+ Mon 1st June – Winter energy use plus midweek mass and church opening details
Dear friends –
With the first day of winter here with us I thought I’d source some advice about energy saving. The obvious benefit is in relation to costs when those dreaded bills arrive. But as well, on a very positive note, the caring use of resources is a central expression of our faith in the God of creation – the One who gives us life and gives us the dignity of sharing a sustainable common home on earth. In Catholic Christianity, we believe that this is the home that along with all creation, is part of the unfolding and evolving fullness of life in God. What a great thought it is to think that everything we do towards the dignity and sustainability of creation – even if it has no money outcome nor makes no visible difference to the whole – is a contribution towards the quality and nature of the fullness of life in God. Put our hands in the soil and we’re investing blessings in life. Turn off a little electricity and we’re giving the planet a little extra breath. Get our blood pumping some more can warm our spirits as well as our bones.
AND SO, CHECK THIS OUT
Here’s a great government website to add to your thinking about energy use in winter: (just highlight, copy and paste the following blue details below)
https://www.energy.gov.au/household-guides/winter
AND MORE ABOUT KEEPING WARM NATURALLY
Here’s a site that might get us enjoying searching further too for other ways to keep active and warm in winter. Did you know that in the cold weather you can easily dehydrate? I thought that was more about hot weather! But this site advises plenty of WATER IN WINTER! Also, did you know that eating good complex carbohydrates makes your body more able to stay warm? That makes me re-think how I would define ‘comfort food’!!
(just highlight, copy and paste the following blue details below)
https://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/article/how-to-warm-up-naturally
Anyway, here’s to winter and maybe some new learnings and actions for our lives.
MIDWEEK MASS TIMES AND CHURCH OPENING AT OLOW
With the gradual easing of COVID-19 precautions, we’ll gradually change our church building use again. Keep in touch with this Parish Blog Space this week for updates but here’s a start.
MIDWEEK MASSES and CHURCH OPENING with 50 people maximum
Mass Wednesdays – to be reserved for our parish school children for a little while ahead. I’m confident parishioners will be supportive and keen that for the immediate time ahead we will reserve the Wednesday 9.15am Mass time as an opportunity to engage with our parish school children and families. This will be done via a combination of having some children, teachers and parents present in the church – and also sometimes by having other children and class groups accessing what’s happening in the church via a video link. I will do that link using a simple YouTube channel link that I’ve set up and whenever it happens I will make that link available to parishioners to access it and join in.
Adoration and Prayer Wednesdays 9.45am – 10.45am –> (and Holy Communion at 10.15am) – The church will be open on Wednesdays from 9.45am to 10.45am. Parishioners will welcome you and make you feel comfortable as we comply with government regulations about numbers, hygiene etc. Half way through that time at 10.15am, there will be a brief parishioner-led Holy Communion service. This will consist of a Lord have mercy / a reading / Lord’s prayer / Lamb of God – then a chance to receive Holy Communion at a 1.5 metre distance from the communion minister.
Mass Thursdays 8.15am – will begin again this week. Mass at this time will be 30 minutes with a maximum of 50 people. In order to comply with government guidelines we’ll ask everyone in attendance to fill in a simple name and phone number sheet and to sit in designated places. Sanitising etc will be supportively provided along with directions to the designated seating. In light of these welcome and support processes, the church door will need to then be locked once Mass begins.
Adoration and Prayer Thursdays 8.45am – 10.45am –> (and Holy Communion at 10.15am) – At 10.15am, there will be a brief parishioner-led Holy Communion service. This will consist of a Lord have mercy / a reading / Lord’s prayer / Lamb of God – then a chance to receive Holy Communion at a 1.5 metre distance from the communion minister.
Mass Fridays 7.15am – will begin again this week. Mass at this time will be 30 minutes with a maximum of 50 people. In order to comply with government guidelines we’ll ask everyone in attendance to fill in a simple name and phone number sheet and to sit in designated places. Sanitising etc will be supportively provided along with directions to the designated seating. In light of these welcome and support processes, the church door will need to then be locked once Mass begins.
KEEP YOUR EYE ON ON THE PARISH BLOG FOR FURTHER DETAILS
With friendship in God’s mission,
fr Paul
