Parish life

Bishop Brian Mascord travelled to St Mary Star of Sea Parish in Milton this morning to see first-hand the devastation of the recent bushfires.

Bishop Brian was welcomed by resident priest, Fr Michael Dyer, along with members from the parish leadership team and principal of the parish school, Laurinda Nelson, and assistant principal, Julie Valentini. The bishop was fortunate to sit in on a meeting with the group who were also joined by representatives from the St Vincent de Paul Society Ulladulla Conference, NSW Health, Office of the Bishop, and the president of the school’s P&F.

Diocesan response to the bushfires

Bishop Brian has also announced a number of initial actions as part of the diocese’s cross-agency response to the bushfires:

• In solidarity with the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s (ACBC) national response to the bushfires, there will be a special collection at Masses on the Australia Day weekend with all funds to be donated to the Vinnies Bushfire Appeal NSW.
• On the same weekend, the ACBC will be facilitate a national network service connecting people affected with the bushfires with others who can help with tasks such as continued meal preparation, clearing of property, rebuilding etc. More information to follow in the coming weeks.
• Over the next couple of weeks, Bishop Brian will continue to visit affected parishes/school communities and meet with parishioners, clergy and principals, and representatives from CatholicCare, Catholic Education, Office of the Bishop and local Vinnies to listen to their stories, pray together and get an understanding of how, together, we can meet immediate and projected needs. Details of the community meetings will be announced.
• Catholic Education has already been working with principals in our schools that have been affected by bushfires since late November responding to the specific needs of staff and families who have been impacted. This work will now continue as part of the broader coordination of the diocesan response.
• The diocese will work closely with the St Vincent de Paul Society at state, diocesan and local conference levels to ensure there is a clear process in relation to how money donated to the Vinnies Bushfire Appeal is made available to those who need it in our diocese.
• The bushfire crisis will have significant and lasting emotional and psychological effects on so many of our people. CatholicCare in our diocese are committed to providing the necessary trauma counselling and wellbeing support via Community Connect morning teas to those in need.
• Bishop Brian also wants to ensure that the spiritual needs of our affected people are met. The bishop will work in collaboration with clergy and religious communities in the diocese to provide continued spiritual support to everyone during this time.
• Most importantly, the bishop has asked that we continue to pray for all in our diocese as we all care for, and stand by, each other in this particular time of need. We also remember those who continue to fight fires and, may again, face extraordinary weather conditions over the next few weeks. We place our circumstances in the hands of our loving God through the intercession of our Australian saint, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop: pray for us and our parched country. May God pour on us the rain we need.