Dear faithful,

With the current restrictions on public Mass and the closure of all churches, we understand that this is a very difficult time for all of you.  The priests and the parish would like to find as many ways as we can to help & support all of our parishioners.

At the same time there are many regulations set by the government and archdiocese which we must also abide by.  We thank you for your patience & understanding in this, especially since the regulations have been changing almost on a daily basis.

We also thank the many people who have reached out to the priests to offer help. We are both doing well so far and are trying to put things into place for the coming weeks or months, in order that we can still minister to everyone’s needs as best as possible:

Firstly, please note that we will be live-streaming Sunday Masses at 10:30am on our FaceBook page, which anyone will be able to watch. (The church will be closed to the public though, obviously.) Thank you to those who have generously given of their time to make this possible.  If you are able to follow the liturgy this way, please do not post comments, etc., during the Mass, because it will only distract those trying to unite themselves in prayer with the Holy Sacrifice taking place. If you do not have a missal, keep in mind that we have the Mass propers on our website under “resources”. (This Sunday’s text is here.)

Secondly, there will be some scope for hearing Confessions at the presbytery for those genuinely in need of the Sacrament. I have set up a screen and kneeler on the front porch of the house (to the left of the front door) so that you will not need to enter the house itself.

We are forbidden from advertising set Confession times, so you can  call ahead before you come if you want to make sure that one of the priests will be available.  I would suggest keeping Confessions of devotion (i.e. venial sins) to a maximum of once a month.  If we get too many people calling constantly at the house, we could draw the attention of the authorities.

I have placed the large container of Holy Water in the side alcove at the church, which you can access at any time.  If the small metal gate leading into the courtyard is closed, you can just slide open the bolt. (Close again after leaving.)

If anyone falls sick, please contact the priests.  If you have flu symptoms (fever, cough, difficulty breathing) please notify us, and also call a doctor.

Mrs Tien Rofe is organising a “depot” of household items which are currently difficult to find.  If you are lacking in these areas, or can contribute to the stockpile from your surplus items, please contact Tien: tien.rofe@gmail.com  (Many thanks, Tien.)

I have been contacted by many parishioners in regard to Sunday collections.  I will copy the bank details at the end of this email for the first and second collections. Please note that these can only be used for electronic transfer (net-banking/direct debit/EFT), and cannot be used to deposit cash over the counter at a bank branch.

If you do not use net-banking, you could send a cheque at the end of each month or drop an envelope into the presbytery letterbox, which is always kept locked, or donate via credit card here.  However, if you are experiencing financial difficulties because of this current crisis, please do not give to the collections, but pray a Rosary for all the parishioners instead.

Fr Wong has been preaching a retreat to the Carmelite nuns this week.  He will be back in Sydney on Tuesday.

Let us continue to pray for one another and see what help we might be able to give to those who are struggling under the current restrictions. (E.g. even a simple phone call to someone living alone would likely mean a lot to that person.)

The priests are here to support you and pray for you during this time. Please do not hesitate to contact us, and also keep us in your prayers too!

God bless,

Fr Sypher

Bank Details for Church Collections:

N.B. Our bookkeeper is a generous volunteer who gives many hours each week for that task. If you intend to set up regular bank transfers with the details below, might I request that you schedule it monthly (or fortnightly) to reduce the extra work load that the current situation will bring?  Also, if any of you have experience in bookkeeping (or at least good computer skills) and could spare a few hours once a fortnight, please consider volunteering to help us in this way. Thank you!

For first collection:

“Fraternity of St Peter Sydney”

BSB 062784

A/c No. 26085400

For second collection:

“Maternal Heart of Mary Parish”

A/c No. 10175002

For general donations to FSSP: