern Mass
centre. These similarities and many
others lead us to be able to say like
Mary MacKillop that “Little did [we]
dream what was to spring from so
small a beginning”.
One hundred and fifty years ago Mary
and Julian listened to the heartbeat
of the world of their time. As
parishioners and friends of the parish
of St Mary MacKillop Oran Park, let
us pray on this day and during this
sesquicentenary year that the vision
and dream of Mary MacKillop and
Julian will energise and guide us as we
continue to build Australia’s newest
Catholic parish together.
WELCOME
Fr David Catterall
MTh
Parish Priest