Mercy touches the coast
Personal stories recounted by parishioners on how mercy had entered into their lives were the highlight of the Coastal Deanery assembly held at St Patrick’s, Bega.
Torrential rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of 130 people who gathered from the parishes of Batemans Bay, Moruya, Narooma, Pambula and Bega.
Coastal Dean Fr James Antony cmi said it was a joy to be able to come together on the feast days of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The weekend began with Mass, concelebrated by Archbishop Christopher Prowse, Fr John Armstrong, Fr Dominic Byrne, Fr Joseph Tran, Fr James Antony and Fr Michael Lim.
At the end of Mass, Archbishop Prowse and priests prayed special blessings for married couples, singles, widowed and those who had attended on their own.
Saturday’s program included reflecting on highlights of the 2015 Archdiocesan Assembly, a keynote address from Archbishop Prowse and the stories by parishioners.
In the final session of the day, parish groups gathered to discern where the Holy Spirit may be leading them as individuals and parish communities in the area of marriage and family life.
At the end of the assembly, Archbishop Prowse declared Mary MacKillop Hall in Eden a diocesan pilgrim centre.
- The Central Deanery assembly will be held at St Clare’s College, 12 and 13 August.