Our Lady of the Mission
April 11th 2021 - Second Sunday of Easter/Divine Mercy
+ Next Sunday is the Third Sunday of Easter +
Message from Fr Cyp
Alleluia, alleluia! Christ is truly risen!
Fr Francis and I warmly welcome you here at Our Lady of the Mission, Whitford Parish; parishioners and visitors alike. Feel truly at home as we pray and worship together in this awesome space. I pray and hope you and your loved ones are so far having a graceful Easter. May God the Father of our risen Lord Jesus Christ keep you all safe and well in the love of the Holy Spirit who prays in us, more than we can imagine. Our sincere thanks to all our office staff, volunteers, ministry leaders; creative liturgy team, parish choirs, acolytes, altar servers, sacristans, cleaners, groundkeepers, and all those who worked quietly behind the scenes for a meaningful and successful Holy Week and Easter. We are truly humbled by the wonderful and encouraging feedback from our parishioners and visitors who joined us at this year’s Easter Triduum; that is, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil. Whilst it has been quiet on COVID-19 concern front, we are nevertheless not resting in our resolve to keep OLM a COVID-Safe community. Our priests, office staff, cleaning ministry team are doing their bit. We ask you to do your bit in assisting us in this resolve. Together, we will be victorious over this pandemic. Fr Francis and I thank you one and all for your ongoing prayers, concern, encouragement, and support. Rest assured of our daily thoughts and prayers. We commend you as always, into the powerful intercessions of our Blessed Virgin Mother of Good counsel, and those of St Joseph, patron of the universal Church.
Fr Cyprian M Shikokoti - PP.
MASS TIMES 12th April to the 18th April 2021
Monday 12th April
Adoration Space in Church 7.00am/ Church 9.00am
Feast Day:
Tuesday 13th April
Adoration Space in Church 7.00am/ Church 9.00am
Feast Day:
Wednesday 14th April
Adoration Space in Church 7.00am/ Church 9.00am
Feast Day:
Thursday 15th April
Adoration Space in Church 7.00am/ Church 9.00am
Feast Day:
Friday 16th April
Adoration Space in Church 7.00am/ Church 9.00am
Feast Day:
Saturday 17th April
Church 8.30am/ 6.30pm
Feast Day:
Sunday 18th April
Church 8.00am/ 9.30am/ 11.00am/ 5.45pm
Feast Day:
Prayer of the Week
Lord, may we who have not seen, believe; and may we share what we believe with those whom we love.
Introduction:
The compassion of God is beyond all telling. We gather in the hope of the resurrection and know that we share in the joy of the promise of an eternal inheritance offered to us through the Mass.
1st Reading: Acts 4:32-35
The early Church, gathered together, is shown as a foundation for prayer, unity and the sharing of goods for the good of all.
2nd Reading: 1 John 5:1-6
Love of God is revealed in love of one’s neighbour.
Gospel: John 20:19-31
The doubting apostle, Thomas, discovers new faith in the risen Christ.
Antiphon to the Psalm:
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.
Parish Notices - Sunday 11th April 2021
1. COVID 19 Protocols at Church: Given our large parish Church size, we can operate at our usual capacity. As of Monday 15th March 2021, we are no longer required to observe the 2sqm rule and we can admit up to 75% capacity at any one time. Our parish priests, staff, cleaners, and volunteers are doing their very best to keep the space safe for us all. We are grateful to one and all of you for supporting us in this commitment of making OLM a safe and COVID 19-Free community.
2. COVID 19 Contact Register: Unless you have a SafeWA App and have checked yourself in using QR code provided at the entrance, we ask you to please fill your details in a WA Government’s Health Department form provided at the information desk. Thank you for your cooperation.
3. Thank you: We would like to extend our sincere thanks to our parish office staff, volunteers and ministry leaders who assisted in many different ways to organise for Holy Week and Easter celebrations. We are all humbled by the positive and encouraging feedback for a well celebrated Easter.
4. Divine Mercy Feast: Please remember to join us at 3.00pm this Sunday, 11th April for the celebration of Divine Mercy Feast.
5. Discovering Catholic Values: An Introduction to the Basics of our Faith
You're invited along to attend this course to be held at our Parish - hosted by the Centre for Faith Enrichment. Presented by Joe Tedesco, this course will explore who is God, who is Christ as our saviour, what is the Church, and how do we respond to evil and suffering? It commences on Wednesday 21st April 7.30pm in the Parish Hall, running for four weeks. Suggested cost donation $20 for the entirety. For more info see: https://cfe.org.au/courses/discovering-catholic-values-an-introduction-to-the-basics-of-our-faith/
6. Blessed Salt: Please help yourself to a pack of blessed salt from the back of the church.
7. 7.00am Mass moving to the Adoration space: As of this Monday12th April 2021, 7.00am Mass will be held in the new Adoration space.
8. FREE Just Faith Magazine: Please pick up your FREE copy of our parish’s Just Faith Magazine.
9. WYFI: Our parish youth group have their gatherings every First, Third and Fifth Fridays of the month at 7.00pm in the Parish hall. We invite all years six to twelve students to join us. Call Luke 0401822932 for more information.
10. Save the date: The Overseas Mission will hold a Plant Sale on the weekend of the 8th and 9th of May at all masses. Start potting your plants now and please drop to the Church before the weekend of the sale. Any donations welcomed. Please contact Linda Sweeney for any further information 0449 101 720.
11. Volunteers needed for Faith and Friendship Group: The faith and friendship group for people with intellectual disability are looking for a female volunteer. Your commitment would be 3 hours on a Thursday evening. Your special friend would be a beautiful lady with Down’s syndrome, who you would drive to and from the group throughout term time. Training is provided. No experience required, just an open loving heart. For more details, please contact Sue 0410 418 023
12. Fifth Plenary Council of Australia: After long deliberation on the delayed first assembly due to COVID 19, Catholic Bishops of Australia have now confirmed that they will be gathering with delegates from the 3rd to 10th of October 2021. Kindly pray for the success of this assembly and the opportunities it creates for the Catholic Church in Australia. For more latest news and details, check on plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au
13. Visit to the sick in homes and hospitals: Fr Cyprian and Fr Francis are now able to visit our sick parishioners in homes and hospitals. If you know a family member or parishioner who may benefit from such visit, please let us know. Also, some of our Acolytes and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion continue to bring Communion to the sick and home-bound on Sundays as required.
14. The First-Class Relic of St Mariae Goretti: has been donated to the Parish by Pat Fraser. The Relic is ‘housed’ in a Reliquary which is kept by the Statue of Our Lady at the back of the Church. Parishioners may take the Reliquary to their homes and keep it as long as required then return it to the Church. Please call the office 9307 2776 or Shirley-Ann 0424 813 890 and advise when the Reliquary is taken and returned.
15. Whitford Catholic Primary School: Whitford Catholic Primary School is a community that celebrates faith and achievement and promotes excellence in all we do. Please visit our website www.whitfordcatholicps.wa.edu.au, our Facebook page or call (08) 9404 4200 for more information. We are currently taking expressions of interest and interviews for enrolment across the seven-year groups.
16. Padbury Catholic Primary School: Padbury Catholic Primary School is a welcoming, inclusive, and faith-filled community which caters for students from Pre-Kindy to Year 6 in a double-stream setting. We actively promote our school values of Respect, Excellence, Sacredness and Togetherness. Please visit our website www.padcath.wa.edu.au or call 9404 4000 to express your interest or request an interview (no interview required for Pre-Kindy.
Rosters - 18th April 2021
NEWSLETTER NOTICES DEADLINE: Wednesday at 12pm Noon.
RELIGIOUS GOODS STALL: Bernadette Nabham/ Cecilia Araya/ Sible Rozario/ Flora Joanilho/ Mary McGrath-Yek.
READERS: Kazak Trofimczyk & Kerry Roberts/ Natalie Bullen & Peter Ross/ Carol Wright & Volunteer/ Karena Tansey & Matt Tansey/ Anne Couzens & Sarah Headd.
COUNTERS: Sunday 18th April: Vicky Ryan/ Catriona West/ Judy Cavanagh/ Deborah Smith/ Clare Alexander/ Greg & Catriona Johnston.
CLEANERS: Friday 24th April: Maria Mammone/ Darlene McKenzie/ Maria Bennett/ Regaine Tokimatsu/ Raluca Gavriliu/ Cathy Maloney.
BAKERS: Glory Be Café is still closed.
SERVERS: Glory Be Café is still closed.
STATUE OF FATIMA: From 10th of April to the 17th of April the Statue of Fatima will be with Zdunek family in Craigie. Those wishing to join them in saying the Rosary can call 9307 4113 to arrange. From the 17th of October the statue will be the Shirley-Ann in Hillarys.
DEVOTION TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS: Is held on the first Friday of every month during 9.00am Mass. The next Devotion will be on Friday the 7th of May.
EXPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT: Adoration is held on Wednesdays 9.30am–7pm and Fridays 9.30am–7pm.
BAPTISM: We welcome Ryan Browne, Orin Boyle, Rosie Burke, Ayden Merl, Tyson Merl, and Conor O’Hara into God’s family this weekend.
PRAY FOR THE SICK: We pray for all those in our parish’s Book of the Sick. You are most welcome to add names to this book in the foyer of the Church. Please cross out when our prayers are no longer needed.
Death & Anniversary
Our Prayers this week will be offered for Philomena De Lima, Maria Louisa Poliesky, Karl Bastian, Arturo Dimanlig, Marty Brill, Prema Chrisostom Gooch, Roy, Isabel Moore, for all Souls in Purgatory, All Doctors, Nurses and Heath Care workers who have died from Covid-19, for all our departed loved ones, all Holy Souls, all victims of Covid-19, all those recently deceased and those who have their anniversary around this time.
Stewardship Corner
The Christian community described in Acts understood and practiced total stewardship. St. Paul reports that the believers did not claim anything as their own, but held everything in common, and distributed to each whatever was needed.
General Notices
1. Pilgrimage: Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem Pilgrimage from the 22nd of June to the 27th of June 2021. Please see notice at back of Church for more information.
2. Sacred Heart Vietnam Mission 2021 – Seeking Donations of Cotton Fabric: The Vietnam Mission at Sacred Heart College is seeking donations of quality cotton fabrics to make toiletry bags, pencil cases and backpacks. These items will be made by grandparents, parents and students and then delivered to the Kimberley by Sacred Heart Students on their Mission to the Kimberley in November. We require clean, cotton fabric of any colour. Fabric can be delivered to the College, Hocking Parade, Sorrento via Administration for the attention of Ms Susan Rodriguez. For any further information please contact srodrigues@sacredheart.wa.edu.au
3. Attention Married Couples: Celebrate the gift of your unique love and have time to focus on each other and your marriage, away from everyday distractions. We invite you to join us on a Marriage Encounter Weekend. 2021 Weekends as follows: Online Zoom weekend 30th April – 2nd May 2021. Enrich your marriage in the privacy of your own home, using your own Computer. 16-17 October 2021 to be held at Prendiville Catholic College, Ocean Reef (Live Out). For more information or booking contact: Valerie & Brendon on 0424 220 625 – Email: WAbookings@wwme.org.au Website – www.wwme.org.au
4. Youth Leadership Pathway Formation Program: Are you a current youth leader wanting further training? Are you a young person discerning your call in youth ministry to become a youth leader or volunteer? Then this is for you! Youth Leadership Pathway is a 12 months program targeting the needs of youth leaders in parishes. We offer formation, training, pastoral care and a supportive network with the aim to grow Catholic youth leaders with a heart of mission. This program consists of a combination of online training, in-person workshops and mentoring, offering a flexible training opportunity to help you grow in your personal, professional and ministry life. This program is launching in May 2021 and it is for over 18s only. To register or find out more information, please visit: https://training.cym.com.au/
5. Aid to the Church in Need Australia: In many places religious sisters are the custodians of the faith, but often these communities struggle just to live. Across the course of a year ACN supports more than 18,000 religious sisters in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. Could you help support a religious sister? Visit www.aidtochurch.org/sisters
6. Employment Opportunity: Catholic Archdiocese Senior Information Officer. Applications close Monday 19th April. See notice board for more information.
Mass Readings - Easter Sunday
Entrance Antiphon 1 Pt 2: 2
Like newborn infants, you must long for the pure, spiritual milk, that in him you may grow to salvation, alleluia.
Opening Prayer:
God of everlasting mercy, who in the very recurrence of the paschal feast kindle the faith of the people you have made your own, increase, we pray, the grace you have bestowed, that all may grasp and rightly understand in what font they have been washed, by whose Spirit they have been reborn, by whose Blood they have been redeemed. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
First reading: Acts 4:32-35
The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned was held in common. The apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power, and they were all given great respect. None of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from them, to present it to the apostles; it was then distributed to any members who might be in need.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 117(118):2-4,15-18,22-24
Response: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love is everlasting.
Let the sons of Israel say: ‘His love has no end.’ Let the sons of Aaron say: ‘His love has no end.’ Let those who fear the Lord say: ‘His love has no end.’ R.
The Lord’s right hand has triumphed; his right hand raised me up. I shall not die, I shall live and recount his deeds. I was punished, I was punished by the Lord, but not doomed to die. R.
The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone. This is the work of the Lord, a marvel in our eyes. This day was made by the Lord; we rejoice and are glad. R.
Second reading: 1 John 5:1-6
Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten by God; and whoever loves the Father that begot him loves the child whom he begets. We can be sure that we love God’s children if we love God himself and do what he has commanded us; this is what loving God is – keeping his commandments; and his commandments are not difficult, because anyone who has been begotten by God has already overcome the world; this is the victory over the world – our faith. Who can overcome the world? Only the man who believes that Jesus is the Son of God: Jesus Christ who came by water and blood, not with water only, but with water and blood; with the Spirit as another witness – since the Spirit is the truth.
Sequence: Victimae Paschali Laudes
Christians, to the Paschal Victim offer sacrifice and praise. The sheep are ransomed by the Lamb; and Christ, the undefiled, hath sinners to his Father reconciled. Death with life contended: combat strangely ended! Life’s own Champion, slain, yet lives to reign. Tell us, Mary: say what thou didst see upon the way. The tomb the Living did enclose; I saw Christ’s glory as he rose! The angels there attesting; shroud with grave-clothes resting. Christ, my hope, has risen: he goes before you into Galilee. That Christ is truly risen from the dead we know. Victorious king, thy mercy show!
Gospel Acclamation: John 20:29
Alleluia, alleluia! You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me; happy are those who have not seen me, but still believe! Alleluia!
Gospel Reading: John 20:19-31
In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. ‘As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.’ After saying this he breathed on them and said: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.’ Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. When the disciples said, ‘We have seen the Lord’, he answered, ‘Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe.’ Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. ‘Peace be with you’ he said. Then he spoke to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe.’ Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him: ‘You believe because you can see me. Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’ There were many other signs that Jesus worked and the disciples saw, but they are not recorded in this book. These are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing this you may have life through his name.
Prayer over the Offerings:
Accept, O Lord, we pray, the oblations of your people (and of those you have brought to new birth), that, renewed by confession of your name and by Baptism, they may attain unending happiness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Communion Antiphon: Jn. 20: 27
Bring your hand and feel the place of the nails, and do not be unbelieving but believing, alleluia.
Prayer after Communion:
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that our reception of this paschal Sacrament may have a continuing effect in our minds and hearts. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer in a Time of a Pandemic
Holy God, you are our comfort and strength in times of Crisis, Pandemic and Uncertainty. Surround us now with your grace and peace through this global pandemic of COVID 19. By your Spirit, help those for whom the effects of this pandemic have been severe and even tragic. Sustain those who are working hard through it. Grant your wisdom to those governing and guiding us to a sense of normality. Fill us all with courage and hope of better days ahead. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our rock and redeemer. Amen.
Reflections from Pope Francis
Last Sunday we celebrated the Lord’s resurrection; today we witness the resurrection of his disciple. It has already been a week, a week since the disciples had seen the Risen Lord, but in spite of this, they remained fearful, cringing behind “closed doors” (Jn 20:26), unable even to convince Thomas, the only one absent, of the resurrection. What does Jesus do in the face of this timorous lack of belief? He returns and, standing in the same place, “in the midst” of the disciples, he repeats his greeting: “Peace be with you!” (Jn 20:19, 26). He starts all over. The resurrection of his disciple begins here, from this faithful and patient mercy, from the discovery that God never tires of reaching out to lift us up when we fall. He wants us to see him, not as a taskmaster with whom we have to settle accounts, but as our Father who always raises us up. In life we go forward tentatively, uncertainly, like a toddler who takes a few steps and falls; a few steps more and falls again, yet each time his father puts him back on his feet. The hand that always puts us back on our feet is mercy: God knows that without mercy we will remain on the ground, that in order to keep walking, we need to be put back on our feet.
You may object: “But I keep falling!”. The Lord knows this and he is always ready to raise you up. He does not want us to keep thinking about our failings; rather, he wants us to look to him. For when we fall, he sees children needing to be put back on their feet; in our failings he sees children in need of his merciful love. On this Sunday that Saint John Paul II dedicated to Divine Mercy twenty years ago, we confidently welcome this message. Jesus said to Saint Faustina: “I am love and mercy itself; there is no human misery that could measure up to my mercy” (Diary, 14 September 1937). At one time, the Saint, with satisfaction, told Jesus that she had offered him all of her life and all that she had. But Jesus’ answer stunned her: “You have not offered me the thing is truly yours”. What had that holy nun kept for herself? Jesus said to her with kindness: “My daughter, give me your failings” (10 October 1937). We too can ask ourselves: “Have I given my failings to the Lord? Have I let him see me fall so that he can raise me up?” Or is there something I still keep inside me? A sin, a regret from the past, a wound that I have inside, a grudge against someone, an idea about a particular person… The Lord waits for us to offer him our failings so that he can help us experience his mercy.
Let us go back to the disciples. They had abandoned the Lord at his Passion and felt guilty. But meeting them, Jesus did not give a long sermon. To them, who were wounded within, he shows his own wounds. Thomas can now touch them and know of Jesus’ love and how much Jesus had suffered for him, even though he had abandoned him. In those wounds, he touches with his hands God’s tender closeness. Thomas arrived late, but once he received mercy, he overtook the other disciples: he believed not only in the resurrection, but in the boundless love of God. And he makes the most simple and beautiful profession of faith: “My Lord and my God!” (v. 28). Here is the resurrection of the disciple: it is accomplished when his frail and wounded humanity enters into that of Jesus. There, every doubt is resolved; there, God becomes my God; there, we begin to accept ourselves and to love life as it is.
Dear brothers and sisters, in the time of trial that we are presently undergoing, we too, like Thomas, with our fears and our doubts, have experienced our frailty. We need the Lord, who sees beyond that frailty an irrepressible beauty. With him we rediscover how precious we are even in our vulnerability. We discover that we are like beautiful crystals, fragile and at the same time precious. And if, like crystal, we are transparent before him, his light – the light of mercy – will shine in us and through us in the world. As the Letter of Peter said, this is a reason for being “filled with joy, though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials” (1 Pt 1:6).
On this feast of Divine Mercy, the most beautiful message comes from Thomas, the disciple who arrived late; he was the only one missing. But the Lord waited for Thomas. Mercy does not abandon those who stay behind. Now, while we are looking forward to a slow and arduous recovery from the pandemic, there is a danger that we will forget those who are left behind. The risk is that we may then be struck by an even worse virus, that of selfish indifference. A virus spread by the thought that life is better if it is better for me, and that everything will be fine if it is fine for me. It begins there and ends up selecting one person over another, discarding the poor, and sacrificing those left behind on the altar of progress. The present pandemic, however, reminds us that there are no differences or borders between those who suffer. We are all frail, all equal, all precious. May we be profoundly shaken by what is happening all around us: the time has come to eliminate inequalities, to heal the injustice that is undermining the health of the entire human family! Let us learn from the early Christian community described in the Acts of the Apostles. It received mercy and lived with mercy: “All who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need” (Acts 2:44-45). This is not some ideology: it is Christianity.
In that community, after the resurrection of Jesus, only one was left behind and the others waited for him. Today the opposite seems to be the case: a small part of the human family has moved ahead, while the majority has remained behind. Each of us could say: “These are complex problems, it is not my job to take care of the needy, others have to be concerned with it!”. Saint Faustina, after meeting Jesus, wrote: “In a soul that is suffering we should see Jesus on the cross, not a parasite and a burden... [Lord] you give us the chance to practise deeds of mercy, and we practise making judgements” (Diary, 6 September 1937). Yet she herself complained one day to Jesus that, in being merciful, one is thought to be naive. She said, “Lord, they often abuse my goodness”. And Jesus replied: “Never mind, don’t let it bother you, just be merciful to everyone always” (24 December 1937). To everyone: let us not think only of our interests, our vested interests. Let us welcome this time of trial as an opportunity to prepare for our collective future, a future for all without discarding anyone. Because without an all-embracing vision, there will be no future for anyone.
Today the simple and disarming love of Jesus revives the heart of his disciple. Like the apostle Thomas, let us accept mercy, the salvation of the world. And let us show mercy to those who are most vulnerable; for only in this way will we build a new world.
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Contact us!
Parish Priest: Fr Cyprian M. Shikokoti
Ph: 0450 464 678
Assistant Priest: Fr Francis Quoc Tran
Ph: 0466 909 282
Parish Office
Secretaries: Christine List & Mary McGrath-Yek
Office Hours: Mon – Fri 9am –4pm
Email: whitford@perthcatholic.org.au
Sacramental Coordinator: Brigid Fredericks
Ph: 08 9307 2776
Email: sacramental.whitford@perthcatholic.org.au
Missioncare: Donna Moxey (Meals, Visiting & Family help)
Ph: 0434 637 355
Youth and Young Adult Contact Details
Youth Choir: Tara Prentice - 0424 205 011
Youth & Family Choir: Fran Christie Zscherpel - 0433 852 967
WyFi: Luke 0401 822 932 or Monica 0408 499 985
Safeguarding Officers:
Rachel Wood 0400 958 513
Margy Reeler 0458 509 054
Andrew DeMaio 0422 236 051
Email: whitford@perthcatholic.org.au
Website: olm.myparish.net.au
Location: 270 Camberwarra Drive, Craigie WA, Australia
Phone: 08 9307 2776
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Our-Lady-of-the-Mission-Whitford-Parish-105788500874671/?ref=br_rs