ABOUT US
Welcome to The Parish of St John Vianney - Growing together as a community!
WELCOME ALL
Anyone who is visiting the Lake Macquarie Region and attending the Liturgies at Morisset and Cooranbong is most welcome. We hope you have a safe and enjoyable time with us.
OUR COMMUNITY
St John Vianney Parish operates under the Moderator Model of Leadership, with a Parish Leadership Team who are responsible for the operational needs of the Parish.
LEADERSHIP TEAMS
The Parish Leadership Team consists of two Lay Leaders, each of whom are responsible for the Foundational Teams within the Parish. All of the teams and groups within the Parish fall under one of the five Foundational Teams.
OUR CURRENT TEAM
Members of our Current Parish Leadership Team are:
John France, and Uta France.
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If you are new to St John Vianney’s Parish, we warmly welcome you and invite you to complete a parish census form located at the back of the Church, or contact the parish office on 02 4973 6859 9am -2pm Weekdays.
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We especially welcome and encourage our Parishioners new and old, young and young at heart, to join our Foundational Teams and Ministries.
IDENTITY & COMMUNITY
FOUNDATION ONE
Gardening Team
All parishioners are welcome... bring a few tools, share your ideas.
Planning, visioning and attending to gardens and surrounds of both parish sites, Morisset church and Cooranbong church and cemetery, is carried out all through the year by a small but enthusiastic group.
Thought is given to establish gardens that are pleasant and safe, but needing minimal maintenance. Working bees are organised on a needs basis, advertised whenever possible in advance in parish bulletins, and geared to attend to a variety of tasks, including planting, pruning, mulching, weeding, mowing, feeding and watering.
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To contact anyone on the Team, ring parish office.
Zone Teams
Bonnells Bay Zone at present has 110 families, which is the largest number of familes in the Parish.
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Cooranbong
Knitting Team
Commencing February every year, this group meets every 2nd Friday of the month between 9.00am and 12.00pm in the Parish Centre, finishing with an end of year Morning Tea early December, this group has been going for over five years and has been very productive. Last year (2009) we made 50 rugs and have already produced seven this year (2010). We have eight or nine ladies who regularly attend, but we have several other ladies who knit squares for “Wraps with Love” and send them into us for sewing up. Twenty-eight ten-inch squares make a wrap. Members of the group also attended the “Knit-in” at Lake Macquarie Gallery in August.
Besides warming cold humanity, we enjoy social contact each time we meet. It is another form of community building. We welcome ten inch knitted squares from anyone. If you can’t knit, donations of 8ply knitting yarn or baby wool would be gratefully accepted. If you want to learn to knit, come along and be taught! All welcome!
Welcoming Team
All parishioners are welcome... bring a few tools, share your ideas.
Planning, visioning and attending to gardens and surrounds of both parish sites, Morisset church and Cooranbong church and cemetery, is carried out all through the year by a small but enthusiastic group.
Thought is given to establish gardens that are pleasant and safe, but needing minimal maintenance. Working bees are organised on a needs basis, advertised whenever possible in advance in parish bulletins, and geared to attend to a variety of tasks, including planting, pruning, mulching, weeding, mowing, feeding and watering.
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To contact anyone on the Team, ring parish office.
Parish Postie Team
WORSHIP & PRAYER
FOUNDATION TWO
Liturgy Team
Music Ministry
Musicans and singers of all ages and talents interested in joining the Music Ministry for regular Mass & Liturgy or seasonally (Christmas and Easter) please feel welcome to contact the Parish Office.
Funeral Ministry Team
Prayer Groups
CHARISMATIC [SHALOM]
A Charismatic Prayer Group meets every Thursday afternoon in St John Vianney Church at Morisset. Meetings are held in church 12:30pm each Thursday, (except school holidays).
Guided by the Holy Spirit, we commence by singing in praise and worship of God. We read The Word of God, we listen and reflect on what the Lord is saying
to us.
We pray in response to requests and needs of each other, our families and friends, our parishioners, our schools, parish groups, SVDP, our priests, our nation and the world.
The group is small but faithful to answering their calling to intercessory prayer. Our members also participated in ‘Share the Holy Spirit’ conference and ‘The World Day of Prayer’ this year.
On the second Thursday of each month we gather earlier and share lunch in the Callinan Centre providing an opportunity for social interaction and strengthening the bonds of friendship.
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Anyone who feels called to gather together in praise and thanksgiving and to pause to hear His message and pray in intercession for His people is most welcome to join with us.
CONTEMPLATIVE
People who would like to spend some time in quiet prayer, the Contemplative Prayer Group meets each Monday evening at 6.00pm at the “Callinan Centre” for a time of Contemplative Prayer. Each gathering is a time of letting go of all thinking, asking in words and allowing the Spirit of quiet to reveal the Truth of our existence; belonging to the family of God. Like all things good, there is a learning process, and we have no right and wrongs, just faithful commitment and love.
All are welcome and there is a chair for you within God’s “no talk room”, so don’t be shy, let us hear from you. Should our time slot not suit our many parishioners and friends who are interested, we could talk about another more suitable time. Also the length of each session is flexible according to the overall needs and suitability. Feel free to come and join us.
Rosary
Would you be interested in having the statue of Our Lady of the Rosary in your home for a week? Your personal devotion is all that is required. Please consider joining the Rosary Roster. We host Our Lady’s statue for 2 weeks every 3 months. Families are most welcome. A video of the Rosary is available.
FORMATION & EDUCATION
FOUNDATION THREE
Baptismal Team
Sacramental Team
The SJV Sacramental team has as its primary focus the formation and education of those children and their families enrolled in the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Communion. We welcome children from our parish families, the parish school and neighbouring public schools to the programme.
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Enquiries through Parish Office Ph 49736859
RCIA
Small Groups
Small groups of our Parishioners meet once each month in homes to share what has happened in family life during the previous month, read a gospel reading and share much discussion afterward. Members pray for the sick, lonely, unhappy and worried as well as those recently deceased.
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Where possible sympathy, get well and congratulation cards are sent to stay in touch with community members.
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Enquiries through Parish Office Ph 49736859
The RITE of CHRISTIAN INITITION of ADULTS (RCIA) or full initiation, is a journey of growth and understanding for those adults who are unbaptised and preparing to receive the sacraments of initiation – Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.
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RECEPTION INTO FULL COMMUNION WITH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH Is a journey of growth and understanding for already baptized Christians who wish to have entrance into the Catholic Faith. These individuals make a profession of faith but are not baptized again. Enquiries through Parish Office Ph 49736859
MISSION & OUTREACH
FOUNDATION FOUR
Caring Ministry Team
the Team’s focus is visiting of the sick. This takes place both in homes, and in Nursing homes/hostels. This group attends to the coordination of the distribution of Holy Communion to the sick of the parish.
Ecumenical Team
Special Events Team
A number of parishioners work on teams for organising the Special events. Some of the regular events are:
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Christmas Eve Mass – Held on 24th December at Morisset Showgrounds.
Beginning Event – where parish and school communities come together to commit to working together for the year ahead.
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Enquiries through Parish Office Ph 49736859
Media Team
Members of thisteam attend to St John Vianney Parish website and Facebook page – both of these are important avenues for us to connect with the wider community and also provide us with the opportunity to outreach to others.
God Start Program
Godstart is a program where each child baptised and still living in our parish receives a hand delivered birthday wish.
The cards remind the children and their families of both the love of God and that they are valued members of our parish family.
Bereavement Team
Bereavement team meets bi-monthly on the first Thursday of that month at 1.30pm in the Callinan Centre. Enquiries Contact the Parish Office
LEADERSHIP & STRUCTURE
FOUNDATION FIVE
Cemetery Team
Parish Pastoral Council
Editorial Team
This team meets on a regular basis to discuss all matters relating to cemetery and columbarium. Assistance and support is given as needed regarding burials, monumental work and plaque positioning. Fee structures are set, restoration visioned, and maintenance considered working in close collaboration with Garden Team for parish use of the three acre parcel of land at Cooranbong. Usage of the land by the wider community is also considered.
Parents And Friends Association
The Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) is a group of representatives from the entire parish who 'investigate and weigh up matters which bear on pastoral activity and formulate practical conclusions regarding them' (Canon 511).
The primary focus of the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) is to promote the Kingdom of God by listening to the People of God, helping them to discover/discern what they need to live the gospel and enabling them, through the Spirit, to fulfil those needs.
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The team meets on the 1st Thursday of the month at 10.00am in the Callinan Centre.
The Editorial Team has a number of tasks. These include: The publication of the weekly Bulletin, the production of the Evangelising letter to be distributed for the Parish Zone Events, update the ‘Parish Website’. Volunteers welcome.