Welcome to the Catholic Parish of St. Brigid's, Marrickville

In particular I congratulate Sofia Manuel and William Crocombe who were named this week as School Captains 2009 for St. Brigid’s Primary, and Catia Fernandes Monteiro of Year 11 in Casimir College who took 1st in the State in the HSC Portuguese. 
            I also thank both our schools for the very moving but enormously uplifting Liturgies of Farewell and Thanks they celebrated for and with me this week.  While these liturgies were meant to be for me, they once again showed me our schools at their best – celebrating with reverence and prayerfulness,  joy and enthusiasm, with laughter and solemnity.  On such occasions we see exactly why our two schools are so incredibly special and stand out in the Archdiocese.
            We had the occasion this week to celebrate with the leaders, past and present of our Passionist Family Groups.  At a mass and dinner, we thanks Yvonne Kearsey and Paul & Joanne Cloran our first PFGM Coordinators who were so instrumental in establishing the Family Groups in our parish.  We also thanked Jack and Susie Houssarini who took over as Family Group Pleaders. We thanked, Mary Sponberg Macreedy, Frank &Lorraine Cowell, Greg San Miguel & Lucia di Lucca, Mark Rahme and Margaret Dos Santos, Mary Cloran, Greg & Lyn Dwyer and Barbara & Myles O’Reilly – all Family Group leaders during the last 15 years.  A special thanks to Monica & Joe Graboswki and Carol & Michael Price our present coordinating couples for organizing such a wonderful evening.
            As Christmas comes, I would especially thank our Parish Team for their constant and generous work for you.  The year has disappeared with lightening rapidity, but it has been a very full year, especially with the first half dominated by organizing for World Youth Day. Padre Raffaele’s year has been dogged by ill health, pain and hospitals.  Fr. Xavier and Sr. Ritzlou both left their own homes and countries to come and give their life and love to us here in Marrickville – what an amazing sacrifice, as they follow the footsteps of Padre and Sr Elena.  For Michelle our Youth Coordinator, so much of the year was WYD and its demands.  For everything done by Alfred our maintenance man, Michelle our  book keeper, Miss maureen and Miss jennie in the Sacramental Office, Yvonne Kearsey especially in the Thanksgiving  Program, and Jim Yeo in the gardens and most everything else, I offer a special “Thank You”.  And for Terrey our Parish Secretary, the organizing of the office let alone the Team has been a full time job and will ensure her a very special place in heaven.  I thank each of them on behalf of all of you in the parish. 
To the many volunteers who do so much in the parish, for those I haven’t already thanked personally, I thank you now.  May the Christmas feast be a time of special blessings for you n return for the blessing you all are here in the parish.
I will be on semi-holidays over January, getting packed and catching up with family before beginning my work in the Passionist and parish community in Boroko, Port Moresby in February.   During this time Fr. Xavier will be acting as Parish Priest while Terrey our secretary, as normal, actually runs the parish.
And finally MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all!

Fr Tom Writes
Dear Friends in the Parish Family

           Dear Friends in the Parish Family
Our Advent waiting is almost over and our Christmas celebrations are just about upon us.  I join with all the parish team in wishing each and everyone of you a wonderful Christmas, a safe New year, refreshing holidays for those who have them and most importantly a 2009 that is everything you need it to be.  IN order of longevity in the parish, Padre Raffaele, Ms Terrey, myself, Ms Michelle, Fr. Tony, Sr. Elena and Sr. Ritzlou all thank you for a year of kindness, thoughtfulness, generosity, patience and forbearance.  Fro all we have shared together, may the Infant Jesus grant you every blessing.           
            As this is the final weekend our choirs will join lead us in song, I thank them in particular for another year of lifting our hearts and spirits with the beauty of their voices.  Our Tongan Saturday Vigil Choir, our Sunday Samoan, Italian, Traditional and Tongan Evening Choirs make, and our two Vietnamese choirs make us the envy of many parishes.  Thanks for being there every Sunday to help us worship.
            As our schools begin their holidays we wish our children, teachers, staff and parents a safe holiday.  It has been a HUGE year. Though for many the celebrations with the WYD Cross and Icon, and the glorious World Youth Day week seem a long time ago, I thank the school communities that even with such an enormous responsibility to host tens of thousands of pilgrims all our schools  continued also to work for excellence in our children.