From Fr Geg's Desk: Sunday 27th August, 2023

Hi everyone!
Fantastic weather this week! Hope you are all making the most of it, after the wet and the cold weather of the past month. We have a lot of things coming up in September, so stay tuned to this column each week to learn more about them.

 
St. Charles School Fete coming Sunday 10th September
The first is, that in two weeks' time, St. Charles Primary will be holding their biennial School Fete and YOU ARE ALL INVITED! We are all part of the one Parish, and our two Primary Schools deserve our support. I look forward to chatting with you during the day, and know you will all support the school in this fun day of fundraising.

Grief and Bereavement Program
Having been involved for many years in 'bereavement ministries, I wanted to introduce some practical workshops to help our parishioners cope better with grief, and to capacitate them as well to help others with the same. And who better than our own experienced friends from Catholic Cemeteries and their Grief and Bereavement Program to do that?

We will be hosting an initial open seminar on handling grief and bereavement on Tues 19 Sept from 10.00 - 12.30 pm at the Parish Hall at Ryde. I would love for all of you who are either experiencing bereavement or know someone who is going through grief to come along. I guarantee it will be a very helpful and informative morning, and one we will all greatly benefit from.

Morning tea will be available from 9.30 am onwards if you care to drop in earlier! Please see the Info box on page 3 for more details.

This initial workshop, by the way, will be a forerunner of a later series of follow up workshops for those who feel called to grief and bereavement ministry work at the Parish. The extra workshops offered will be as follows:

· LET'S TALK ABOUT GRIEF AND BEREAVEMENT MINISTRY

· GRIEF AND BEREAVEMENT MINISTRY: DISCERNMENT

· GRIEF AND BEREAVEMENT MINISTRY: RESOURCES AND NEXT STEPS

I look forward to seeing many of you there on the 19th September.

Father's Day Remembrance Mass 10:30am Saturday 2nd September 2023, SCB Church
We will be holding our regular Memorial Mass for deceased Father's and Grandfather's next Saturday at SCB Church at 10.30 am, followed by morning tea at Noah's Ark. This is a lovely way of wishing them a Happy Father's Day, with our fondest memories and most heartfelt condolences.

I will personally be celebrating the Father's Day Memorial Mass, and we welcome the names of Father's and Grandfather's for our RGCP Father's Day Honour Roll. Those attending on the day may inscribe their names in this special folder located at the SCB Church Doors, and they will be included on the altar as intentions for the Mass.

Please note that both future Mother's Day and Father's Day Memorial Masses will be celebrated here at SCB Ryde, rather than up at Field of Mars Cemetery. We will, however, be celebrating a November Memorial Mass at Field of Mars Cemetery each year, with tarp and chairs being provided thanks to One Crown Cemeteries on Saturday 28th October (the Saturday which is prior to All Souls Day this year)

Oh, and don't forget ... we will be choosing our "Father of the Year" at each of the Masses next weekend (2 - 3 September) with a complimentary $50 Bunnings Card to boot... so make sure your Parents and Grandparents come along (only those present will get a ticket).

OLK Delivery Volunteers needed.
We need new volunteers for our deliveries of meals with Our Lady's Kitchen as, sadly, some volunteers can no longer continue the service, and the work is becoming more onerous for the ones who have 'put up their hand'. I too, am a volunteer driver for this work, and look forward to your help in assisting us with this wonderful charitable work of our parish.

We are currently delivering freshly cooked meals to over 40 households in the Gladesville area, twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday from about 4.30 - 5.30 pm. Would you please give me a hand?? ("No prior experience needed"!!!) Contact us at OLK@rgcp.org.au, or ring the office on 9807 2966.

And that's about it for now!

I look forward to seeing you at the weekend Masses.

Fr. Greg