NATIONAL VOCATIONS AWARENESS WEEK
Sunday 2 August – Sunday 9 August 2015
Called to be a missionary priest
Celebrating the Journey annual gathering
Each year, the Diocese of Parramatta hosts
Celebrating the Journey, a gathering for
married couples and their families with
special acknowledgement to those couples
who have significant wedding anniversaries
of 25 years and over.
On Sunday 20 September, the Diocesan
Administrator, Very Rev Peter Williams,
will be the Principal Celebrant for Mass at
11am in St Patrick’s Cathedral, which will
be followed by a light lunch.
Couples celebrating anniversaries of 25,
30, 35, 40, 45, 50 years and over will receive
a certificate of blessing.
Ouida and Henry Lewis, who have
been married for more than 52 years,
appreciated last year’s Celebrating the
Journey, organised by CatholicCare
Social Services with St Patrick’s
Cathedral Parish.
“This was an unforgettable day in the
year,” Ouida said. “Congratulations to
CatholicCare Parramatta for their fantastic
work on this popular annual event.
“More than 100 couples and their families
participated in a special Mass with
Bishop Anthony Fisher OP, now Archbishop
of Sydney, and lunch in the Cathedral hall.
“We treasure the certificate of
blessing and the photo with the
Bishop taken afterwards.
“CatholicCare’s members are wonderful,
caring people who volunteer their services
to help make others happy.
“May the infant Jesus bless all of you with
good health and happiness to carry on your
fantastic work.
“We thank all of you for your good work.
Please pray for us in a special way.”
To participate in this year’s Celebrating
the Journey, please register by 12 September
through your Parish Secretary or contact
CatholicCare Social Services tel (02) 9933
0222 or email [email protected]
Is God calling you to be a missionary
priest? Are you being called to leave your
own people and nation in order to follow
Jesus across boundaries of race, religion,
culture, language and social class. This is the
charism of Columban missionary priests.
Deacon Kurt Zion is one young man who
has answered the missionary call from God.
He was ordained a deacon on 15 March
2015 in his home parish in the Philippines.
Kurt will be ordained a priest later this
year. As a Columban seminarian, Kurt
spent many years of spiritual formation
and prayer, academic study and pastoral
formation in preparation of his future
missionary priestly ministry in another
culture and land, different from his own.
One important part of the formation
of Columban seminarians is a two-year
overseas mission experience among people
different from one’s own. For Kurt, this first
mission experience as a seminarian involved
a two-year im