News from Gladstone
We have been blessed at Star of the Sea church, Gladstone, to have had appointed as our parish priest, Andrew Chase and as assistant priest, Father Simeon Uchendu. Both have settled into parish life as a spiritual leadership team pre Covid -19 and then were thrust into the unusual times like we all were. Together they have carried parish life smoothly. On top of offering us prayers and support they have actively developed:
- daily live stream masses,
- updated messages on SOS Facebook page,
- weekly emails to parishioners,
- involvement of lay people where the law allows,
- outside church confession,
- zoom chat, cuppa and Rosary and
- facilitated contact with parishioners through database update and parish council calls.
Father Andrew Chase appointed Parish Priest of Gladstone January 2020,
Father Simeon, Assistant Priest, first with us from Sept 2018 till Sept 2019
and returned February 2020
Father Andrew writes:
I was born and grew up in Rocky (where my parents still live) as the eldest of four children. After studying science at Central Queensland University, I spent a really formative and life-changing year on the National Evangelization Teams (NET) travelling around Australia with 11 other young people, sharing our experience of God with other young people through retreats and youth rallies. It was during this year that my somewhat vague thoughts about becoming a priest were really strengthened. After NET I worked for two years at the Defence Signals Directorate in Canberra before finally deciding to begin studies for the priesthood at Holy Spirit Seminary in Brisbane. I was ordained by Bishop Brian Heenan in 2006 and spent my first two years as a priest in the Rockhampton South parish, before moving to the Southern Cluster of parishes in Mackay as Assistant Priest and then Parish Priest. In 2013 Bishop Brian surprised me by asking me to go to Rome and study theology. I ended up spending six years there altogether and finished a doctorate in Sacred Theology at the Gregorian University. This was a pretty intense period of study and quite tough at times, but it was an amazing experience to live in the eternal city for six years; an experience I am very grateful for.
Which brings me to now: having taken up the role of Parish Priest of Gladstone in January of this year, I’m excited to be back in parish ministry. The unexpected COVID-19 pandemic has of course thrown much of the normal routine of settling in to a new parish into disarray, but thank God there are many good people here who have made the process manageable.
Whatever the ups and downs of life, I always try to remember the words of the psalmist, who wrote: “O Lord, you search me and you know me…before ever a word is on my tongue, you know it O Lord, through and through!” (Ps 139)
Knowing that God knows me better than I know my own self is incredibly reassuring!
Fr. Simeon’s quotes:
In these times, I find 2 quotes exceptionally relieving and awakening.
Scott Hahn; "the church is not empty but dispersed".
WHY? It's a fact. We disperse after mass every Sunday to gather again. This to me is the reality we should hope for.
Fr Simeon and Tim working with a digger at Miriam Vale
"Let not your hearts but troubled. Trust in God still, and trust also in me" (Jn 14:1). WHY? They are the words of Jesus. Am sure he's faithful. Amen'.
Parishioners have been looking out for others particularly those who do not receive many visitors. Phone calls and bulletin home drops, offers to share mass online or a simple cuppa are some ways that parishioners have been touching base during Covid - 19. Some children have been making SOS messages of hope through colour ins and puppets (see right) with positive messages and passing them onto the elderly in nursing homes and other places.
We pray that when these times come to an end and we do not forget to appreciate the small things that we take for granted.