Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time/B 3 & 4 February 2018 My dear Brothers and Sisters,

Thank you very much to each of you who have helped to give me such a warm welcome to this St Raphael’s

Parish. I come to you with great joy and enthusiasm to serve you as your parish priest in the years ahead. On

17 February at the 6pm vigil Mass, Arch Bishop Denis Hart has most graciously agreed to conduct my

Installation as the parish priest of St Raphael West Preston. I hope as many of you as possible are able to

attend this special Mass.

In this Sunday’s Gospel from Mark (1:29-39) Jesus leaves the Synagogue at Capernaum and goes to the house

of Simon Peter, where he heals the mother-in-law of St Peter. As I said in my Homily last Sunday, I was in the

Synagogue at Capernaum only last week. It is a short 50 metre walk from the Synagogue to the house of St

Peter which you can now visit by means of a church raised up on pillars to enable you to look down into the

room in which Jesus stayed and healed the sick. It will be a constant feature of my preaching and ministry

among you that our faith is a real and lively faith in a real and lively character, Jesus of Nazareth, who is both

God and Man, who performed real deeds of mighty power in real time and real places; and who continues as

real and relevant today as He was 2000 years ago. It is the way in which we engage with this real Jesus that is

the very essence of our Catholic faith, prayer and practice.

It is a huge boon to our faith in Jesus to be able to visit the places in which he lived, taught and worked his

wonders. I would like to invite parishioners to consider joining a St Raphael parish pilgrimage to the Holy

Land and Rome in the first half of May in 2020. If you think that would be of interest to you, please let me

know over the next few months and I will develop more detailed plans and costing. I have already had several

families say they are keen to participate.

With every prayer for God’s Grace and Blessing upon you,

Simon Grainger

Pax et Gratia.

ST RAPHAEL’S PARISH 17 HARDY STREET, PRESTON WEST. VIC 3072

Tel: 9470 2586 Email: prestonwest@cam.org.au Website: www.straphaelswestpreston.org.au

Parish Priest: Rev Dr Simon Grainger Parish Secretary: Rachel Costa

School Principal: Mr. Damian Howard, School Tel: 9478 8374

ST RAPHAEL’S PARISH MISSION STATEMENT “St Raphael’s Parish has always sought to be a welcoming and inclusive community. Today, our Community strives to help each parishioner to enter into a deeper relationship with Jesus and with one another. Empowered by our baptismal call we reach out to the wider community to live the Gospel values.”

READERS: Sat 6:00pm Sun 9:00am Sun 10:30

This Week P Smith F Comito W Robertson Next Week P Smith V Colosimo J Knight

EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS Sat 6:00pm Sun 9:00am Sun 10:30 This Week

L Triulcio C Colosimo R Comito

A Harding M Gaggiano

Next Week

A De Fazio F Comito M B Rossi

A Harding N Daniele

CHURCH CLEANING: Nick Cachia’s team 4 LAWN MOWING: Team 1: 17 February

MASSES: Weekends: Saturday: 9:00 am, 6:00 pm (vigil),

Sunday: 9:00 am (Italian), 10:30 am Weekdays: Tues, Wed, Thurs: 8:30 am. Fri: 9:00 am

ADORATION: Every Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. BAPTISMS: Sundays at 11:45 am. CONFESSIONS: Saturdays following the 9:00 am Mass &

half an hour before every mass by request. COMMUNION TO SICK: Wed, Thurs & Fri (Lay Ministers) ** In addition to visitation to the sick by lay ministers, Fr Simon is happy to visit any sick or housebound parishioners upon request. ANOINTING OF THE SICK: 1st Friday of every month The next one being Friday 2nd March 2018

LIVING GOSPEL PRAYER GROUP (LGPG): Wednesdays at 1:30 pm. ROSARY PRAYER GROUP: Wednesdays at 9:00 am.

PARISH OFFICE HOURS: Tues, Wed, Thurs & Fri: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

For general enquiries please call 9470 2586.

******************************************

We welcome FR SIMON GRAINGER who

has been appointed by Archbishop Denis

Hart as Parish Priest of St Raphael’s

parish. If you would like Fr Simon to

come for a visit and, please let the parish

office know.

******************************************

CONFESSION TIMES:

Fr Simon will be available for confession at 9.30am

after the Saturday 9am masses. He will also be in

the sacristy a half hour before every mass and is

available to hear confessions whenever requested.

ADORATION

Adoration resumed Friday 2nd February 2018, 9am to 5pm. A new roster is being prepared. For those

wishing to participate, please write your name on the form in the foyer. Thank you.

New Mass time for Fridays As of next Friday (9 February), Friday mass

will now be at 8.30am ASH WEDNESDAY

This year Ash Wednesday is on 14 February.

Masses will be at 8:30am, 9:30am (School Mass)

and 7pm.

*************************************** CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF MELBOURNE Stewardship Reflection February 4, 2018 - 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time “Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed…He told them, ‘Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.’” - Mark 1:35, 38 In today’s Gospel reading we see a perfect example of stewardship. Jesus gives His time to do all that God wishes - healing the sick and preaching. But before He begins, Jesus makes time to be alone with God in prayer. It is through prayer, spending time with God, that we find the strength to do what He wishes us to do. Be sure to find time every day to be with God.

THOUGHTS FROM POPE FRANCIS

Through prayer we can enter into a stable

relationship with God, the source of true joy.

********************************** SHARE A JOKE

Teacher: Harry, what do you call a person who keeps

on talking when people are no longer interested?

Harry: A teacher.

WE PRAY FOR: Christ our loving Lord, in your kindness be with the

sick and the poor, the weak and the dying: bring them

your comfort. We pray especially for: Rita Cecconato.

Let us pray that all the faithful departed may be

welcomed into heaven:

RECENTLY DECEASED Tony Bartaluci (Canada-6pm Sat 3 Feb) ANNIVERSARIES Maria Buccella, Rosario, Giampiccolo & Lorenzo Tomasiello joining the angels and saints in their eternal hymn of

praise.

Thanksgiving: $1043

Presbytery: $627

Many thanks to all our contributors

Baptism Congratulations The community of St Raphael’s congratulates

Greta Elizabeth Goad, for her Baptism on 3 February 2018.

† † †

A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!!

At 6pm on Saturday 17th February, our parish will be

visited by Bishop Denis Hart. The Bishop’s role is to

officiate at the Mass of Installation of Father Simon

Grainger as the Parish Priest of St Raphael’s.

Parishioners, visitors and school families are invited to

attend this very special Mass, which shows the Parish

commitment to our faith.

After the Mass there will be refreshments in the parish

hall. Please bring a plate to share of either savoury or

sweet finger foods.

Stations of the Cross during Lent- Fridays at 7pm Traditionally in this parish this has been an Italian language

activity. However, English language speakers have expressed

concern that no opportunity is provided for them to

participate in the Stations of the Cross in English. Fr Simon

would like to hear the views of parishioners before lent about

the best way to move forward with the Stations of the Cross.

Will those who wish to participate in the Stations of the

Cross please let Fr Simon know.

A REMINDER…The donation box for the decoration of our altar is at the rear of the church. Many thanks for those who contribute.

HOUSEKEEPING…In the foyer is a number of china

plates and dishes and some plastic ware. If any of these items

belong to a parishioner could they please be taken. After the

following weekend masses any items remaining will be donated to St Vincent’s op shop. Thanking you.