During this time of social isolation it is important that we pray and stay connected to our community. A range of online resources are available to assist with this. These include daily prayers and readings, prayer services, the Sunday Office, commentaries, homilies and reflections as well as Gospel based activities and resources to support personal and family prayer. LITURGY HELP: Go to: liturgyhelp.com/aus/sand/pray and follow the prompts to access. Let us create prayerful solidarity with our community and the whole Body of Christ. Liturgy Help (www.facebook.com/LiturgyHelp). Here are some more resources to help you and your family.

18 February 2020

Bishop Shane Mackinlay presented the Monsignor Peter Jeffrey Oration in Shepparton on 18 February 2020 to the Education Leaders of the Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst.

The address shared Bishop Mackinlay's considerations on issues such as leadership and formation, passing on the faith to the next generation, good governance, the 5th Plenary Council in Australia, synodality, and Pope Francis' pontificate.

Prayers continue and livestream details from the Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst will be announced soon.

- Read the Letter from the Bishops of Victoria suspending public liturgies and Masses

13 March 2020

Prayerful greetings to the people of God across Victoria,

You would be aware of the precautionary measures underway in light of changes to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Following this afternoon’s decision of the governments of Australia, all organised non-essential large gatherings (of 500 or more) are recommended to cease from Monday 16 March. In our circumstances, this includes the celebration of Mass and other liturgies that bring together significantly large numbers.

Last October, Pope Francis spent three weeks with over 200 bishops, religious and lay people reflecting on the Amazon region in a meeting of the Synod of Bishops. The Synod itself produced a lengthy document, and in mid-February Pope Francis made his own “response to this process of dialogue and discernment” in an ‘apostolic exhortation’ called Querida Amazonia (QA).

This summer has been dominated by bushfires across the south-east of Australia, with over thirty people losing their lives. Many communities in our own diocese have been directly affected, with homes and properties destroyed, evacuations, and ongoing threats of fire, particularly in areas around Corryong, Walwa, Bright and Harrietville. Even those of us living at a safe distance from the fires were impacted by the acrid smoke hanging across the countryside and reminding us of our connection with these communities.

St John's Church  
16 Tocumwal Road  
Numurkah  3636

0493 542 054  |  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

3 January 2020

With acrid smoke hanging in the air across the region these last few days, we have all had a strong reminder of the bushfires that have affected so many areas of South-East Australia this last week, including a number of communities in our own diocese. There is a deep concern for those who have died, and those who have lost loved ones or property.

We can be very grateful for the heroic efforts by fire fighters and other emergency personnel, and the impressive coordination of evacuations and warning messages.  While the cooler weather has provided some respite in the last couple of days, the fires are continuing to burn, and it is anticipated that there will be significant threats again in the coming days.

The Poor Clare Colettines are a religious order of women in the tradition of St Clare and St Francis of Assisi, who live in enclosed communities of prayer, silence, and peaceful work to pursue perfect Christian love in lives given entirely to Jesus Christ.

The community of Poor Clare Sisters at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, Kennington, have served the Church through prayer for over 50 years, as a blessing to the entire Diocese of Sandhurst, the people of Bendigo, and Kennington Parish.

The number of sisters has declined over the years and there are currently three Poor Clare Sisters in Kennington, who are advancing in years.

Here is a Prayer In the Face of the Terror of Bushfires adapted for us by Fr Tony Hill, parish priest of Euroa.