PADRE PIO PARISH STAFF

Sr Helen Ockerby Sacramental Co-Ord

Photo

Coming

Rev Mr Pio Jang Deacon

Fr Robert Riedling Parish Priest

CONTACT DETAILS

34 - 38 William Howell Drive (PO Box 8037) GLENMORE PARK NSW 2745 Phone: 4737 9735 Fax: 4733 8245 Mobile (Fr Robert): 0438 268 740

EMAIL

Parish Office parish@padrepioglenmorepark.org.au

Fr Robert Riedling PP robert@padrepioglenmorepark.org.au

OFFICE HOURS

Monday to Friday 8:30am to 3:00pm

(Closed 12:00 to 12:30pm)

The Ascension of the Lord

THOSE OF YOU who are parents will know the amount of time you put into as-sisting your children to develop certain skills. Helping your children to move from the crawling stage to learning to walk is perhaps one of the more significant and memorable times of your life, but many other examples can be brought to mind: helping your children with reading, writing and drawing, eating and drinking, toilet training, pronouncing various words, developing motor skills, cooking, playing a musical instrument, using tools, and so on.

The point I want to make is this: there comes a time when a child has developed a particular skill and it is necessary for the parent to step back. A child wouldn’t be too happy if a parent is still insisting on holding onto them if they are about to start school and so quite capable of walking freely on their own! Though this seems a bizarre example, the principle holds true throughout life: parents who obsessively watch over their children to the point where it is unhealthy create untold difficulties for them. Naturally, parents will always be concerned for the welfare of their children and will always be there for them, but allowing them in-dependence when the time is right and allowing them to learn from their mistakes is surely the best approach to raising happy and healthy offspring.

Though the analogy has its limitations, this is, in essence, what today’s feast of The Ascension of the Lord is about. The feast is less about Jesus “going up to heaven” than about equipping his disciples (us) with what is necessary for us to carry on his mission of building the kingdom (“Go out to the whole world…”). Cer-tainly Jesus could have stayed around and “held the hand” of the disciples but the mission would then have been very limited. A child being held steady by a parent as they learn to walk cannot roam very far. Only when they are capable of walking and free of parental assistance can they roam as they please. This mis-sion of Jesus is a universal one and so he knows the importance of handing over his mission to all of his disciples who can do so much more than he could do alone.

Jesus could only give us what is needed (the Holy Spirit) if he returned to the Father. Of course, like a petulant child who refuses the assistance of a parent when it is offered, we can choose to refuse the help of the Holy Spirit, but, like the child, our efforts will then be in vain. But just as a parent never stops having care and concern for their children, so our Lord never stops watching lovingly over us, urging us to always embrace the gift he has given us so that we may know fulfilment and happiness. The gift of the Holy Spirit is an assurance that though we don’t have Jesus with us like a parent assisting a child, God is with us in a very real way.

Just as a child is never really without their parents, even if it is as a loving memory, so we are never without the loving presence of Jesus. It was just that, paradoxically, he had to leave us to ensure his presence with us….

Blessings and prayers in the week ahead, Fr Robert

Ascension of the Lord (Yr B) 17 May 2015

PADRE PIO PARISH Glenmore Park

www.padrepioglenmorepark.org.au

WEBSITE

Roland Peters Finance Committee

Matthew Topp Parish Council

Melissa Topp St Vincent de Paul

Trish Kelly Parish Secretary

WEEKEND MASS TIMES

Saturday Vigil @ 5:30pm Sunday @ 7:30am and 9:30am

WEEKDAY MASS TIMES Tuesday 9:00am Mass Wednesday 7:00pm Mass &

Perpetual Help Novena Thursday 9:00am Mass Friday 9:00am Mass First Friday 9:00am, 7:00pm Masses Saturday 7:30am Mass,

Novena to Padre Pio, Exposition & Benediction

Mass with Anointing of the Sick First Saturday of each month @ 7:30am

RECONCILIATION Following Saturday morning Mass

(till 9:30am) or by appointment

BAPTISMS 2nd, 3rd and 4th Sundays @ 11:30am

Please contact the Parish Office

SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM ENQUIRIES

Please contact the Parish Office

BETHANY PRIMARY SCHOOL Ph 4733 5299

Principal Mr Ted Langford

Assistant Principal Mrs Liz Devlin

Religious Education Coordinator Mrs Melanie Elmer

CAROLINE CHISHOLM COLLEGE Ph 4737 5500

Principal Mrs Mary Leask

Assistant Principal Mr Greg King

Religious Education Coordinator Ms Bernadette Murray

If you wish to adver-

tise

your business here,

please contact the

Parish Office on

4737 9735

Rick Sudulic 0412 582 194 Christian Domingo 0402 093 415

Licence number: 212863C

New homes

Industrial and

commercial properties

Renovations

RCD and Appliance testing

Emergency lighting

2015 Weekends

We all agree our marriages need nurturing.

And so -Worldwide Marriage Encounter

provides a Weekend away - from the

distractions of everyday life to focus on

each other.

It is a great opportunity for couples to

explore their relationship together and find

ways to make marriages more

fulfilling.

19-21 June, 2015

11-13 September, 2015

20-22 November, 2015

Please contact:

Ardell & Bill Sharpe Ph: (02) 4283 3435

Email: wsharpe@bigpond.net.au

Website:

http://www.wwme.org.au/nswact.htm

MAY

SUNDAY 17 May 9:30am Bethany School Stage 3 Mass 4:30pm Youth Mass and gathering

TUESDAY 19 May Week Two - Reconciliation Preparation

WEDNESDAY 20 May 10:30am Pastoral Care Morning Tea

SATURDAY 23 May 3:00pm Parish Annual General Meeting

MONDAY 25 May 9:00am Mass - Our Lady Help of Christians

TUESDAY 26 May Week Three - Reconciliation Preparation

WEDNESDAY 27 May 8:00AM Secret Men’s Business

THURSDAY 28 May 7:30pm Baptism Preparation Evening

FRIDAY 29 May 8:45am Caroline Chisholm College Stage Mass

JUNE

TUESDAY 02 June Week Four - Reconciliation Preparation 1:30pm Bethany School Stage 2 Mass

WEDNESDAY 03 June 8:00pm Parish Pastoral Council meeting

FRIDAY 05 June (First Friday) 9:00am Mass 9:30am - 1:00pm Adoration 1:30pm Bethany School Stage 3 Mass 2:30pm -7:00pm Adoration 7:00pm Mass

SATURDAY 06 June 7:30am Mass and Anointing of the Sick

FRIDAY 12 June (Feast of the Sacred Heart) 9:00am Bethany School Mass

Rick Sudulic 0412 582 194

Christian Domingo 0402 093 415

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

All peoples, clap your hands, cry to God with shouts of joy! For the Lord, the Most High, we must fear, great king over all the earth. R.

God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast. Sing praise for God, sing praise, sing praise to our king, sing praise. R.

God is king of all the earth. Sing praise with all your skill. God is king over the nations; God reigns on his holy throne. R.

SECOND READING Ephesians 1:17-23

A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him. May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you, what rich glories he has promised the saints will inherit and how infinitely great is the power that he has exercised for us believers. This you can tell from the strength of his power at work in Christ, when he used it to raise him from the dead and to make him sit at his right hand, in heaven, far above every Sovereignty, Authority, Power, or Domination, or any other name that can be named, not only in this age, but also in the age to come. He has put all things under his feet, and made him as the ruler of everything, the head of the Church; which is his body, the fullness of him who fills the whole creation. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Men of Galilee, why gaze in wonder at the heavens? This Jesus whom you saw ascending into heaven will return as you saw him go, alleluia.

FIRST READING Acts 1:1-11

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning until the day he gave his instruc-tions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. He had shown himself alive to them after his Pas-sion by many demonstrations: for forty days he had continued to ap-pear to them and tell them about the kingdom of God. When he had been at table with them, he had told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what the Father had promised. 'It is' he had said 'what you have heard me speak about: John baptised with water but you, not many days from now, will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.'

Now having met together, they asked him, 'Lord, has the time come? Are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel?' He replied, 'It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my wit-nesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth.'

As he said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight. They were still staring into the sky when sud-denly two men in white were stand-ing near them and they said, 'Why are you men from Galilee standing here looking into the sky? Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven, this same Jesus will come back in the same way as you have seen him go there.'

The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION Alleluia, alleluia! Go and teach all people my gos-pel. I am with you always, until the end of the world. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Mark 16:15-20

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark Jesus showed himself to the Elev-en, and said to them, 'Go out to the whole world, proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who be-lieves and is baptised will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned. These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be un-harmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.'

And so the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven: there at the right hand of God he took his place, while they, going out, preached every-where, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it.

The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age, alleluia.

Please pray for all our parishioners

who are ill at home or in hospital,

including...

Terri Foley, Denise King

Noelene Bangel, Willie Chalice

Please pray for the repose of the souls of...

Jude, Margaret and Blake

Barry Crocker

Anniversaries: Kevin Bodel

Marion McNeill

Anthony Pirotta

Please note that names of those who are sick will be published in the bulletin for

two weeks only unless the Parish Office is notified the person is still unwell.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Christ, while in heaven, is also with us; and we, while on earth, are also with him. He is with us in his godhead and his power and his love; and we, though we cannot be with him in godhead as he is with us, can be with him in our love, our love for him.” -St Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo and Father of the Church

Did you know…?

We invite members of the parish to

take advantage of our legal

services specialising in:

Ph: 02 47315899

www.batemanbattersby.com.au

enquiries@batemanbattersby.com.au

*Property Law *Family Law

*Business Law *Negligence Law

*Wills & Estates *Court Appearances

PARISH NEWS

YOU ARE ALL welcome to come to the Parish Pastoral Council AGM next Satur-day afternoon, 23 May, beginning at 3:00pm. Have you thought about nomi-nating for a position?

...that the verses we hear in this weekend’s Gospel from Mark (16:15-20) were a later addition to his Gospel?

The original ending of Mark’s Gospel was halfway through the current verse eight and told of the women who had attended the empty tomb fleeing from the tomb in terror and amazement. An addition was later made extending verse eight and then a longer ending was made which add-ed verses nine through to twenty. These additions speak of the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus and, as we hear this weekend, his commission of all to go out to the world and preach the Good News.

World Meeting of Families SOME GREAT NEWS with the official

announcement that Deacon Pio is to be ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Parramatta, along with Deacon Thomas who is currently appointed to Greystanes. Both will be ordained by Bishop Robert McGuckin, Bishop of Toowoomba, at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Parramatta on Wednesday 24 June , the Feast of the Na-tivity of John the Baptist. The ordination commences at 7:30pm. All are welcome to attend, there is no need to await a personal invitation! If you have never been to an ordination before may I suggest you take up this opportunity to witness a wonderful and moving liturgy. Please keep both Pio and Thomas in your prayers.

Ordination

Parish Council AGM

“Faith & Fellowship”

NEXT MEETING of the Faith & Fellow-ship Group will be Thursday, 28 May at 7:30pm in the Bethany staffroom. Part 2 of the film “Karol”. All welcome!

Altar Servers YOU MAY have noticed some new altar servers on the sanctuary over the past couple of months. We’d love more! A meeting for current and prospective altar servers will be held on Sunday 31 May from 3:00pm - 4:15pm in the church.

SOME OTHER great news for our parish is that the Wilkinson family (Brad and Natalie and their children) have been one of just two chosen for the Diocese to at-tend the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, USA, later this year (22-25 September). This is indeed an honour not just for the Wilkinson family but for our parish. The parish is asked to contribute $3000 to the costs (just a fraction of the total!) so there will be some fundraising activities underway in the future.

PLEASE CONSIDER using the BPoint facility on the parish website to make your DWF donation if you haven’t done so yet and would like to. We are still a long way short of our quota. On the home page, click on the purple box labelled “Make a Payment to my Parish” and go to “DWF Appeal” on the drop down Biller Code menu. A receipt can be printed at the time you make your donation. You can use this facility to make many other payments too. Many parishioners are con-tinuing to see the benefits of BPoint. Of course, envelopes are at the Welcome Table if you would like to make a cash donation. Thank you!

DWF Appeal

PARISH AND DIOCESAN NEWS

First Collection (Diocese)

Second Collection

(Parish)

TOTAL

$966.30

Envelopes $ 1,119.10

Notes and coins $ 728.55

Credit Cards $ 1,008.46

Direct Debits $ 144.23

$3,000.34

Collections: 09/10 May

In compliance with privacy legislation, names cannot be published in our Parish

Bulletin without the permission of the persons themselves or their next of kin.

Rosary Group

WILL BE HELD on Tuesday 19 May at 7:00pm at the home of

Cecilia and Frank Zammit, 125 Castle Road, Orchard Hills. For

more details please phone 0427 268 699. All welcome!

First Reconciliation Preparation 2015

ALL COUPLES who were married between 1995 and 2014 are

invited to celebrate the early years of their marriage with their

family during a special Diocesan Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Parish, Parramatta this Sunday 17 May, 2015 at 11:00am.

Very Rev Peter Williams VG EV will be celebrating the Mass

and guests are invited to lunch at the Cathedral Parish hall fol-

lowing Mass.

SESSION TWO FOR PARENT AND CHILD continues this

week in the classrooms at Bethany School. Please arrive at least

five minutes or so before the session starts. Assemble at the

Padre Pio Grotto at the left hand side of the church near the

carpark.

For more information please contact Sr Helen at the Parish

Office or via email: srhelen@padrepioglenmorepark.org.au.

Support the African Children’s Choir

Bethany Kindergarten 2016

Change of Mass Times

WE ARE now beginning the process of transition to Kinder

2016. Please collect application forms from the school office.

Interviews with parents/child commence early May. Please in-

form nearby neighbours or family friends if they have a child

ready for starting school. Please spread the word!

A Night in Sicily ON THE EVENING of Saturday 26 September, we are celebrat-

ing the Feast of Padre Pio with fine dining and entertainment.

Venue will be Siena Events, Wetherill Park. Ticket cost $90 per

head for a 3-course meal which includes wine, beer and soft

drinks. Tickets available at the Parish office. Please support this

fundraising event! See the advertisement at the bottom of page

seven of the bulletin.

ON FRIDAY 29 May Caroline Chisholm College will be at-

tending our morning Mass. To accommodate the students’ time-

table the morning Mass will be celebrated at an earlier time of

8:45am.

Celebrating the Early Years of

Marriage

Spend a day with the Notre Dame Folk Choir on 30 May

JOIN INSPIRATIONAL MUSICIANS from The University of

Notre Dame in the US for a day of live singing and work-

shops! On their first visit to Australia from the US, the Notre

Dame Folk Choir’s 50 choristers and instrumentalists will come

to St Patrick’s Cathedral and will demonstrate how good liturgi-

cal music can inspire and nurture faith through a day of work-

shops, prayer and a concert. From 11:30am - 4:30pm. Cost: $5

per person (cash only, to be collected on the day). Register at:

www.parra.catholic.org.au

THE ANNUAL MARIAN Pilgrimage at Mt Schoenstatt begins

at 10:00am with Mass at 10:30am. The Eucharistic Procession

and Benediction from the valley to the Shrine will commence at

2:00pm. There will be an alternative program for the sick and

elderly at the Shrine. Please bring your own picnic chairs. Hot

food will be available at lunchtime. Mt Schoenstatt is at 230

Fairlight Road, Mulgoa. For further details phone 4773 8338 or

visit www.schoenstatt.org.au

Annual Marian Pilgrimage on 24 May

Pastoral Care Morning Tea

THE NEXT PASTORAL CARE morning tea will be held on

Wednesday 20 May in the meeting room at 10:30am. All wel-

come! Please bring a plate to share.

The ACC is a Christian charity that cares for and educates some

of the poorest children in Uganda and other African countries,

helping them break the cycle of poverty and become leaders in

their communities. See africanchildrenschoir.com.

The details

Drum and Dance Workshop: Lawson Public School hall,

Adelaide Street, Lawson. Wednesday, May 20, 7.30pm. Adults

$18, children/concession $12, families $48 (two adults & two

children under 16).

Blackheath Concert: Phillips Hall, Blackheath Community

Centre, Gardiner Crescent, Blackheath. Thursday, May 21,

7.30pm. Adults $25, children/concession $18, families $68.

Penrith Concert: Lighthouse Theatre, Penrith Anglican Col-

lege, 338-356 Wentworth Road, Orchard Hills. Friday, May 22,

7.30pm. Adults $25, children/concession $18, families $68.

Book Blue Mountains and Penrith tickets at kwaya.org.

Saint of the Week

St Rita of Cascia

22 May

Augustinian nun, also called Margarita. She was born in Roccaporena, near Spole-

to, Italy, in 1381, and expressed from an early

age the desire to become a nun. Her elder-

ly parents insisted that she be married at the

age of twelve to a man described in accounts

of her life as cruel and harsh. She spent eight-

een extremely unhappy years, had two sons,

and was finally widowed when her husband

was killed in a brawl. Both sons also died, and

Rita, still anxious to become a nun, tried un-

successfully to enter the Augustinians in

their convent at Cascia. She was refused be-

cause she was a widow and because of the

requirement that all sisters should be virgins.

Finally, in 1413, the order gave her entry, and

she earned fame for her austerity, devotion to

prayer, and charity.

In the midst of chronic illnesses, she received visions and wounds on her forehead

which resembled the crown of thorns. She died on May 22 at Cascia, and many

miracles were reported instantly. Canonised in 1900, she is honoured in Spain as

La Santa de los Impossibles and elsewhere as a patron saint of hopeless causes.

Advertise your

business or activity

here!

Please contact the

Parish Office on

4737 9735

for more details.

Advertise your

business or activity

here!

Please contact the

Parish Office on

4737 9735

for more details.

All stock feeds - bird seeds

Huge range of water tanks & pumps

Dog & Cat Foods; Fresh Pet Meats

Horse & Pet Accessories

Specialised supplements

Fertilisers, farm & garden supplies

Rural & Electric fencing & more

Trading hours

Monday - Friday Saturday Closed 8:00am-5:30pm 8:00am-3:00pm Sunday Public Hol

Telephone: 4736 5375

Advertise your

business or activity

here!

Please contact the

Parish Office on

4737 9735

PENRITH CITY AWNINGS owner builder: David & Elvie Williams

Ph (02) 47326595 MBL: 0403 011 058

Lic No: 121977 C ABN: 45 694 859 807

*Carports

*Patio Awnings

*Gable or Flat

*Screen and Glass

Enclosures

*DIY kits available

*Custom made Garage

Call now for a free quote!

Email:dave@penrithcityawnings.com

MASS ROSTERS: 23/24 May

“Jesus has been taken into heaven.”

Try to find these words:

believe

cloud

Good News

heal

heaven

Holy Spirit

hurt

languages

light

miracles

right

white

5:30pm

7:30am

9:30am

Acolyte Manny Medel William Cimafranca David Baker

Martin Warda Bill Hardy

AALT LWA ACO LHE

MHA RHE

Welcomer

Leanne Gately Agnes Forwood Mary Bender

+2 +2 +2

Children's Liturgy N/A N/A Coley White

Geraldine Hayward

Mass Coordinator Matthew Topp Mark Aggar Judith Chesters

Commentator Trish Warda Bev Croft Melanie Elmer

Reader Zon Lupisan Gigi Cruz Judith Chesters

Eric Ruiz Help needed Chris Hersey

Music Mitchell/Walsh Choir N/A Y4C Choir

Extraordinary Minister of Eucharist

Matthew Topp Lyndon Clarke Tracy Amituanai

Raylee Grima +2 Natasha Chandra

+1 +1

Hospitality N/A Mary Catania Cait Griffin

Piety Stall Scott Morgan Help needed Anne Rowe

Powerpoint operator Cristin Warda Izabelle Cruz Help needed

Cleaning (Saturday morning) CFCA GP (Arts Calub) Team

E F X Y C N H A R P H A V U L A N

Y Z R W P A M K W G F J J Z L T X

M M N O P P K T V Y O A W E I Y Z

L A N T X O P K B L B O R I G H T

P T D W O M H F G I D T D M H W F

H H W M A P S E K C I Y X N T X Q

C O H G G Y L J A R L E L C E Q Y

K X I X S Y V L I V L D W T Q W J

T U T X N E Q P A G E E N E L L S

Z G E V G Q S D H N E N V O Q E D

Q P T V X Y M O D Y G V I Y G U U

L E M J L L O G Z H U U E O S N O

Z R J O M I R A C L E S A I F X L

O Q H N H L N H C T F A V G L Z C

J U R T X U U D R Q K B L W E E Q

N D E O J P R U C R E F G J T S B

W U J W U Q H K K A I R B H R F L