Parish Life
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Eucharist
The Importance of Eucharist
The Eucharist is at the heart of our Catholic faith. It is "the source and summit of the Christian Life" (Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, 11).
In the last year of his papacy, Pope John Paul II strongly re-affirmed this fundamental understanding of the very nature of our being Church. He dedicated 2003 as "the Year of the Eucharist." His encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia (April, 2003) proclaimed and explained the central truth, that "the Church draws her life from the Eucharist":
Were we to disregard the Eucharist, how could we overcome our own deficiency?
The mystery of the Eucharist – sacrifice, presence, banquet – does not allow for reduction or exploitation; it must be experienced and lived in its integrity, both in its celebration and in the intimate converse with Jesus which takes place after receiving communion (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 60-61).
And so it is that every Sunday we come together at Mass to experience and live the Eucharistic mystery. We are drawn to the presence of Jesus, and we draw our strength from him.
The Dignity of our Eucharistic Celebrations
As source and summit of Christian life, our celebrations of the Eucharist deserve our special attention. Much preparation and rehearsal goes into every Sunday celebration of Mass. Similarly, in Nuptial Masses and Requiem Masses, we take great care in ensuring the dignity of the celibration, that it be a worthy experience of the mystery of the Eucharist, without reduction or exploitation.
Like the woman who anointed Jesus in Bethany, the Church has feared no “extravagance”, devoting the best of her resources to expressing her wonder and adoration before the unsurpassable gift of the Eucharist. No less than the first disciples charged with preparing the “large upper room”, she has felt the need, down the centuries and in her encounters with different cultures, to celebrate the Eucharist in a setting worthy of so great a mystery (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 48).
Our parish provides for formation in the liturgical ministries to ensure the dignity of our celebrations. The parish liturgy teams provide a forum for ongonig formation and the planning and preparation of worship.
If you are interested in volunteering for liturgical ministries, contact the parish office 9438 1011, or complete a Parishioner Inofrmation Form identifying your interest in ministry.
Parish Worship Rescources
The parish uses the LabOra computer system for liturgy planning, preparation and booklet production for most liturgies. It also subscribes to the LiturgyHelp Internet service for assistance with music selections, children's liturgy resources and printing the readings in the newsletter. Contact the parish office for password access and assistance in using these resources.