A Liturgy of the Word with Holy Communion is provided to enable the Faithful, in the absence of a priest, to offer praise and worship and to be nourished by Word and Holy Communion. The liturgy does not take the place of the celebration of the Eucharist. The Leader will be a member of the community that regularly gathers for Mass, a lay person or member of a religious community, who will be known to many of our parish family and will be formed for this ministry. Leaders will bring their own gifts and their love of God to their ministry and should be able to rely on the good will and support of those they serve. As with all ministry roles, ongoing formation is very important. Keeping in mind the desire of the Church, that all who participate in our Catholic worship do so fully, actively and consciously, those present for a Liturgy of the Word with Holy Communion are invited to cooperate eagerly and generously with the Leader. “We serve Christ in one another” is our motivation. “Collaborative Ministry” is a principle of the Church and of our Archdiocese. The Liturgy of the Word with Holy Communion properly understood is an example of collaborative ministry in action.
We have been very blessed to have had Fr Joe, Fr Vijay, Monsignor Dave and Monsignor Brian celebrating our masses over the last few years. Over the course of the next 9 months, while Fr Joe is on sabbatical, there will be times when we do not have enough priests to cover all our masses. We are currently approaching various parishioners who have kindly agreed to lead us in a Liturgy of the Word with Communion. Our Pastoral Team and liturgy committees will provide support and ongoing training. Our first one will be held at the 9.30am Sunday Mass on 27 August at Our Lady of Lourdes