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About Us
Parish Profile
St Christopher's was entrusted to the care of the Pallottines in 1961. Fr John Hennessy SAC was the first parish priest from 1961-1976; Fr John Flynn SAC from 1976-2001. Brother Kevin Clark SAC was Pastoral Associate from 1977-2003.
The parish team
| Parish priest: | Fr Pat Jackson SAC appointed 2001; | |
| Emeritus and Assistant Priest: | Fr John Hennessy SAC; | |
| Group & Fam. Faith Formation: | Sr Joy Shelley FDCC (Canossian); | |
| Parish Secretary: | Pauline Hulsen. |
St Christopher's is an established parish with a growing number of younger families. The school enrolment is stable at 200 children. From its beginnings, before Vatican II, lay people have been actively involved in the mission of the parish.
Among many vital activities are the ministry to the sick, a monthly anointing of senior members of the parish followed by a luncheon, children's liturgy, catechist classes, youth group, Antioch, music ministry, ecumenical collaboration and reconciliation, Syndal Community Helpers and St Vincent de Paul Conference.
Syndal parish serves nursing homes, "Waverley Valley Aged Care" and "Wahroonga Friendship Village" and a hospital, "Waverley Private Hospital." St Christopher's is an exciting place to be.
Parish Pastoral Council
St Christopher's Parish Pastoral Council, as its name indicates, is primarily pastoral. It meets on the first Tuesday of each month. Its aim is to work with the parish priest in promoting and coordinating Christian life in such areas as liturgy, education, Christian community life, apostolic and charitable works, and administration, which are a practical implementation of the Second Vatican Council.
Its communal action must at all times be motivated by the love of Christ and conform to the implicit or expressed wish of the Archbishop. In pursuing this aim it is acknowledged that the parish priest has the responsibility and the authority for all parish affairs.
Members of the Parish Pastoral Council are nominated and elected by the parish and commissioned by the parish community at a Sunday Eucharist in March before taking up office. The Annual Reporting Day from all groups in the parish is late February.
The Chair Person of the Parish Pastoral Council: Gladys Hough. She has oversight of the various committees of the Parish Pastoral Council, collaborates with the parish priest and chairs the Parish Pastoral Council meetings.
The Works and Services Committee
The Works and Services Committee is represented by Tony Hough and Mark Thomas. A sub-committee of St Christopher’s Parish Pastoral Council, this group is charged with the maintenance of the church buildings and grounds. Provision of well maintained, safe facilities for the benefit of worship and a social community are the aims of this group. John Foley, Phil Eales, Nick van Grunsven and Brian Drake care for parish grounds
The Liturgy Committee
The Liturgy Committee plans for major feasts and coordinates music, flowers, altar linen, and the internal decorative aspects of liturgy. It comprises Brian Gleeson (chair), Judy Byrne (music), Betty Dixon, Annette Atkinson (altar linen and aspects of major feasts) and Fr Pat Jackson. Unspoken members of Liturgy are the various music groups and the women who generously do the flowers and the cleaning on a regular and voluntary basis.
Finance and Administration
The nature and aims of this group:
This Committee meets on third Thursday of each month. It consists of a group of parishioners, including the parish priest and parish accountant, selected by the parish priest to help him with the financial and administrative affairs of the Parish. These include the organisation and ongoing workload of the Thanksgiving Offering Campaigns. The benefit flowing from this committee is that it removes a significant amount of work from the Parish Priest.
Collectors and Counters (F & A Committee)
The nature and aims of this group:
Sunday Mass Collectors are volunteers who ensure that the regular and special collections at all Masses are organised and carried out.
The Counting Group
This group - also - consists of volunteers, committed to ensuring that the collections are counted and collated each and every Sunday, ready for recording and banking.
Without these groups, the financial collections for the Parish would be unworkable and unreliable.
Parish Accountant
The parish accountant is Leon Fewster.
The nature and aims of this position:
Each month the parish accountant checks the bank statements and files all relevant statements, together with all details of deposits made and cheque payments for the parish.
In about August each year she contacts the relevant groups for anticipated funding requests for the following year's budget. The budget is prepared to be included in the final accounts which are prepared in January each year. (The Church accounting year is 1st January - 31st December).
The Finance Committee accepts the accounts before they are sent to the Archdiocese's Accountant. A concise financial summary compared against previous years' figures is presented to the parish on the parish reporting day in March.
Deanery Representative
John Regan and Ray Lamerand represent the parish at the Waverley Deanery meetings which are held six times annually. Fr Pat Jackson is Deanery Coordinator. Lucy Rogers is Deanery Resource Coordinator. Various members of the parish are offering their help on the Social Justice Committee, the Publicity Committee, and the Family Matters and Education Committee. Other members of the parish are offering their services.
The Waverley Deanery comprises the seven parishes of St Christopher's; St Leonard's, Glen Waverley; St Justin's, Wheeler's Hill; Good Shepherd, Mulgrave; Holy Family, Mt Waverley; St Mary Magdalen's, Jordanville and Holy Redeemer, East Oakleigh. The Deanery is making a positive impact on the Waverley area.
Education Board
St Christopher's School Board
The St Christopher's school board is made up of the parish priest, the principal: Barry McLellan (chair), Judy Auld, Maria Vecchio, Russell McIntyre, Pam Culvenor, Cathy Krohn and Marita Fyfield.
Avila College Board
Parish Representative: Jacinta Leversha.
The nature and aims of this group:
The Avila Board is comprised of staff members, student representatives, parish representatives and one parish priest representing the feeder schools. The representatives for St Christopher’s attend the board meetings on behalf of parents of Avila students from our parish. When required, queries, concerns or suggestions on college policies are conveyed to the board for consideration and discussion.
Copyright © 2002-2007
St Christopher's Catholic Parish
Last modified: Mar 17 2007
Website Design: John Cooney
Maintained by: David Whalan