Approximately 600 people attended St Brendan’s Feast Day celebrations in Shepparton on Sunday 5 May. The occasion included an expo in the Monsignor Bones Hall showcasing the various groups and ministries in the parish. Parishioners enjoyed fellowship over lunch made with love by the Parish community, and musical entertainment by St Brendan's Primary School and the Faith and Light Community.
Assistant Priest, Fr Jackson Saunders, said the Feast Day celebrations provided a great opportunity to build community. “There was a real buzz in the hall,” said Fr Jackson. “People enjoyed connecting with each other, and we could also see new friendships and connections being formed. It's the first time that we've gathered in such huge numbers since COVID-19. “
The Feast Day celebrations also provided an opportunity for the Parish to launch its new mission statement and logo which were also unveiled at the three parish Masses over the weekend of the celebrations.
St Brendan’s, Shepparton Mission Statement reads:
“Our parish family seeks to be a welcoming community, showing the love of God and challenged to live out the Gospel Values of Jesus Christ with St Brendan as our guide. We endeavour to do this through inspired liturgy, supportive ministry and ongoing faith development.”
Fr Jackson expressed gratitude on behalf of the parish for the dedication and hard work of the Parish Pastoral Council who developed the Mission Statement. "We are most grateful to our Parish Pastoral Council President, Tiffany Chandler, and her committee for all of the work that they did,” said Fr Jackson. “The Mission Statement is the fruit of Tiff's leadership with a group of dedicated parishioners who have been meeting since August 15 last year.”
The new parish logo, featuring St Brendan the Voyager on his boat, was designed with the assistance of Monica Burney from Notre Dame College.
At each of the Masses over the weekend, St Brendan’s parishioners presented toiletries for those less fortunate in their local community to members of the local St Vincent de Paul Society. “We were blessed to be able to present these toiletries which had been collected over the month of April in the lead up to Winter,” said Fr Jackson. "It is important that we reach out as a parish," he said. "As St James says, faith without works is dead."
St Brendan of Ardfert and Clonfert (AD 484-577) was one of the early Irish monastic saints. He is known as St Brendan the Voyager, or St Brendan the Navigator. The new parish logo features St Brendan standing at the bow of his boat, navigating the sea – possibly as the legend says, in search of the Isle of the Blessed.
St Brendan’s Feast Day falls on 16 May. It was celebrated in Shepparton on 5 May, as Mothers’ Day is on Sunday 11 May and on Sunday 19 May, Fr Joe Taylor, Parish Priest of Shepparton will celebrate his 50th Jubilee. He was ordained a priest on 18 May 1974.
