Nazareth Catholic Parish

Grovedale, Torquay and Anglesea

MASS TIMES | CONTACT US | BULLETINS  

Serve Our Community

There are several areas of service to our parish.
 
One is that which offers support to the Parish Priest in the running and development of the Parish. It includes bodies such as the Advisory Team, the Finance Committee, the Professional Standards Group and the Pastoral teams in each of the communities. 
 
Another offers opportunities to  welcome  both our people and our visitors, to provide morning teas after Masses, to provide general care in times of distress or difficulty, and to offer support to others through the 
 
Another offers people with particular skills or pportunities to get involved in the maintenance and development of the Parish buildings and grounds.
 
If you believe that you could offer yourself to any of these groups, or if you would simply like to know more about any of them please 
Contact Us and your inquiry will be forwarded to the appropriate person to answer your query. Alternatively you can make direct contact with those nominated below.

Advisory Team

The Parish Advisory Team provides the Priest with an avenue of close collaboration with his people, providing information and offering support  in his process of decision making for the good of the Parish.  The Parish Priest has the ultimate responsibilty for all decisions in a parish, and any good and wise Parish Priest will know that there is a wealth of skills and knowledge amongst his people that he can tap into, to ensure that he has as much advice as possible.
 
In our parish, the Advisory Team is not an elected or representative group. Rather, just as Pope Francis has a group of selected Cardinals to work with him, Fr Linh has a small group of people whom he has chosen to work with him.  They bring a wealth and breadth of life experience, they share their skills and knowledge, and they dispute and contest issues as and when necessary.  
 
The current team is comprised of:
Fr Linh Tran,
Denise Arnel,
Greg Carty,
Paul Daffey,
Brian Keane,
Marie Emmitt
The team usually convenes on a fortnightly basis. 
 
 
 

Professional Standards

The Professional Standards Committee was established in January 2017 to coordinate the implementation of the Nazareth Catholic Parish policy on Child Safety. This committee is made up of the Parish Priest, Professional standards coordinator, compliance committee members and Children’s Liturgy leaders.The committee’s purpose is to ensure the community of Nazareth Catholic Parish is aware of it’s role in ensuring the safety and protection of all children in our parish.
 
The Professional Standards Team is also extending this committment  to vulnerable people in our community, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, and people with a disability.
 
 
 
As we are part of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, we provide the link to the Professional Standards STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT and further information
 

Finance Team

Although Canon Law makes no mention of a Parish Council, it does stipulate in Canon 537 that "in each parish there is to be a finance council, ...in which the Christian faithful...are to assist the pastor in the administration of the goods of the parish."
 
The work of the Finance Team is to set an annual budget for the parish and to moniter the montlhy income and expenditure in relation to the budget. It seeks to offer expert advice to the Priest in all financial matters, supports him in decision making concerning the management of the parish monies, and assists in the preparation of financial documents such as loan applications and the Annual Financial Statement.
 
The current Finance Team is comprised of:
Fr Linh Tran,
Paul Daffey,
Simon Clark,
Greg Doolan,
Irene Morgan,
Maureen Ryan.
Brian McMahon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Nazareth Parish Leadership Team

It is my great pleasure to introduce to you the members to the Foundation Nazareth Parish Leadership Team.

On Pentecost 2021 Archbishop Peter A. Comensoli invited priests and people to open up the question as to how the Church of Melbourne might be best organised into the future.* The invitation was set within the context of the Plenary Council called a couple of years earlier, and its purpose among many other things to discern a more authentic leadership and clearer accountability, while keeping the way of the Gospel at the heart of our mission.

For several years our Parish has been on the journey discerning how we would best organise and operate into the future. The discerning work was first carried out by the Advisory Team followed by a process of consultation.

As a way to restart the ‘engine’ of our Parish involvement after a long period of hibernation due to Covid-19 lockdown, parishioners were invited to review their involvement in a group or ministry within the Parish. Their feedback on the revised Parish vision and mission were also sought and used to form a broader context for establishing the Nazareth Parish Leadership Team Charter.

As we turn a next page of our Parish life while keeping both the Archbishop’s invitation and Plenary Council’s deliberations in view, we recognise that our Parish is gifted with the profoundly important  challenge and opportunity. With this in mind and ‘amidst a new landscape of complexity and diversity, the Parish Priest and parishioners with their unique gifts, roles, and responsibility are called to work together… Together, Parish Priest and laity are to work collaboratively as a united leadership team to serve the Parish mission to which they hold themselves accountable.’ **

The following pages are the members of the Parish Leadership Team including their brief profile together with a Parish pillar they each represents on behalf of the Parish. On the back page you will find an email address which has been created specifically for you to correspond with the Leadership Team.

Please keep them in your prayers as they each strives their utmost best to serve our wonderful Parish.

2023 Mid Year Report

Nazareth Parish Leadership Team Statement on Sustainable Living  2023

Nazareth Parish Annual Action Plan 2023

Nazareth Parish Leadersip Team Members

Nazareth Parish letter and goals August 2022

Parish Goals Nov 2022

 

Pastoral Teams

Our three communities have much in common, but as they each have their own unique charism, things are often done differently in different places and they have particular needs at times.  Each has its own Pastoral Team which meets regularly. Each seeks to address and meet the particular needs of their own communty in the ways that work  best for them.  These teams work in the local area and look to the local people to get involved for the good of the local community.  The leaders of the Pastoral Teams are currently 
 
Anglesea:  Margaret Renkin
 
Grovedale:  Rosa Rebula
 
Torquay: 

Meet and Greet

Each of our three communities extend the hand of welcome to locals and visitors alike.  
 
You are invited to join with us in greeting people with a smile and warm conversation, and a willingness to hand out the Weekly Bulletin prior to Mass.  
Alternatively, you may like to help our elders to get to Mass by picking them up in good time, then contact 
 
Contact Us for more information. 

Morning Tea

Each community provides an opportunity for parishioners to chat and get to know each other by offering tea/coffee after Mass on the weekend. It is always a delight to see our people connecting in this way, and often it is the first point of contact for new parishioners and visitors. If being a co-host for morning tea appeals to you please Contact Us.

Care Group

The Care Group consists of dedicated parishioners, who visit the sick and housebound to offer assistance.   Parishioners at times might require temporary assistance, perhaps during illness or difficult life circumstances. If we get a call we try to offer whatever is needed - it may be to provide a few meals, to undertake transport as required or even to offer to do a load of washing.  This group might also cater for funerals and Healing Masses held at Nazareth Church.

Contact Us for more information. 

 

 

Maintenance and Upkeep

Accepting the resposibility to maintain our parish buildings and grounds each community has a group that does just that. Their work includes the maintenance of the grounds surrounding each of the churches and other buildings, the maintenance of the facilities that are used within the churches and buildings, and the general upkeep of all the buildings. Parishioners, some with particular skills and others with general housekeeping skills are warmly invited to Contact Us.