Pictured: CDF World Youth Day Pilgrims – Aaron, Brendan, David, Rohan and Ancita with Archbishop Peter A Comensoli and Timothy O’Leary (Chair & Deputy Chair of the CDF Board)

Named St Thomas the Apostle, after the local primary school, and with just 30 founding members; fast forward 11 years to Sunday 23 April 2023, the doors of a brand-new St Thomas the Apostle Church were finally opened to a bustling community of over 1,000 people.

Nourishing body and soul within our community

The Syro Malabar Catholic Church is a major Archiepiscopal Church in full communion with the Apostolic See of Rome. It is one of the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in the Catholic communion and follows the East-Syriac liturgy that dates back to the third century. Known for its deep-rooted spirituality and high rate of vocations to the priesthood and religious life, the Syro Malabar Church is one of the most vibrant Catholic communities in the world, with over four million members with rich, and fascinating history and traditions. The community was inspired in India through the missionary efforts of St. Thomas the Apostle. On the 23 December 2013 Pope Francis established the Syro Malabar Eparchy of St Thomas the Apostle in Melbourne. Their Eparchy within Australia comprises of 50 communities, 29 priests and over 65,000 parishioners across Australia. With Melbourne as the headquarters of the Syro Malabar Eparchy, there are four parishes, a chancery office and 12,000 active parishioners in Melbourne alone. All parishes within the Syro Malabar Eparchy in Melbourne have chosen to place their surplus funds with CDF. Fr. Francis Kolencherry the Vicar General of the Eparchy says, “the CDF service is excellent, and we are happy to be able to speak with someone we know, anytime we may have a question.” The Syro Malabar communities, through the support of CDF are building a Cathedral, two parish churches and have also purchased a chancery office. This trusted partnership with CDF, allows the community’s vision to expand and meet the demands of an ever growing and thriving church community.

Our world is filled with so much goodness that many of us tend to overlook and forget. This taints our perception of a lot of things, and we sometimes end up focusing on negative thoughts even if we don’t mean to. Hence why it’s important that we open our eyes to the positive things that our world offers – from the beauty of God’s creation to the small acts of kindness to our neighbours. The same can be said about Catholicism. As the biggest branch of Christianity in the world, Catholicism has always been front and centre in news relating to religion. Our Catholic community now stands on new ground — one that is fresh and ever-evolving to suit our times, but nonetheless one that also remembers its foundations and continues the good that it has done for the world over hundreds and thousands of years. In Australia alone, the breadth and depth of the Catholic community has impacted the lives of many people in a variety of ways — whether they realise it or not. Comprising 22.6% of the Australian population today, since the early 1800’s Catholics have contributed to improving education, helping the sick and elderly, supporting the disadvantaged and vulnerable, and building communities that strengthen our sense of belonging across the country. It’s these contributions that tend to be overlooked, but they shouldn’t. If we keep ourselves conscious of the good work of our fellow Catholics, we will not only have a greater appreciation of our faith, but we’ll also be reminded to do our part in spreading positivity, sharing the Good News, and working for the common good and dignity for all.

The world changes rapidly. What were once considered traditional norms are now viewed as outdated, redundant practices by people in a more modernised society. Our faith, along with its traditions, has been around for two millennia, so how can a system of faith as old as Catholicism continue to thrive? The Church today has grown into what it is because of the people. With it following the “sign of the times”, our religion acknowledges that it has to adapt to remain relevant to each individual of whom it is composed. While traditions remain in place and are still followed by many, modern Catholics have found new ways to express their faith. While our faith in God encourages expression through the rituals and traditions we were taught to follow throughout the centuries. The Church today also invites each of us to be disciples in the best way we can and extend our faith in areas where it’s needed most. These ways are not necessarily identical to what our ancestors did, and for Father Anthony (Tony) Doran, a parish priest in Ringwood in Melbourne, these changes should be embraced if they ultimately serve the mission of the Church.

Tap & Give technology has been given the thumbs up by the Parish of South Yarra community, with an increasing number of parishioners opting to contribute via cashless donation points. The Parish of South Yarra, comprising Saint Joseph Church and Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Church, was one of four Parishes that have been trialling the Tap & Give system, offering a convenient and secure alternative for the growing number of parishioners who may not always carry cash. “Paying for things by card is what people do in other places, and it’s increasingly something they welcome at Church on the weekend or at a Church fundraiser,” explains Parish Priest Father Brian Buckley OSA. “We appear to be heading in the direction of a cashless society and we need to provide this option.” The Tap & Give terminals work as a portable electronic payment system. The donation points are loaded with a set value, such as $5 or $10. Parishioners simply tap their card on the device to make an electronic donation. The system has been embraced by the diverse Parish community, with the portable devices being used across Mass and other fundraisers and activities; including youth group events and even a recent Bunnings sausage sizzle. Parish Business Manager, Aimee Helleren, is impressed by the portability of the device, as well as the flexibility to set a fee depending on the occasion – even if that’s $3 for a sausage! The device also offers greater security for the parish, with less cash being held on site. Aimee is monitoring the weekly donations and has seen a rapid increase in people giving money via the Tap & Give device over the last six months. “It’s early days. We’re not sure if Tap & Give is replacing cash or if it’s new donations we are receiving.” Aimee explains. “We did have some donations following a wedding recently, that we wouldn’t have had in the past.” Tap & Give is affordable for organisations and convenient for their communities. Interested in giving Tap & Give device a go at your school or parish? Get in touch with your CDF Relationship Manager today to discuss our cash-free solutions. Pictured right: Father Brian Buckley OSA and Aimee Helleren

Between its traditional home in the Geelong suburb of Grovedale, and the parish’s southern bounds at the coastal towns of Torquay and Anglesea, lies Armstrong Creek. This is the largest continuous growth area in Victoria. As the 22,000-lot sub-division has progressed, demand on existing primary schools – Nazareth Catholic Primary School in Grovedale , and St Therese Primary School in Torquay (both in existence for over 40 years), well and truly exceeded capacity. To meet the needs of a booming population a brand-new primary school in the Northern end of Torquay was opened two years ago. Named Lisieux Catholic Primary , the school takes its name in honor of St Therese, the patron Saint of Torquay’s Catholic community who was born in the French town of Lisieux. “When we established Lisieux, we wanted to foster a strong connection, bringing the two schools together, including sharing and celebrating St Therese Feast day. Right from the very beginning our people wanted to build an integrated community within this unique coastal region”, says Father Linh. In the Warralily section of Armstrong Creek, destined to be home to around 65,000 people in years to come, work is well underway on another school to be named St Catherine’s of Siena Catholic Primary School , welcoming around 130 students for Term 1, 2020. Managing the planning and construction of two new schools has had its challenges, but Father Linh believes the most important work is in developing a cohesive community across a broad and diverse area. “We are dedicated to providing a safe and supportive environment for children and families of this coastal community to learn and to grow their faith. Although each of our schools and churches has a unique culture, our vision is that everyone feels part of the same Parish wherever they choose to live,” says Father Linh. Pictured right: Fr Linh, Nazareth Parish, Grovedale