Bridgeside Bulletin

The weekly Bulletin of the

Catholic Parish of Forster Tuncurry
Holy Name of Jesus Parish Church
33 Lake Street, Forster

St Mary, Star of the Sea Church

Cnr Kent & Peel Streets, Tuncurry

Proclaiming Christ to the communities of Forster, Tuncurry and the surrounding districts

Sunday 4th January, 2015

Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord
Parish
Fr Andrew Doohan (Parish Priest)
Mr Greg Byrne (Pastoral Associate)
Mrs Sharon Fowle (Administration Associate/Bulletin)
Sr Kathryn McCabe (Aboriginal Catholic Ministry)

The Parish Office is at the rear of the Parish Hall and is

normally staffed on Monday, Thursday and Friday
from 10am to 4pm.
Items for inclusion in Bridgeside Bulletin should be
received by midday on Thursday.
33 Lake Street, Forster NSW 2428
PO Box 67, Forster NSW 2428
P:
F:
E:
W:

(02) 6554 6304

(02) 6554 6425
forstertuncurryparish@gmail.com
www.forstertuncurrycatholic.org.au

Fr Andrews email: fr.andrew.doohan@gmail.com

Search for us on Facebook as Catholic Parish of
Forster Tuncurry

Follow us on Twitter: @ftcatholic

Celebrating the Sacraments

Reconciliation is available on Saturday mornings at
Tuncurry from 8:30am until the beginning of the 9am
Mass, on Saturday afternoons at Forster from 4:45pm
until 5:15pm.
Baptisms are celebrated on Sundays, either during any
of our Sunday Masses or after the 9am Mass. The next
Baptismal Preparation meeting will take place in the
Parish Halls meeting rooms on Monday 9th February
2015 commencing at 7pm. Please contact the Parish
Office for more details, or visit the Parish website.
Weddings are celebrated by arrangement and with at
least three (and preferably more) months notice.
Please contact Fr Andrew for more details, or visit the
Parish website.
A Sacramental Preparation process runs each year in
the Parish for children wishing to complete the
celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation as part of
the Parish community. Please contact the Parish Office
for more details, or visit the Parish website.
The Parish hosts the Rite of Christian Initiation of
Adults process for those adults wishing to be baptised
or be received into the communion of the Catholic
Church. Please contact the Parish Office for more
details, or visit the Parish website.

Holy Name Parish School (K-6)

St Clares High School, Taree (7-12)

Ms Brooke Schumann (Acting Principal)

Mr Peter Nicholls (Principal)

41 Lake Street, Forster NSW 2428

PO Box 243, Forster NSW 2428

Davis Street, Taree NSW 2430

P:
F:
E:
W:

P: (02) 6552 3300

F: (02) 6552 3656
E: admin@tareesc.catholic.edu.au
W: www.tareesc.catholic.edu.au

(02) 6554 6504

(02) 6554 8895
admin@forster.catholic.edu.au
www.forster.catholic.edu.au

The Parish Diary(for the week ahead)

Regular Activities in the Parish

Christmas Time

Secular Franciscan Fraternity

The Secular Franciscans Fraternity will next meet on
Wednesday 4th February 2015, coming together for
Mass at 9am, followed by a cuppa at 9:30am and then
the meeting 10am to 12pm.

Monday 5th January

Tuesday 6th January
9am
Christian Meditation (Bob 6555 5914)
3:30pm Holy Hour @ Tuncurry
4:30pm Evening Prayer @ Tuncurry
5:30pm Christian Meditation (Bob 6555 5914)

The menALIVE Group

Our Parish currently hosts a menALIVE group. They
will next meet on Wednesday 14th January after the
9am Mass.

Wednesday 7th January

9am
Morning Prayer @ Forster
11:15am Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help @
Forster

Womens Bible Study Group

Our Parish hosts a Womens Bible Study Group that
meets every Thursday evening from 7pm to 8pm. For
more information contact Natasha on 0407 589 935.

Thursday 8th January

9am
Morning Prayer @ Forster

Christian Meditation
Our Parish hosts opportunities for the practice of
Christian meditation on Tuesdays at two distinct
times, 9am and 5:30pm. Phone Bob on 6555 5914 for
further information.

Friday 9th January

9:30am Morning Prayer @ Forster
Saturday 10th January
8:30am Reconciliation @ Tuncurry
9am
Mass @ Tuncurry
4:45pm Reconciliation @ Forster (until 5:15pm)
6pm
Mass @ Tuncurry

Maintenance & Gardening Group

The Parish is served by a very dedicated band of
volunteers who tend to the upkeep of the grounds
and gardens of our two sites. Their next reunion will
be on Thursday 22nd January. Contact Howard 6557
6826 for more information.

Sunday 11th January

The Baptism of the Lord
7am
Mass @ Tuncurry
9am
Mass @ Forster
5pm
Mass @ Forster

Singing Practice
There will be no Singing Group get together until the
New Year. Details to be confirmed.
Collection of Foodstuffs for Homebase
The next collection of foodstuffs in support of
Homebase will be on Sunday 4th January 2015.
Holy Hour
The Parish community observes a Holy Hour each
Tuesday afternoon in the Tuncurry Church from
3:30pm until the beginning of Mass at 4:30pm.

Catholic Newspapers Available

Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help

The Novena is prayed every Wednesday in the Forster
church commencing at 11:15am and is followed by a
cuppa in the Parish Hall. For more information contact
Shioney on 6554 9468.

Both The Catholic Leader (Brisbane) and The Catholic

Weekly (Sydney) newspapers are available at a cost of
$2 each from our churches.

Weekend Masses in January

Saturdays

6pm

St Mary, Star of the Sea

Church, Tuncurry

Sundays

7am

St Mary, Star of the Sea

Church, Tuncurry
Holy Name of Jesus
Church, Forster
Holy Name of Jesus
Church, Forster

9am
5pm

Evening Prayer & Benediction

The Parish community celebrates on the first Sunday
of each month at 5:30pm in the Tuncurry church. It
will celebrated on Sunday 1st February 2015. All
welcome.
Childrens Liturgy of the Word
The next Children's Liturgy of the Word for children
aged 4-12 will be on the 1st February 2015 at the 9am
Mass.
2

From the Pastors Desk

Office Closure Times

There has been a lot of talk in the last few days about
New Years resolutions, and what people might be
hoping for during 2015. I have to confess that I often
find some of the things that people resolve to do
quite amusing: which probably says more about me.

The Parish Office will be closed from Friday 2nd

January to Monday 19th January while Greg and
Sharon take some Leave.
For urgent enquiries during this time, please make
contact with Fr Andrew.

Often the New Years resolutions people make are

incredibly self-focussed.

Fr Andrew Away
Fr Andrew will be away from the Parish this coming
week to attend the biennial conference in Brisbane of
the Australian Academy of Liturgy.

From a Christian perspective, limiting the making of

resolutions to just one day of the year is
counterintuitive. And that is because we know, or we
intuit, the need to make a resolution each and every
day to become better disciples of Jesus Christ, and
then only by opening ourselves to Gods grace that
allows that to come to fruition.

As is usual, the celebration of the Morning or Evening

Prayer will take place at the usual times for Mass on
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Fr Andrew
will be back in time for the usual schedule on
Saturday.

The reality of the Christian life is that it is a struggle, a

struggle that daily (and often more) requires us to say
yes to God and what God seeks from and for us.

During his absence, should a priest be required

urgently, please contact the Taree Presbytery (6552
1084).

As a new calendar year unfolds before us, the task for

us as Christians is not to set a program for the entire
year right now, but to commit ourselves to the daily
tasks of loving God, our neighbour, and ourselves. This
we do each and every day so that we dont get in the
way of what God wants to achieve through us, and so
that we are open to playing our small part in the
spreading of the Good News of Gods Kingdom.

Receiving Communion
So that we might receive Communion in a fit and
proper way, please be aware of the following:

May the year ahead be an opportunity for us all to

embrace the daily struggle to become better disciples
because we have daily resolved to open ourselves to
what God seeks to do for and through us. May our
openness to God be a source of blessing for ourselves
and for the world in which we live.

Until next week

Fr Andrew

Welcome!
We welcome to our community of faith Oscar
Atkinson, son of Leigh and Kylie who will be presented
to the parish community this weekend.
3

When we process forward to receive Communion,

we are asked to adopt a common and unified
gesture of reverence before doing so. In Australia
that gesture is a bow of the head and shoulders
(GIRM, 160). Any other form of reverence, including
a genuflection, is no longer permitted, and you are
asked to refrain from doing so.
When the minister of communion presents the
Host or Chalice to you, they say The Body of
Christ or The Blood of Christ. Please ensure that
you respond with Amen.
For those who choose to not receive Communion in
the hand, please remember the other option is to
receive Communion on the tongue. If this is your
choice, please ensure that you extend your tongue
in a manner that will assist the minister of
communion to facilitate this for you.
Communion by self-intinction (self-dipping) is
never permitted, since we receive Communion and
never take Communion. Please refrain from this
inappropriate action.
We regret that we do not have the physical
facilities to offer communion while kneeling, and
respectfully ask you to refrain from kneeling to
receive Communion while part of the procession,
since this is contrary to the nature of the
Communion procession itself. Your cooperation in
honouring this request is very much appreciated,
and we thank you for your consideration.

Reflecting on the Year

A Great Christmas Lunch Event

An unreflected life is a wasted life, as the adage

goes. As 2014 draws to a close we could reflect back
on the year and consider some plans for 2015. In our
Christian lives this reflection may be assisted by using
the Examen Prayer of St Ignatius.
Ignatius wanted his Jesuits to make the examen a
daily habit. He insisted that they never omit
the examen.
We might outline the examen prayer as follows:
The Examen of Consciousness
A Prayer to God
God, thank you.
I thank you, God, for always being with me, but
especially I am grateful that you are with me right
now.
God, send your Holy Spirit upon me.
God, let the Holy Spirit enlighten my mind and warm
my heart that I may know where and how we have
been together this day.
God, let me look at my day.
God, where have I felt your presence, seen your face,
heard your word this day?
God, where have I ignored you, run from you, perhaps
even rejected you this day?
God, let me be grateful and ask forgiveness.
God, I thank you for the times this day we have been
together and worked together.
God, I am sorry for the ways that I have offended you
by what I have done or what I did not do.
God, stay close.
God, I ask that you draw me ever closer to you this
day and tomorrow.
God, you are the God of my life and I thank you.

We experienced yet another wonderful Christmas Day

Lunch in the Church Hall with 46 in attendance. The
event began at 11.30am and carried through most of
the day till 4pm. It was our 29th event and there was
plenty of food, laughter and entertainment. A myriad
of different people attended from various creeds and
backgrounds, a mix of young and old.

It was a truly joyous occasion as everyone sang along

to Christmas Carols and spent time mingling and
introducing themselves to others in the room. Santa
arrived with gifts for all. To top it all off we had live
entertainment from Emily & Greg Fowle which served
to encourage others to participate in singing.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all

who participated in organising the event, those who
contributed food and all who came along to enjoy the
day. Next year will be the big three 0, perhaps you
will consider joining us next year to mark this
significant anniversary?
Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of
love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.
Mother Teresa
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Stars and Seekers After the Truth

Who can doubt that the Holy Spirit led these wise men
from the East to the manger? In fact, the Holy Spirit is
at work in every human being, prompting each and
every one to become seekers after Truth.

There is a fascination with stars: their beauty shining

and sparkling in the dark canopy of the night;
amazement and wonder at their number and extent.

People may be trapped in the limiting language of

their astrology or Buddhism, or an ideology such as
atheism or whatever. Of course, those systems of
thought cannot save anyone.

And who amongst us hasnt stolen a furtive glance at

the horoscopes, half humorously checking what the
stars hold for me.
The Magi, the wise men in todays gospel story, were
not like the Miss Medusas of our horoscope columns.
They were astronomers astrologers from ancient
religions found to the East of Bethlehem, perhaps
modern day Iraq or Syria.

But, individually and personally, Buddhists and

atheists and astrologers can be set on a journey
towards the Love which moves the sun and all the
stars (Dante).
As a person responds to the (often anonymous)
prompting of the Holy Spirit and tries to lead a good
humane life, then the Church teaches that the Holy
Spirit can draw them into the saving life of God.

In particular, they would have thought that the birth

of those destined to be great figures would be
signalled by unusual constellations of events in the
night sky. They really believed that stars greatly
influenced and controlled the destiny of human
beings.

This is where we differ drastically from some

fundamentalists. The Catholic Church believes that the
billions in China and India, who have never heard the
Gospel, can be saved.

But, these Magi were open to the insights of other

religious traditions. And it was that combination of
their own religion of astrology and their reading about
Jewish expectations of a wonderful person who would
inaugurate a new epoch of history, which led them to:

But, such persons, even leading humane lives, do not

savour the fullness of Truth as we do with the privilege
of having the scriptures and the sacraments. Where it
is possible, we are obliged to offer them the road map
to the Truth.

To what? To whom?
To Jesus, in a nondescript dwelling, in a nondescript
town, hovered over by an exhausted Mary and
bewildered Joseph.

That Truth which we have the privilege of

understanding leads us to accept the claims made on
us by the baby to whom the Astrologers paid homage:

This would be the most unexpected culmination of

their journey.

We understand and accept

Yet, because they were genuine seekers after truth,

they were open enough to see in this baby what their
own religious teaching had prepared them for, even as
they were led beyond that religious system.

that He is the Body Language of God,

that He is God with us, Emmanuel,
that He is The Answer to all the seeking after truth and
the yearning of the human heart.

After all, they were the first non-Jewish people to

kneel before that infant. They did homage to this
baby. Why? I think it was because they realised that
the stars did not control this infant.

O come, let us adore Him.

Fr Michael Tate

On the contrary: There is something in this baby

which caused the night sky to respond. This baby is
responsible for the movement of the stars!
They were sufficiently filled with wonder that they
preserved the child from the deadly schemes of
Herod, not reporting where they had found him.
And, then they returned to their home country, by a
different way. They were on a different journey after
encountering the Child.
What does this Gospel passage hold for us today?
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We come to worship the king

Kids Corner
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Try to find these words:

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east
frankincense
gold
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warned
wise

Mt 2:1-12

Opportunities Outside The Parish

We are the Church

Since Vatican II we have been proudly professing that
WE ARE THE CHURCH. If we truly believe this then
we must ask ourselves, how am I contributing to the
life of the Church and is there more I could be doing?

The Christian Formation Course

Unit 1.3 of this course will commence on Thursday
29th January at the St Laurence Centre,
Broadmeadow. For more information contact the
Tenison Woods Education Centre on P 4930 9601 E
twec@ssjl.org.au.

There are many ministries in our Church. In particular

we are at present in need of Sacristans to set up for
our weekend Masses and also for Funerals during the
week.

Before We Say I Do
Weekend marriage education course will be held on
Saturday 31st January, commencing at 9.30am in the
Toohey Room, Diocesan Office, 841 Hunter Street,
Newcastle West. Two Saturdays (also 7th February)
from 9.30am 4.30pm. For more information P 4979
1370 E marriageeducation@catholiccare.org.au W
www.catholiccare.org.au.

Interested people will receive the proper formation,

training and support. Please rush to the Parish Office
to display your willingness to be involved.

Prayer for Peace

Lately, we have all been
made aware of the
terrible suffering and
torture of people in war
torn countries throughout
the world.

A Journey in the Heart

Pilgrimage to India and Sri Lanka will begin on
Monday 2nd February, led by Fr Michael Whelan SM
(Aquinas Academy, Sydney). Itinerary includes
Mumbai, Coorg, Bangalore, Shantivanam (Fr Bede
Griffiths Ashram), Colombo, Kandalama, Kandy,
Colombo. For further details, please contact Marie
Fonseca on 0418 265 117 or Andre Rasquinha on 0403
569 079. Website: www.spiceodyssey.net.au.

We are particularly concerned with the plight of

Christian people at the mercy of ISIS in Iraq.
We pray for an end to this violence and a peaceful
solution to these conflicts.

WantedVolunteer Workers
The Diocese of Broome, WA, requires volunteers to
assist with the work of the local Church on Aboriginal
Missions. There are various important voluntary tasks:
administration, building maintenance, gardening,
shop staffing, cooking, cleaning, etc. Placements are
preferred for a period of 6 months plus.

The Parish St Vincent de Paul Conference would like to

extend a huge thank you to all who contributed to the
Christmas Appeal. At the present time $6,123.25 has
been raised. These funds have been used to assist
local families and individuals to enjoy a much more
relaxed and enjoyable Christmas. Thank you for your
incredible generosity. Our St Vincent de Paul
Conference would like to wish everyone a Happy and
Holy Christmas and a wonderful and safe New Year.

For further details and an application form please

contact: Volunteer Coordinator, Anneliese Rohr on 08
9192 1060, E volunteers@broomdiocese.org, W
www.bromediocese.org, M PO Box 76, Broome, WA
6725.

Text: Excerpts from the English Translation of the Roman Missal 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL); Music: From the Mass of
St Francis 2010, Paul Taylor. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Australian AgentLicenSing Online Lic No. 624844.

Ministers this Weekend...

...of the Word

...of Communion

6pm Tuncurry

A: Lou Hope
B: Michael Siddle

Carolyn Olliffe, Frank Hayman, Jeanette Goodacre,

Michael Siddle, Pat Hooker.

7am Tuncurry

A: Cecile Malone
B: Edna Tucker

Alex Matuszny, Edna Tucker, Maria Armitage, Norm

Chapman, Patricia Cornish.

9am Forster

A: Barbara Kermode
B: Trevor Turner

Alan McCarthy, Anne Moloney, Elle Cairns-Cowan,

Sharon Fowle, additional assistance required.

5pm Forster

A: Robyn Ryan
B: Anne Hartman

Barbara Dolahenty, Kathryn McCabe, Robert Moran,

Trevor Turner, additional assistance required.

Ministers next Weekend...

...of the Word

...of Communion

6pm Tuncurry

A: Bob Cashman
B: Colleen Cashman

Margaret Smith, Maureen Stevens, Neil Pye, Owen

Carroll, Pat Hooker.

7am Tuncurry

A: Lorraine Clark
B: Cecile Malone

Cecile Malone, Cushla Drake, Graham Griffiths, Kay

Griffiths, Mark Mowbray.

9am Forster

A: Kris Koch
B: Barbara Kermode

Alan McCarthy, Anne Hartman, Coral McCarthy, Greg

Byrne, Josi Beech.

5pm Forster

A: Monica Hunt
B: Chris Matuszny

Alex Matuszny, Lou Hope, Valarie Ross, additional

assistance required.

Please note: The above information reflects the rosters as originally published,
and doesnt take account of any swaps that may have been organised between individuals.
PLEASE CONSIDER VOLUNTEERING IF YOU RECOGNISE A SHORTFALL

Scripture Readings This Week

Today

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday

Todays Liturgy of the Word

Isaiah 60:1-6
Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6
Matthew 2:1-12
1 John 3:22-4:6
Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25
1 John 4:7-10
Mark 6:34-44
1 John 4:11-18
Mark 6:45-52
1 John 4:19-5:4
Luke 4:14-22
1 John 5:5-13
Luke 5:12-16
1 John 5:14-21
John 3:22-30
Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 or 55:1-11
Acts 10:34-38 or 1 John 5:1-9
Mark 1:7-11

Responsorial Psalm
Response: Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia!
We have seen his star in the East;
and have come to adore the Lord.
Alleluia!

In your charity, please pray for:

Those recently deceased.
Barry Pearce, Patricia Butt.
Those whose anniversaries occur about now.
Margaret Mary Hardiman.
All those in our community who are sick.
8