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Dear Parishioners,

The celebration of Father’s Day this year will be most subdued. Families will be unable to gather as they usually do, to recognise the gratitude we owe to our fathers – for giving us life and love, for providing our spiritual and physical needs, and for the inevitable sacrifices they have made to allow us to grow into the people we are today.

I hope you will find other (virtual) ways to express that gratitude and love, if you are unable to enjoy physical contact.

For our fathers who have died, we entrust them to God’s care, and pray for them in our Mass this weekend.

A special blessing for all fathers will be offered at the end of Mass.

We are being given assurances by the government and health officials, that hope of easing restrictions is alive and will not be too far away (though when, is anyone’s guess)!

While we wait, we continue to hold on to each other in prayer, especially remembering those who have died, and those who are isolated or lonely.

I have no wish to enter into a debate, and fully respect views on both sides of the argument regarding vaccination or non-vaccination. It is a personal choice.

However, It is worth noting what Pope Francis has offered in his reflections on the pandemic:

“Thanks to God’s grace and to the work of many, we now have vaccines to protect us from Covid 19. They bring hope to end the pandemic, but only if they are available to all and if we collaborate with one another. Getting the vaccines that are authorised by the respective authorities is an act of love, and helping the majority of people to do so is an act of love. Getting vaccinated is a simple yet profound way to care for one another, especially the most vulnerable.”

Don’t forget weekly Mass is available on YouTube by clicking on the link on our website www.hfi.org.au Mass will be posted Saturday afternoon.

With God’s blessings for a safe and peaceful week,

Fr Sean Cullen