INFORMATION BULLETIN No 82

JANUARY 2007

Dear Brothers in Ministry

Christmas 'mega' Experience - Burleigh Heads QLD

Christmas 'mega' Experience - Narre Warren VIC

Christmas 'mega' Experience - South Tuggeranong ACT

Christmas 'mega' Experience - Salisbury SA

Parishes in excess of 10,000 Catholics

Dear Brothers in Ministry

The 2001 Census threw up some interesting inform- ation about the size of parishes throughout Australia. Parishes at the time with more than 10,000 Catholics are listed on the back of this Bulletin. As you browse through the list you will be aware that there have been some changes in quite a few parishes since then.

Five years on, the neat ranking from 1 to 47 is prob-ably not accurate (2008 will bring more accurate data), except to say that none of these parishes is smaller! Many parishes have been clustered together. As a result, the ratio of priest to people has changed dramatically for some. And the dynamics involved in running such parishes has also changed.

Consider for a moment Christmas in our largest parish. It’s on the Gold Coast. How did the PP and Assistant of ‘mega-parish’ Burleigh Heads with its 25,630+ Catholics manage to provide the Masses and Reconciliation necessary for its local crowd, its ‘return-ing Catholics’ and its visitors, as well as answer doors and phones, and be liturgically and psychologically prepared for the onslaught? We all talk happily about the tremendous influx of people at Christmas Masses in all parishes around the country, but spare a thought for the parishes listed in this Bulletin and their priests. 

Inside, we hear from a few of these men. They tell us what Christmas meant to them as they celebrated for the many thousands and more who turned up.

With every blessing for 2007.

Fr Frank Devoy

Director

Fr Frank Devoy has been appointed by the Australian Bishops

as Director of the Office for Clergy Life and Ministry for a further three years from January 2007

THE CHRISTIAN 'MEGA' EXPERIENCE

From Burleigh Heads with its 25,630+ Catholics

Christmas on the Gold Coast - it’s all about Mass - many of them, many venues, masses of faces, “What time is Mass?”

Only Christmas can hold together all the extremes:

A Monday Christmas left me a fraction off the pace in that annual chase to put a name to a face.

Increasingly at Christmas, I struggle to find something to say, but the rhythm of the readings I enjoy more each time.  In just over twelve hours, we go from the heavy handedness of bureaucratic decrees through the ordinariness of the shift workers in the fields, to the fourth Gospel’s disturbing annunciation - even though ‘the Word was made flesh and lived among us’, this gift was unacceptable to his own. 

At Christmas, I feel so at home at the many tables of the Eucharist at which I stand, yet the gathering pace of priestly life leaves me feeling less at home around the family table when eventually I get there. 

Christmas at the beach is always great. The feast of Stephen though comes as a relief.

                                                              Pat Molony PP

                                                              Infant Saviour

                                                     Burleigh Heads Qld

THE CHRISTIAN 'MEGA' EXPERIENCE

From Narre Warren with its 16,013+ Catholics

Christmas at Narre Warren this year was a little different with rain starting right in the middle of the family Mass on Christmas Eve. A good decision to celebrate in the church! And then with the hail storm on Christmas morning, the church grounds were covered in white - a great photo opportunity. 

But it was still busy, great numbers of people (literally thousands), a real buzz in the church on Christmas Eve, the delight of children and the colourful national dress of the Sudanese, Indian, Nigerian, Sri Lankan and Laotian parishioners. Christmas always brings with it a great sense of celebration and occasion.

This is my 12^th Christmas at Narre Warren and I really do enjoy catching up with people, especially those who were young when I first arrived in the Parish and are now young adults, some married, but all coming home to celebrate this marvellous feast, some from other parts of Australia or Melbourne.  Most from around the corner and they are here in their church and it is good to have them home.

                                                             John Allen PP

                           Our Lady Help of Christians Parish

                                                        Narre Warren, Vic

Top | Back

THE CHRISTIAN 'MEGA' EXPERIENCE

From Sth Tuggeranong with its 17,000+ Catholics

A hot summer’s night ushered in the Christmas season.

After a year and half of bringing two large parishes together it was possible to see the fruits of many people’s labour.

The Youth Mass brought together the talents and imagination of young people who had prepared for two months for the liturgy.

The Children’s Mass brought forth images of the feeding of the five thousand as they sat out on the grass behind the Sacred Heart Church.

The Midnight Mass was a fitting prelude to Christmas morning. All in all, amidst the throng of people who attended the Masses and the loving tension of the night it was possible to sense the Peace of Christ that disturbs us.

                                                     John Armstrong PP

                                                 Corpus Christi Parish

                                            South Tuggeranong ACT

THE CHRISTIAN 'MEGA' EXPERIENCE

From Salisbury with its 17,189 Catholics

Salisbury is the biggest and best parish in the Arch-diocese of Adelaide. It is alive and growing. New subdivisions drive out the market-gardens as the parish sprawls from the hills to the coast. Wave after wave of migration has made us wonderfully diverse.

Christmas comes. Over the years, we have noted that people are voting with their feet for vigil Masses: now we have continuous vigil Masses through to midnight, and we have reduced our morning offerings. Masses are now mostly in our large parish church, bringing big celebrations with strong ministry support, rather than stretching our ministers (especially music) over many smaller celebrations. For some, standing around the walls, this is a joy. For others, especially those with a deep commitment to a small outstation, this is disappointing.

We continue to offer Christmas Mass in Italian, Polish, and Vietnamese, as well as English. Buon Natale! 祝你圣诞快乐！

            Roderick O’Brien PP

St Augustine’s Parish

Salisbury SA

Top | Back

PARISHES IN EXCESS OF 10,000 CATHOLICS BY CENSUS 2001

Cath Pop        Parish – Diocese              Rank

25630               Burleigh Heads - Brisbane          1

18036               Surfers Paradise - Brisbane        2

17189               Salisbury - Adelaide                   3

(17000              Sth Tuggeranong: newly clustered)

16934               Maroochydore - Brisbane            4

16037               Southport - Brisbane                  5

16021               Browns Plains - Brisbane            6

16013               Narre Warren - Sale                   7

15967               Penrith - Parramatta                  8

15469               Camden - Wollongong                9

15287               Caboolture - Brisbane                10

14920               Bonnyrigg - Sydney                    11

14630               Mill Park - Melbourne                 12

14430               Mt Pritchard - Sydney                13

14419               Caloundra - Brisbane                  14

14333               Croydon - Melbourne                  15

14206               Nowra - Wollongong                   16

13340               Castle Hill - Parramatta              17

13327               Smithfield - Sydney                    18

12925               Orange - Bathurst                      19

12450               Toukley - Broken Bay                 20

12315               Plumpton - Parramatta               21

12274               Shellharbour City - Wollongong   22

12247               Wyong - Broken Bay                   23

12241               Redcliffe - Brisbane                   24

12126               Calwell - Canberra/G                 25

11958               Grovely - Brisbane                     26

11954               Liverpool - Sydney                     27

11794               St Clair - Parramatta                 28

11409               Tea Tree Gully - Adelaide           29

11353               Queanbeyan - Canberra/G          30

11202               Port Macquarie - Lismore           31

11167               Menai - Sydney                         32

11124               St Marys - Parramatta               33

11097               Sunnybank - Brisbane                34

10824               Bossley Park - Sydney               35

10822               Sunbury - Melbourne                  36

10727               Keilor Downs - Melbourne           37

10431               The Entrance - Broken Bay         38

10421               Dubbo St Brigids - Bathurst        39

10418               Coffs Harbour - Lismore            40

10405               Ocean Reef - Perth                    41

10382               Woy Woy - Broken Bay              42

10377               Launceston - Hobart                  43

10055               Morphett Vale - Adelaide            44

10036               Lane Cove - Sydney                   45

10035               Blacktown South - Parramatta     46

10015               Gladstone - Rockhampton          47

NB. Many parishes have changed shape over the past five years, having more than 10,000 Catholics. The following have been suggested -- there are more).      In NSW: Bathurst Cathedral; Chatswood, Warnervale; South Tuggeranong, Gungahlin; Tweed Heads; East Lake Macquarie; Quakers Hill-Schofields, Glenwood-Stanhope Gardens, Greystanes; Fairfield; Ingleburn Rosemeadow, Campbelltown. QLAND: Tugun, Jubilee parish (Bris), Cathedral (Bris). SA: Glenelg, Elizabeth, Brighton-Hallett Cove.

Top | Back