Catholic Outlook March 2016

By Michelle Davis, Chaplain at Nepean Hospital
DIOCESAN NEWS
MASS FOR WORLD DAY OF THE SICK ON 11 FEBRUARY
Supporting carers and those for whom they care
Concelebrating priests assisted with the
anointing of the sick.
Mons John Boyle gave the homily, which was
signed by Daina Caruana.
May the soothing balm of God’s love and mercy continue to radiate to the sick and aged and
their carers. Photos Alfred Boudib.
Archbishop Brian Barnes OFM with
seminarians Chris del Rosario and Joe Murphy.
Students from Our Lady of Mercy College
Parramatta provided music and singing.
On the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, more
than 450 people gathered in St Patrick’s
Church at Blacktown for the 2nd annual
diocesan Mass for World Day of the Sick on 11
February.
For this year’s theme, Pope Francis chose:
Entrusting Oneself to the Merciful Jesus like
Mary: ‘Do whatever he tells you’ (Jn 2:5).
The principal celebrant for the Mass was
Mons John Boyle, Priest responsible for
Health and Chaplaincies within the Diocese of
Parramatta.
The Mass was concelebrated by Rev Peter
Confeggi, MC and Parish Priest of Mary, Queen
of the Family Parish, and 18 priests of the
Diocese who assisted with the anointing of the
sick.
In his homily, Mons John shared some of his
experience as a hospital chaplain and elaborated
on the Pope’s theme in his message for the 24th
World Day of the Sick, in which he said:
“Illness, above all grave illness, always places
human existence in crisis and brings with it
questions that dig deep. Our first response
may at times be one of rebellion: Why has
this happened to me? We can feel desperate,
thinking that all is lost, that things no longer
have meaning …
“In these situations, faith in God is on the
one hand tested, yet at the same time can reveal
all of its positive resources. Not because faith
makes illness, pain, or the questions which they
raise, disappear, but because it offers a key by
which we can discover the deepest meaning of
what we are experiencing; a key that helps us to
see how illness can be the way to draw nearer to
Jesus who walks at our side, weighed down by
the Cross. And this key is given to us by Mary,
our Mother, who has known this way at first
hand.”
The prayer of the faithful was not only for
the sick, their carers and those who work in
health care but also for governments; that they
continue to understand the importance of
chaplaincy and holistic healthcare.
The anointing of the sick was a special point
in the Mass and one of the family members
present said that, for her, the anointing “was
a soothing balm, which will help me carry on
caring for my husband”.
She shared how caring could be tiring
and stressful but this Mass showed carers
are not forgotten. This is the main reason
the Diocese initiated this Mass last year: in
acknowledgement of the sick, their carers and
all who work in health care.
At the Mass were the Member for Granville,
Julia Finn; the Member for Parramatta, Dr Geoff
Lee, representing the Premier and John Ajaka,
Minister for Ageing, Disability Services &
Multiculturalism; and the Member for Prospect,
Dr Hugh McDermott.
Catholic organisations included Catholic
Health Care, St John of God Health Care
(Richmond and Hawkesbury), the Ephpheta
Centre for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People
who provided signing during the Mass, Sr
Georgina Sultana OP and residents of St
Dominic’s Hostel, and Our Lady of Consolation
Nursing Home.
Chaplains from Nepean, Blacktown
and Westmead Hospitals and healthcare
professionals were also present.
The Mass was a gathering of all age groups:
45 girls from Our Lady of Mercy College
Parramatta provided music and singing, 15
students from Patrician Brothers College and
15 students from Nagle College at Blacktown,
supported the sick and aged into the church
and assisted Blacktown parishioner Len and her
generous crew in serving a light luncheon.
Archbishop Brian Barnes OFM, Archbishop
Emeritus of Port Moresby, and Fr Dan Neylan
OFM, Franciscans who are residents at Our
Lady of Consolation Home, provided great
inspiration to the seminarians who were
present. The seminarians also assisted with
helping the residents safely on to the bus.
Members of St John of God (Patron Saint of
the Sick) Health Care were very generous in
providing the aged and sick with a medal of
St John of God, which came from Granada in
Spain.
May the soothing balm of God’s love and
mercy continue to radiate to the sick and aged
within our parishes and Diocese by the care and
love we show.
To view a gallery of photos from the Mass,
visit www.flickr.com/parracatholic/albums
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