Catholic Outlook Magazine Ordinary Time Winter Edition 2022

Looking Deeper
Parish priests inspire others to care
The parishioners say they are ‘very blessed’ to have
such ‘beautiful’ priests in Fr Alan Layt and Fr Galbert.
“Our priests are so fatherly, very supportive and
they help us grow in our faith with their beautiful
and powerful homilies,” parishioner of 34 years Nina
Chavez described.
Youth team member Maelody Gevero is grateful
that both priests are supportive of the youth, and
their initiatives to look after the spiritual needs
of the parish. “They really care about our souls,
and that makes us want to take the initiative to
care for everyone else’s souls,” she said. “They
are witnesses, so you want to be a witness just
as much.”
Rosemarie added, “Fr Alan is always open and he
doesn’t say no. He would like us all to be saints, and
he’s really guiding us to be holy.”
Holy Spirit providing fruitful gifts to the parish
The parishioners feel that it is through their witness,
and that of their priests, that the Holy Spirit is at work
in their parish.
“We’ve had many new parishioners, people who have
moved to the area and are finding the church and are
being welcomed to the community,” Rosemarie said,
adding that she often carries an extra bulletin in her
bag in case someone from Church recognises her.
Parishioners at St Aidan’s Parish, Rooty Hill.
Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
Fr Galbert Albino (left) and Fr Alan Layt.
Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
Working towards an ever wider ‘we’
In his 2021 message for World Day of Migrants and
Refugees, Pope Francis said, “We are all in the same
boat and called to work together so that there will be
no more walls that separate us, no longer others, but
only a single ‘we’, encompassing all of humanity.”
The parishioners agreed with the Holy Father, as
many of them have migrant backgrounds.
Emma said, “I think it’s very important in every parish
to work together as a community because we are
One Body, One Spirit, we are the children of God, we
must work together, treating everybody the same.”
Stan added, “it doesn’t really matter where we come
from, we’re all here for the same reason because
God put us here.”
Nina said, “We are a multicultural community, and
we welcome people from all walks of life. We try
to become one big, good family because of the
Christian teachings from the homilies of our two
beautiful priests, who hope that we are holy Christian
people practising not only by words but in deeds as
well, and to be an example for others.”.
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