By Caroline Smith
The Mt Lawley Parish community have last weekend commenced celebrations of its 60th anniversary with the blessing of new chalices and communion paten.
In celebrating Mass on Saturday 17 September for the occasion, Parish Priest Fr Tim Deeter reflected on how the community had grown from a small but dedicated group of parishioners. Fr Brian Limbourn co-celebrated for the occasion.
“It was very appropriate that for 28 years, even before our parish was officially founded, the Mount Lawley and Menora overflow from Highgate Parish was meeting for Mass in the upper storey, the upper room of the small Montessori School on Learoyd Street,” he said.
“The community was growing, so the people asked the Highgate priests for a second Mass time – and they also wanted to have Benediction after Mass – no leaving Mass early for those hardy souls! And then, like the first Christians, they met in their homes to pray the Rosary together, and to share cake and a cuppa.”
He added that the adaptability and sense of community seen in former parishioners continued to be a feature of St Paul’s today.
“We still gather for the breaking of the bread, the Mass, and we know that it is not the Church building that defines us,” Fr Deeter said.
“At times we have had Mass in the school hall, in the school yard, in the undercroft, on the brick verandah outside, and even in the grounds of the Mount Lawley Tennis Club. In doing so, we have followed in the footsteps of our forebears, who didn’t care so much where they had Mass, as long as they had Mass.
“And like our forebears, we still pray the Rosary, we still have Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, and we still like to share cake and a cuppa.”
In the lead-up to the 60th anniversary, St Paul’s provided worshippers with historical notes in each weekly newsletter, about the early years of the parish, and on the weekend of 17 to 18 September, several Masses were held, with refreshments provided afterwards.
Reflecting on this history, Fr Deeter urged parishioners to continue in the spirit of their forebears, with simple generosity and social interaction that would reflect the true idea of Christian community.
“We cannot come here simply for ourselves; we must ‘hang together’, because, as the Gospel reminded us, a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself,” he said.
“So we must remain attached to Christ, the true vine, yes, first of all, through our regular breaking of the bread at Mass, and through frequent prayer, study of the scriptures, and discussion of the important issues of the day.
“But we must also come together to form a strong community, and this is important not only for the adults, but also for the kids. When our children and teenagers see the adults being together, chatting together after Mass, attending social events together like morning teas, parish dinners and even movie outings, then our young people feel secure in their own future as members of a living, vibrant and welcoming community.”
Fr Deeter added that St Paul’s was likely to remain a strong and vibrant parish in years to come, as its worshippers included people coming from elsewhere for Mass, and many young parishioners.