Fatima Day – 13th of December 2023

Fr Adam Carlow, newly ordained Priest for the Diocese of Parramatta will be the celebrant for December for our Fatima Day on the 13th. Fr Adam will be bestowing his first blessing upon the faithful in attendance and receiving the blessing from a newly ordained Priest, the faithful are eligible to receive a plenary indulgence. The conditions to receive a plenary indulgence are to go to Confession, Mass and receive Holy Communion, then to pray for the intentions of the Holy Father (Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory be).

The program will be as follows:

  • 10 am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
  • 10:30 am Rosary
  • 11 am Solemn Mass
  • 12 noon Lunch
  • 1:30 pm Eucharistic Procession to the Gotto while reciting the Rosary.
  • 2 pm Prayers and Devotions at the Gotto, and blessing of pilgrims.

Announcements for the 2nd Sunday of Advent

Here are the announcements for the 2nd Sunday of Advent, the 10th of December:

FATIMA DAY
Fr Adam Carlow, newly ordained Priest for the Diocese of Parramatta will be the celebrant for December. Fr Adam will be bestowing his first blessing upon the faithful in attendance and receiving the blessing from a newly ordained Priest, the faithful are eligible to receive a plenary indulgence. The conditions to receive a plenary indulgence are to go to Confession, Mass and receive Holy Communion, then to pray for the intentions of the Holy Father (Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory be).

WORKING BEE / CHRISTMAS GATHERING
The December Working bee will be Saturday 16th December and will conclude about 1pm. After this we invite all volunteers and their families of the Shrine to come along for a Christmas BBQ at the Monastery. This is a chance to get together before the busy time of Christmas and for the Pauline Community to THANK YOU for all your wonderful service throughout the year. Please RSVP Fr Richard asap.

MORNING TEA AFTER 8AM MASS
Thank you to all who participate at the monthly morning teas. These are great successes and a chance for people to meet one another and the Pauline Community. The next Morning Tea will be: Sunday 17th December.

CHRISTMAS / NEW YEAR MASS SCHEDULE

Sunday 24th December (Christmas Eve)
Usual Sunday Masses in English – 8am, 9:30am & 11am
No Vigil Mass
11:15pm – Christmas Carol service in the Shrine Church

Monday 25th December (Christmas)
12am – Midnight Mass
11am – Mass of Christmas Day

Octave of Christmas (Tuesday 26th – Saturday 30th December):
11am Mass in the Shrine Church

Sunday 31st December (New Years Eve)
Usual Sunday Masses in English – 8am, 9:30am & 11am
11pm – Exposition and Holy Hour in Thanksgiving for 2023

Monday 1st January 2024
12am – Midnight Mass for the New Year
11am – Mass in the shrine Church

The usual Penrose Park Schedule continues from the 2nd January

Confessions before Christmas
Confession will be available on the weekends of 16th/17th & 23rd/24th
half an hour before and after each scheduled Mass. Appointments can be made as well.

December Working Bee

The December Working Bee will be on Saturday 16th December and will conclude at about 1 pm. After this, we invite all volunteers and their families of the Shrine to come along for a Christmas BBQ at the Monastery. This is a chance to get together before the busy time of Christmas and for the Pauline Community to THANK YOU for all your wonderful service throughout the year. Please RSVP to Fr Richard asap.

During our monthly working bee on the 16th of December, we are going to continue the work begun last month cleaning up the dead wood around the chapels at the back of the property. The goal of doing so will be:

  • We want our Shrine to look as beautiful as possible to be spiritually uplifting to the pilgrims that come.
  • It is said to be a high-risk fire season coming, so we want to be as prepared as possible.
  • The general safety of those who walk around the Shrine property.

The program for the day would be:

  • Mass at around 8:15 am in the Shrine Church
  • Begin work at 9 am at the back of the property
  • BBQ lunch around 1 pm

The work will be everything from collecting small branches to large logs, loading them in a trailer and putting them in an open field where they can be burnt next winter.

Solid shoes and gloves would be a must. Anyone who can bring a chainsaw to help cut up logs or a trailer to help move them is encouraged to bring them.

Announcements for the 1st Sunday of Advent

Here are the announcements for the 1st Sunday of Advent, the 3rd of December:

FATIMA DAY
Fr Adam Carlow, newly ordained Priest for the Diocese of Parramatta will be the celebrant for December. Fr Adam will be bestowing his first blessing upon the faithful in attendance and receiving the blessing from a newly ordained Priest, the faithful are eligible to receive a plenary indulgence. The conditions to receive a plenary indulgence are to go to Confession, Mass and receive Holy Communion, then to pray for the intentions of the Holy Father (Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory be).

WORKING BEE / CHRISTMAS GATHERING
The December Working bee will be Saturday 16th December and will conclude about 1pm. After this we invite all volunteers and their families of the Shrine to come along for a Christmas BBQ at the Monastery. This is a chance to get together before the busy time of Christmas and for the Pauline Community to THANK YOU for all your wonderful service throughout the year. Please RSVP Fr Richard asap.

MORNING TEA AFTER 8AM MASS
Thank you to all who participate at the monthly morning teas. These are great successes and a chance for people to meet one another and the Pauline Community. The next Morning Tea will be: Sunday 17th December.

SAVE OUR SANDS
The proposed sand quarry which is to be located behind the grotto and will effect five properties along Hanging Rock Road and many others between Penrose Park and Sally’s Corner is submitting for approval a revised development application. This quarry is for 30 years and will be in operation 24/7. This is something we oppose along with many of the local residents for several important reasons such as pollution of the water table, silica dust, noise, increased traffic, devastation to the local flora and fauna especially wildlife and of course the ruination of this beautiful part of the state. We ask you to please help us oppose this quarry as we only have until 04/12/23 to submit concerns / objections. Individual and collective submissions can be made on the Department of Planning and Environmental portal at:
www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/sutton-forest-sand-quarry
More information can be found on the side table in the Church as well as the brief from the “Save our Sands” local action group.

Divine Mercy Altar in the Shrine Church

Announcements for the Solemnity of Christ the King

Here are the announcements for the Solemnity of Christ the King, the 26th of November:

FATIMA DAY
Fr Adam Carlow, newly ordained Priest for the Diocese of Parramatta will be the celebrant for December. Fr Adam will be bestowing his first blessing upon the faithful in attendance and receiving the blessing from a newly ordained Priest, the faithful are eligible to receive a plenary indulgence. The conditions to receive a plenary indulgence are to go to Confession, Mass and receive Holy Communion, then to pray for the intentions of the Holy Father (Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory be).

WORKING BEE / CHRISTMAS GATHERING
The December Working bee will be Saturday 16th December and will conclude about 1pm. After this we invite all volunteers and their families of the Shrine to come along for a Christmas BBQ at the Monastery. This is a chance to get together before the busy time of Christmas and for the Pauline Community to THANK YOU for all your wonderful service throughout the year. Please RSVP Fr Richard asap.

MORNING TEA AFTER 8AM MASS
Thank you to all who participate at the monthly morning teas. These are great successes and a chance for people to meet one another and the Pauline Community. The next Morning Tea will be: Sunday 17th December.

NOVEMBER – MONTH OF THE HOLY SOULS
November is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Souls. It is our duty to pray for them especially those who have no one to pray. This is our Catholic obligation. During November, Masses will be celebrated for our dearly departed. To have names included please fill out the November Mass envelopes found on the side table of the Church or please ask at the Monastery.

DIOCESAN ADVENT PROGRAM
This year the theme of the Wollongong Advent program is “The Sign”. This fantastic production is an initiative of the Diocese of Wollongong and lays out a short reflection each day during the season of Advent and Christmas. What better way to prepare a way for the Lord. The Booklets are available at the side table of the Church and are $7 each.

SAVE OUR SANDS
The proposed sand quarry which is to be located behind the grotto and will effect five properties along Hanging Rock Road and many others between Penrose Park and Sally’s Corner is submitting for approval a revised development application. This quarry is for 30 years and will be in operation 24/7. This is something we oppose along with many of the local residents for several important reasons such as pollution of the water table, silica dust, noise, increased traffic, devastation to the local flora and fauna especially wildlife and of course the ruination of this beautiful part of the state. We ask you to please help us oppose this quarry as we only have until 04/12/23 to submit concerns / objections. Individual and collective submissions can be made on the Department of Planning and Environmental portal at:
www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/sutton-forest-sand-quarry
More information can be found on the side table in the Church as well as the brief from the “Save our Sands” local action group.

Also, we have a ready formatted submission that can be used, see the following file.

Save Our Sands

The proposed sand quarry, which is to be located behind the grotto and will affect five properties along Hanging Rock Road and many others between Penrose Park and Sally’s Corner, is submitting for approval a revised development application. This quarry is for 30 years and will be in operation 24/7. This is something we oppose along with many of the local residents for several important reasons, such as pollution of the water table, silica dust, noise, increased traffic, devastation to the local flora and fauna, especially wildlife and, of course, the ruination of this beautiful part of the state. We ask you to please help us oppose this quarry as we only have until 04/12/23 to submit concerns/objections. Individual and collective submissions can be made on the Department of Planning and Environmental portal at:
www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/sutton-forest-sand-quarry
More information can be found on the side table in the Church, as well as the brief from the “Save our Sands” local action group.

More information on saveoursandsalliance.com.

Also, we have a ready formatted submission that can be used. See the following file.

Side view of the Church showing St. John Paul II

Announcements for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Here are the announcements for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, the 19th of November 2023

FATIMA DAY
Fatima day for November was celebrated by Fr Jeremy Santoso OSPPE. A big Thank you to Fr Jeremy for accepting our invite and preaching an inspiring homily. Fr Adam Carlow, newly ordained Priest for the Diocese of Fatima will be the celebrant for December. Fr Adam will be bestowing his first blessing upon the faithful in attendance and receiving the blessing from a newly ordained Priest, the faithful are eligible to receive a plenary indulgence.

WORKING BEE
Thank you to all who came along yesterday and helped out, a lot was achieved and we can really see the great change the Shrine is undertaking. God bless you all.

MORNING TEA AFTER 8AM MASS
All are welcome after the 8am Mass today at the old Monastery. Thank you to all who have brought something along to share. The next Morning Tea will be: Sunday 17th December.

NOVEMBER – MONTH OF THE HOLY SOULS
November is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Souls. It is our duty to pray for them especially those who have no one to pray. This is our Catholic obligation. During November, Masses will be celebrated for our dearly departed. To have names included please fill out the November Mass envelopes found on the side table of the Church or please ask at the Monastery.

DIOCESAN ADVENT PROGRAM
This year the theme of the Wollongong Advent program is “The Sign”. This fantastic production is an initiative of the Diocese of Wollongong and lays out a short reflection each day during the season of Advent and Christmas. What better way to prepare a way for the Lord. The Booklets are available at the side table of the Church and are $7 each.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
This is a periodic reminder that we still need volunteers to help in various capacities in the Shrine. Areas of need are in Reading at the Masses, collectors, ushers for both Sundays and Fatima days, drivers for the buggy’s on Fatima Day and general maintenance. If you are interested or will to commit please speak to Fr Richard.

SAVE OUR SANDS
The proposed sand quarry which is to be located behind the grotto and will effect five properties along Hanging Rock Road and many others between Penrose Park and Sally’s Corner is submitting for approval a revised development application. This quarry is for 30 years and will be in operation 24/7. This is something we oppose along with many of the local residents for several important reasons such as pollution of the water table, silica dust, noise, increased traffic, devastation to the local flora and fauna especially wildlife and of course the ruination of this beautiful part of the state. We ask you to please help us oppose this quarry as we only have until 04/12/23 to submit concerns / objections. Individual and collective submissions can be made on the Department of Planning and Environmental portal at:
www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/sutton-forest-sand-quarry
More information can be found on the side table in the Church as well as the brief from the “Save our Sands” local action group.

Working Bee – Saturday 18th of November

During our monthly working bee on the 3rd Saturday of the month (18 of November) we are going to continue the work begun last month cleaning up the dead wood around the chapels at the back of the property. The goal of doing so will be:

  • We want our Shrine to look as beautiful as possible to be spiritually uplifting to the pilgrims that come.
  • It is said to be a high-risk fire season coming, so we want to be as prepared as possible.
  • The general safety of those that walk around the Shrine property.

The program for the day would be:

  • Mass at around 8:15am in the Shrine Church
  • Begin work at 9am at the back of the property
  • BBQ lunch around 1:30pm
  • Finish around 5:30pm (for those that can stay the whole day).

The work will be everything from collecting small branches to large logs, loading them in a trailer and putting them in an open field where they can be burnt next winter.

Solid shoes and gloves would be a must. Anyone who can bring a chainsaw to help cut up logs or a tailer to help move them is encouraged to bring them.

Fatima Day Rosary Procession

Fatima Day – November 13th

Fatima Day for November will be celebrated by Fr Jeremy Santoso OSPPE, Assistant Priest of St Margaret Mary’s, Merrylands.

BBQ lunch will be available.

The program will be as follows:

  • 10 am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
  • 10:30 am Rosary
  • 11 am Solemn Mass
  • 12 noon Lunch
  • 1:30 pm Eucharistic Procession to the Gotto while reciting the Rosary.
  • 2 pm Prayers and Devotions at the Gotto, and blessing of pilgrims.