Parish and School News

Golden Jubilee for St Scholastica's, Bennettswood

Monday 3 Septemeber

By Dominique Hockey 

AT eventide, Saturday, 18 August 2012, parishioners and visiting friends gathered in our beautiful, elegant Church to celebrate the Golden Jubilee Thanksgiving Mass of our parish, St. Scholastica’s, Bennettswood.
 
As time passed seating capacity diminished to become standing room only however, with the arrival of the celebrants there was an atmosphere of expectation, and an awareness of the sacredness of the occasion about to unfold. Those present were keenly aware of the privilege it was to participate in the Liturgy, which is the expression of God’s love reflected prayerfully throughout the Eucharistic Sacrifice of our Mass.
 
His Grace, Archbishop Denis Hart, His Lordship, Bishop Hilton Deakin, and  Fr Jacob, together with visiting priests led us in the offering of our concelebrated Mass. His Grace spoke to us during his homily about the astounding development of our Parish over the past fifty years and the achievement that has become our inheritance today. Archbishop Hart compared the growth of our parish to the ‘Mustard Seed’, the smallest of all seeds which, given the opportunity matures and expands into a mighty creation (an apt simile to describe our own development). The Archbishop encouraged us to move into the future with the same trust in God, enthusiasm, commitment, fidelity and generosity as our predecessors. Reflecting upon the past, the present and looking toward the future helped us to make connections between, what has been, what is now and what is to come in our parish.
 
At the conclusion of Mass, Fr Jacob expressed his gratitude to His Grace, His Lordship and the visiting priests for honoring us with their presence and concelebrating our Thanksgiving Mass.
 
To all who travelled from near and far to be with us,  and to the many who contributed towards the making of this moment in our history so memorable, we, the congregation, offer ‘Congratulations’ to all upon this memorable occasion. We have done our ‘Fifty Years’ proud!