Dear Parishioners,
As I come to the end of my time here at Christ the Light the parish, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge my gratitude and appreciation to you all for your contribution and commitment to the life and growth of our faith community. This has taken place within the various communities and worship centres that make up our parish of Mernda, Doreen, Kinglake and Whittlesea. I give thanks for the diversity that is present and at the same time over the years we have grown to recognize our unity as the one parish of Christ the Light.
There have been so many volunteers who individually and in various parish groups have been so generous and faithful in bringing life to our parish. Our Parish Leadership Team have played an important co-ordinating role in ensuring that the parish vision was being implemented and that we were responding to challenges as they arose. During this time of pandemic over this last year and half they have helped to ensure that we remained connected to our people through our Web site and in other practical ways.
Our weekend masses and those special times of the year at Christmas, Holy Week and Easter have been such an important part in celebrating and deepening our faith together. Our parish choirs and music in general have been so good in all of this. Our Live-Streaming mass has played an important part in this. At the same time our liturgies have also been opportunities to create a sense of welcome and hospitality for all and especially in enabling new parishioners to find a sense of belonging in our midst. Over my time here there have been an increasing number of families from South Asia and Africa coming to live here. This diversity of cultures has been a blessing for us in Christ the Light parish and may it continue to be so.
There has been a wonderful sense of people reaching out and keeping in touch with others. The ministry of bringing Holy Communion to the sick and housebound, the work of those in St Vincent de Paul assisting those in need across the wider community, those who have been making phone calls to those isolated and alone. It has all been a way of bringing the presence of the love of Jesus close to the people. I have been privileged to witness so many signs of this across the parish.
Our parish sacramental programmes have played such an important part in the life of this growing parish. I am grateful to all the leaders in our schools and in our catechetical programme that have been so generous over the years in helping our children and their parents come to know the Lord and his love for them. The celebration of the sacraments of Reconciliation, the Eucharist and Confirmation have truly been parish celebrations for all involved and even in the midst of this pandemic with the restrictions in numbers these occasions have been very uplifting and faith filled.
Being such a young parish especially in the Mernda Doreen area there have been many baptisms of children and again I am grateful to all involved over the years up to the present time who have helped the parents in the preparation and celebration of these occasions. A number of adults have also come into our Catholic community through the rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. I am grateful to all who supported them on their journey.
It has been a real blessing for me to have been involved in the life of our parish schools; St Joseph’s Mernda, St Paul the Apostle Doreen, and St Mary’s Whittlesea. I especially enjoyed being with the children at their special masses and being able to speak with them at the homily time and listening to their sharing about Jesus. I owe a debt of gratitude to all our principals and their staffs for their generosity and commitment in the education and care for their children.
What has also helped us to build that sense of community within our parish has been the variety of social and fundraising events that were organized over these last several years especially the Fetes that took place and which enable so many to come together and build that sense of community as a parish. I am grateful to all who have given so much in making these events happen.
So much of what happens in our parish has depended on our assistant priests and members of our parish staff in terms of communication, administration, and spiritual and pastoral activity. I have been blessed over the years with my assistant priests and staff members who have not only done their work but have also been committed to the parish and ensuring all is provided to ensure that the mission of the parish is being addressed. I am grateful for all their support and goodness.
In the midst of all of this, the infrastructure needs of our parish have also been an important element in the development of our new parish. Thankfully, land has been provided by the Archdiocese in Doreen for us to build a church. The priest’s house has already been located near this site. Plans for the parish office to move near the church site are already being worked on. While it may take a few years, the Archdiocese at a recent meeting informed us that it is committed to assisting the parish in raising funds and to help also in the planning and the building for the new church.
There is so much to be grateful for over my years in this parish and these reflections represent how much the parish has grown over my nine years with you. It has been a privilege to serve and to be your parish priest and friend over this time.
May Christ who is the Light of the World continue to guide you into the future. May you know Christ’s closeness to you in moments of darkness. May your goodness and generosity as individuals and as a parish be a beacon of Christ’s light for the world of our time.
May God bless you all and keep me in your prayers,
Fr Martin Ashe PP
July 30, 2021