One Parish, Two Churches
2025

Upcoming Events

• Daily Prayer

Journeying together in daily life ...

So we continue ‘Journeying Together In Daily Life - From Structures To Relationships - From Delegation To Involvement’. It is therefore necessary to reawaken in every local reality the awareness that we are the people of God, responsible for incarnating the Gospel in our different contexts and in all daily situations. This involves stepping outside the logic of delegation, which so greatly conditions pastoral action.

Saint Timothy's Catholic Parish acknowledges the Wurundjeri People as the traditional owners of this land.

We also acknowledge the continued deep spiritual attachment and relationship of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to this country and commit ourselves to the ongoing journey of Reconciliation.

Contemporary Catholic Faith Information

Catholic Enquiry Centre

Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne provides ongoing life and works of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne

Catholic Australia a site dedicated to all things Catholic in the Australian context.

Today’s Prayer a site for daily prayer and spirituality.

Daily Prayers and Reflections for daily intentions and reflections.

Universal Church Organisations

Vatican News news about the Vatican, news about the Church.

Catholic Online on line site for compiled catholic information.

St Timothy’s encourages family participation in sacramental preparation and celebration.

Please contact the Parish early in your planning to discuss your request.

Baptisms

Are held the first Sunday of every month (except January) during the 10.30a.m. Mass. In addition to the Baptism itself, the program comprises:

• A mutually agreeable time is arranged with Mary Italiano, a volunteer Parishioner, who guides the preparation necessary for the Sacrament and accompanies you through the whole process.
• The Sacrament of Baptism then occurs during the 10.30am Sunday morning Mass.
  

Please ring the Parish office on (03) 9412 8499 at least 6 weeks prior to your preferred date to ensure enough time for preparation.

First Eucharist, First Reconciliation & Confirmation

Preparation for First Eucharist is through enrolment in the Parish Religious Education Classes and the First Eucharist family-based program (see table below).
Preparation for Reconciliation and Confirmation is through enrolment in sacrament specific after-school classes for one term (see table below).

Enrolments for each year should be made before the end of January for Reconciliation, and by the middle of March for Confirmation, First Eucharist and the Parish R. E. Classes. Please ring the Parish on (03) 9412 8499 to discuss your needs and obtain an Information Brochure and Application Form.

Marriage

Weddings are arranged in consultation with the Parish Priest. For enquiries, please ring (03) 9412 8499.

If you wish to learn more about the Sacrament of Marriage, you may also visit:

Born at Lystra, Lycaenia, Timothy was the son of a Greek father and Eunice, a converted Jewess. He joined St. Paul when Paul preached at Lystra replacing Barnabas, and became Paul’s close friend and confidant. Paul allowed him to be circumcised to placate the Jews, since he was the son of a Jewess, and he then accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey. When Paul was forced to flee Berea because of the enmity of the Jews there, Timothy remained, but after a time was sent to Thessalonica to report on the condition of the Christians there and to encourage them under persecution, a report that led to Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians when he joined Timothy at Corinth. Timothy and Erastus were sent to Macedonia in 58, went to Corinth to remind the Corinthians of Paul’s teaching, and then accompanied Paul into Macedonia and Achaia. Timothy was probably with Paul when the Apostle was imprisoned at Caesarea and then Rome, and was himself imprisoned but then freed. According to tradition, he went to Ephesus, became its first bishop, and was stoned to death there when he opposed the pagan festival of Katagogian in honor of Diana. Paul wrote two letters to Timothy, one written about 65 from Macedonia and the second from Rome while he was in prison awaiting execution. His feast day is January 26.

Saint Timothy’s Final resting place … Termoli Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Termoli, in the province of Campobasso, central Italy. The dedication is to the Purification of the Virgin Mary, but is commonly ascribed to Saints Bassus and Timothy, patrons of the city. It is the seat of the Bishop of Termoli-Larino.

• St. Timothy and his Church
• Saints in Rome & Beyond!: St Timothy
• The Catholic Travel Guide
• Wikipedia
• and our Australian Catholic Bishop's Conference 2021 Parish Social Profile

This really is the ‘go to’ statement for the ‘how to’ of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. You are the ones invited to ‘bring it to life’.

• • 19 October 2022 - Letter from the Victorian Bishops CECV Review Response and Directives
  • Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools: A Message from the Board Chair
  • Addendum 1. MELBOURNE ARCHDIOCESE CATHOLIC SCHOOLS is please to share
    with you a copy of the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS)
    inaugural strategic plan, MACS 2030: Forming Lives to Enrich the World.
  • Addendum 2. The Statement of Mission will guide all of MACS work into the years ahead
  • Addendum 3. Charter for Parishes and Schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne ~
    Working Together in Mission.

St Timothy 2023 Learning Showcase
please click this link, watch and be in awe!

So many reasons – not enough time!

The St Timothy’s Difference

• Emmaus College
  Vermont South
• Our Lady of Sion
  Box Hill
• Whitefriars Catholic College for Boys
  Donvale
• Avila College for Girls ~ a Catholic School in the Dominican Tradition for Young Women
  Mount Waverley
• Siena College ~ a leading Catholic secondary school for girls
  Camberwell

Parish Office: 03 9412 8499

Staffed Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10.00am - 2.00pm

for St Timothy’s Catholic Parish Forest Hill &
St Luke the Evangelist Catholic Parish Blackburn South

17 Stevens Road Vermont Vic 3133

Church Address for St Timothy's Forest Hill
17 Stevens Road, Vermont Vic 3133
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

[P.O. Box 2140 Blackburn South Vic 3130]

Sonya O'Farrell as Parish Secretary is available on Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays in the Parish Office from 10.00am to 2:00pm

Our Parish Team

Please complete the contact form below:

Parish Caring Services

pdf St. Vincent de Paul Society/Local Conference (634 KB)
Tony Lobo & Steve Kilroe-Smith: Co-Presidents
Margaret Gearon: Vice President
03 9877 2292

Care Group
Please contact the Parish Office
03 9877 2292

Church Grounds Care and Maintenance

Parish Maintenance Team
Darren McLean
03 9877 2292

Parish Facilities for Hire

Parish Hall Hire
Sonya O'Farrell
03 9877 2292

Fundraising Activities

Parish Thanksgiving/Stewardship
Sonya O'Farrell: Parish Secretary

If you would like to support the Parish via Direct Debit, Credit Card or Electronic Funds Transfer rather than via Envelopes please contact Sonya O'Farrell (03 9877 2292) at the Parish Office.

Parish Ministries

Please Sign Up and get involved ... you'll be glad you did and so will we, for volunteering shapes the soul of every community and
your soul too. 

Lectors, Welcomers, Collectors, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist & Rosters
Margaret Gearon
03 9877 2292

Children's Liturgy Group
T.B.A.
03 9877 2292

Stewardship Counters
Dale Dixon & Steve Kilroe-Smith
03 9877 2292

Parish Pastoral Council
Sonya O'Farrell: Secretary
03 9877 2292

Parish Safeguarding Committee
Darren McLean & Jeanette Clark
03 9877 2292

Parish History
Margaret Gearon
03 9877 2292

Finance Committee & Parish Accountant
Bernard Negline
03 9877 2292

Church Sacristan
Greg Grant
03 9877 2292

Church Linen
Beryl Kanagalinggam
03 9877 2292

Church Cleaning & Flowers
Megan McLean
03 9877 2292

Holy Communion to the Housebound
Rev Fr Alex Chow
03 9877 2292

Emmaus College Education Board Parish Reps
Bernard O'Malley
03 9877 2292

Parish & School Choirs
Lina Mafi & Marg Yore
03 9877 2292

Parish & School Fete Committee
Mrs Clare Ryan
03 9877 4023

School Advisory Council
Mrs Clare Ryan
03 9877 4023

School Parents' Association
Mrs Clare Ryan
03 9877 4023

Social Activities

Parish Patronal Feast & Parish/School Celebration
The Parish of Saint Luke the Evangelist Annual Feast Day celebration for 2024 Sunday 20 October
To become a member of the organising team, please let us know at the Parish Office: 03 9877 2292
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Remember volunteers are unpaid.....not because they are worthless
but because they are priceless!!

Mass with Anointing is held the first Wednesday of every month at 10:00 a.m at St Timothy, Forest Hill, with morning tea provided afterwards. Everyone is welcome.

For individual anointing of those who are sick please ring the Parish on (03) 9877 2292.

About the Anointing of the Sick

Anointing of the Sick is a source of healing for the sick rather than the final act of the church for the dying.

The Anointing of the Sick is a sacrament of the Church for those whose health is seriously impaired by sickness or old age. It is a source of healing for the sick rather than the final act of the church for the dying.

The Sacrament enables the sick or aged person to be anointed with the oil of the sick, to experience the healing and strength of Jesus Christ and to be supported by a praying community.

Celebration of Anointing of the Sick

The sacrament may be celebrated during Mass, or at a hospital or nursing home, or in the person’s home. It is a celebration of the church where members of the church offer those who are sick the support of faith and prayer.

Who celebrates it?

The sacrament is celebrated with the sick, with old people, and with sick children if they have sufficient understanding. The sacrament is not administered to anyone who has already died. Prayers for the Dead are prayed for the deceased.

When do we celebrate it?

The sick and their families and friends are encouraged to notify a priest and ask for the sacrament at the onset of serious illness. Parish communities offer opportunities for the Anointing of the Sick several times during the year. Such gatherings allow the sick or elderly to experience the support of the community.

Contacts

The local parish priest or a member of the pastoral team should be contacted to arrange for the Anointing of the Sick.

Vatican reaffirms, clarifies church teachings on end-of-life care

pdf The Healing Power of the Sacrament (137 KB)

pdf Suffering releases Love (217 KB)

At a Catholic funeral the community gathers to say farewell to the person who has died and entrust that person to God’s loving care.

When a Christian dies, the community gathers for a funeral. They say farewell to the person who has died and entrust that person to God’s loving care. They praise and thank God for the gift of a life which has been returned to its Creator. They remember with joy and pain what that person has meant to them.

Catholic Funeral rites are:

• Vigil for the Deceased – The Vigil may be quite informal, where the family and friends of the deceased person pray in the presence of the body in the home, in the Chapel of the Funeral Directors, or in the parish Church on the night before the Funeral Liturgy. The Vigil would include prayers and readings and an opportunity for a relative or friend of the deceased person to give some "words of remembrance" of the one who has died. The Vigil may be celebrated on the night before the funeral liturgy.
• Funeral Liturgy – The Funeral Liturgy is the central liturgical celebration. It is usually celebrated in the church, and may be a Mass with the final commendation, or a Liturgy of the Word followed by prayers and a final commendation. The funeral liturgy is held whenever is appropriate for family and friends to gather.
• The Rite of Committal – This is the final act of care for the deceased person. It may be held at the cemetery or in the Crematorium Chapel. This Rite may also be used for burial at sea. The rite of committal (burial or cremation) usually follows the funeral liturgy.

Resources for Preparing a Catholic Funeral

A workbook called The Funeral is available to help people prepare the funeral liturgy of a loved one or for someone to indicate their wishes regarding their own funeral.

Parish Columbarium: Images

The Columbarium provides a sacred space in which the cremated remains of loved ones are placed. It is intended to locate ours on the outside of the south end wall of St Luke the Evangelist Church; it is a tranquil setting, that will have a garden seat, which will enable families and friends to pray, reflect and remember their loved ones.

The Columbarium will be available to parishioners, their families and those who have long-established ties with the Blackburn South Catholic Parish. A suitable engraved bronze plaque for each niche, consistent with the ones currently on the Memorial Wall, will be arranged through the Parish Office and financed by the family.

Please contact the Parish Office for further information.

pdf Everbody has a Story to be told - Farewell in death (101 KB)

default Final resting place: Vatican releases instruction on burial, cremation

default Vatican releases instruction on burial, cremation - Final resting place

Confirmation is about renewing one’s baptismal promises.

Most Catholics aged over 30 would have been confirmed at around the age of 12 or 13, well after their first communion. Some people may believe that this is “how it was always done” and wonder why the familiar pattern has recently changed.

In the early church, initiation consisted of immersion in water, laying on of hands and anointing with chrism by the bishop, and finally joining the community for the first time at the Lord’s table, all of which happened at the one ceremony.

For historical reasons, Confirmation became separated from Baptism but the order of the sacraments of initiation remained the same – Baptism, then Confirmation, then finally Communion (or Eucharist). Confirmation was always about renewing one’s baptismal promises before receiving communion for the first time.

In the early 1900s Pope Pius X lowered the age for first communion from around 12, as it was then, to the “age of reason”, around 7 years of age. But Confirmation got left where it was, so the order of sacraments of initiation got switched around. It is interesting to think that the Baptism/First Communion/Confirmation pattern, which is so familiar to many, was actually an accident of history!

Because it was no longer the sacrament which linked Baptism and First Communion, Confirmation gradually took on new meanings, including the ‘sacrament of adulthood’, becoming ‘a soldier of Christ’, and even signing the pledge (a promise not to drink alcohol until a certain age, or even for life!).

The new Rite of Confirmation issued in 1971 put confirmation back where it belongs, as the link between Baptism and First Communion. Confirmation is the sacrament which ‘seals’ or ‘reaffirms’ our baptism before we take the final step in becoming a full member of the Catholic Church – sharing in Holy Communion for the first time.

In recent years many dioceses in Australia and other parts of the world have responded to the Church’s call to restore confirmation to its proper place and meaning.

Parishes are responsible for preparing their younger members to complete their initiation through Communion and Confirmation.

For further information about preparation for these sacraments please contact the Parish Office.

pdf Confirmation Inquiry Form (539 KB)

pdf 10 Ways to Celebrate your Child's Confirmation (127 KB)

pdf Symbols of Confirmation (119 KB)

pdf Parents Fostering their Child's Vocation (127 KB)

pdf Called by the Spirit (216 KB)

pdf Called, Gifted, Sent ... (194 KB)