Mary Mother of the Church

Catholic Parish Ivanhoe

 

Our Online Parish Mass                           HERE 

This Week’s Newsletter & Homily          HERE

Family Prayer & Gospel Video                HERE

Donations to the Parish / CDF Pay        HERE

From Fr. Bill – 24 / 25 October 2020

Many people of faith were very disappointed that the easing of restrictions in Melbourne, announced last Sunday by the Premier, did not include any meaningful steps towards a return to our places of worship. The doors of our churches, synagogues, temples and mosques remain firmly closed and there are no signs of hope in them opening up any time soon.

While the Government is to be commended for its efforts to keep people safe, especially those most vulnerable, and the suppression of the virus that has been achieved during this lockdown, there is a sense among people of faith that we are not being treated fairly or on parity with other sectors of the community. Parity with other sectors seems denied even when we reach “Covid normal”. The spectre of our places of worship remaining closed leaves our people feeling exiled and pushed outside.

Gathering outside for Mass in tiny groups of five, looking at locked doors, is pretty hard to explain when driving or walking to Mass you pass by local cafés not just open but with people milling around outside enjoying their café latte’s without masks, social distancing, contact tracing or sanitiser.

Our church communities have worked closely with the Government and the Health Department to be safe and responsible—with Covid-Safe plans in place for each church. The Health Department tell us that religious worship is an inherently higher risk than other sectors. How is 30 people swimming in a pool safer than pouring baptismal water over the head of one infant? How is eating and drinking in a pub or restaurant (unmasked) safer than a small congregation, masked, sanitised, temperature checked and appropriately spaced within churches that are larger than many pubs or eateries? None of this passes the “pub test” when it comes to places of worship remaining closed.

I understand why the Government is hesitant to go against the recommendations of the Health Department but if the Department is so convinced places of worship are more inherently risky than shopping centres like Northland, supermarkets, pubs, restaurants and swimming pools then there needs to be some transparency and we need to be shown the data and the rationale so that we can sit down together and discuss a way forward.

We have no desire to undermine restrictions that protect life, nor do we wish to stoop to the carping and strident abuse of those who are happy to undermine public safety for their own agenda. But people of faith do deserve to be treated fairly and given hope in seeing a way forward.

The above is my personal adaptation of a meeting between the Archbishop and his priests at our weekly Zoom meeting together with excerpts from a media release by the Archbishop. 

PARISH CONTACTS

Parish Priest:                       Fr. Bill Edebohls

Office Administrator:           Teana McIntosh

Parish Postal Address:         PO Box 319, Ivanhoe 3079

Parish Office:                       56 Wilfred Rd, Ivanhoe East 3079

Presbytery:                         63 Wilfred Rd, Ivanhoe East 3079

Phone:                                9926 2310 

Mobile:                                 0427 879 733

Email:                                   Ivanhoe@cam.org.au

Website:                               www.ivanhoecatholics.com                     

Prayer@Home resources for this week.

A:        Use the links at the top of the page or paste these links into your browser.

             Our online Parish Mass for each Sunday will be available by noon each Saturday

             https://www.ivanhoecatholics.com/fr-bill-streamed-mass 

             This weekend’s edition of the Parish Newsletter and Homily

             https://www.ivanhoecatholics.com/reflectionoftheweek.htm

             Family Prayer (Praying with your Children at Home)

             https://www.ivanhoecatholics.com/reflectionoftheweek.htm

B.         Sunday 11.00am Mass from St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Channel 31 (which is channel 44 on most digital TVs.

C.         Angelus & Coffee together over Zoom Coming together on our computers and tablets each Tuesday morning at 10.30am to say the Angelus, read the Gospel, pray together and share our stories while catching up over a coffee.  If you are interested in joining contact Ivanhoe@cam.org.au  and we will forward the link

In this week’s Newsletter

1. Hope and Exile
2. Month of Holy Souls and November Masses
3. Our regular Climate Change Action Group reflection
4. Homily for this Sunday
5. Weekend Prayer@Home for those not accessing our Online Mass
6. See bottom of this update for latest regulations for Mass, Baptisms, Weddings, Home Communions, Anointing of the Sick and Reconciliation

Latest News and News from the Wider Church  HERE

1. Grant us the grace to be more united and more fraternal, prays pope
2. Wellington Council considering rent-a-grave scheme
3. Holy See, China new provisional agreement
   
4. Pope Francis declares support for same-sex civil unions for the first time as pope
5. The parish: to grieve or enter new life
   
6. 'Fratelli Tutti': Papal dreams or Vatican diversion?
   

Keeping in Touch

1. Our Website: www.ivanhoecatholics.com
2. Group email: if you are not yet on our group email list, and receiving weekly emails and newsletters from me, please contact Ivanhoe@cam.org.au   
3. Pick up a hard copy of our Newsletter: available from external containers at front doors of our churches and parish office. From 12 noon each Friday

Do You Need Help

We have people happy to assist with the delivery of our Newsletters, groceries and other necessities. If you are vulnerable, cannot get out, or access services please phone or email the parish office Ivanhoe@cam.org.au  

How Covid-19 Restrictions continue to affect you & your Parish!

1. All Churches are closed for Mass and private prayer.
2. MASSES are permitted outdoors for a maximum of 5 people attending.
3. The Parish Office is closed all communication should be via email to Ivanhoe@cam.org.au  or phone [9926 2310 or 0427 879 733]
4. The Office and all other Parish facilities will be unavailable for use by any group or persons until restrictions are lifted with the exception of the St. Bernadette’s Community Centre being available for the storage and distribution of emergency food aid for our St. Vincent de Paul Conference.
5. Baptisms now permitted outdoors – contact Fr. Bill for details.
6. Reconciliation / Confessions by appointment with Fr. Bill. 
7. Communion at Home available only in cases of serious illness.
8. Anointing of the Sick available only in cases of serious illness.
9. Weddings now permitted outdoors with limit of five attending.
10. Funerals restricted to 10 people attending.

Fr. Bill Edebohls

Parish Priest

PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF OUR MAILING ADDRESS & PHONE NUMBER

Mary Mother of the Church

Catholic Parish Ivanhoe

Office:              56 Wilfred Rd Ivanhoe East

Mail:                PO Box 319 Ivanhoe 3079                                       

Phone:             03 9926 2310

Email:              Ivanhoe@cam.org.au

Webpage:       www.ivanhoecatholics.com

Presbytery:     63 Wilfred Rd Ivanhoe East 3079

Phone:             0427 879 733

Email:              bill.edebohls@cam.org.au

As a Catholic Community we respect the Wurrundjeri people, traditional custodians of the land upon which our parish resides, and commit ourselves to reconciliation and justice for all in our community and nation. 

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Parish Information

Our Schools

Mary Immaculate Primary School:  www.miivanhoe.catholic.edu.au

St Bernadette's Primary School:     www.sbivanhoe.catholic.edu.au

Parish Contacts

The Parish Office is located at 4 Waverley Avenue Ivanhoe 3079

Parish Priest:                      Fr Bill Edebohls: 63 Wilfred Rd East Ivanhoe. Tel. 0427 879 733