In the July issue of Declan's Well, our parish quarterly e-magazine, our Parish Priest, Fr Chris Ryan, reflects on the challenges this year has presented our community and the strength our parish has shown in response.

I vividly remember the last weekend before the shut-down due to the threat of COVID began. We had scrambled to be able to live-stream Masses to the parish hall, and to people who would be watching from home. A group of parishioners also stepped forward to act as ushers and marshals for the Masses as we put ‘social distancing’ measures into place. Perhaps most of all, I remember the tears in the eyes of people as I distributed communion to them at the 6pm Mass, as we all knew that it would be our last Sunday Mass for the foreseeable future. 

On that weekend, I made the counterintuitive promise that we would emerge from COVID as a stronger community. Well, we haven’t got past COVID yet; as I write the return to lockdown in Victoria has all of us concerned for the future. I do think, though, that our parish community is, for the most part, stronger than it was when the lockdown began. There have been so many wonderful ways in which our parish has responded to the challenges that COVID has presented, and many of these stories are recounted in the pages of this remarkable edition of Declan’s Well. 

I believe that two factors held us in really good stead during this time: first it was the awareness that our core mission had not changed but that we needed to implement a different strategy to achieve it. We continued to try to reach out to others with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and through our practical care, especially for the poor, sick, and marginalised. Second, it was the incredible response of the staff, ministry leaders, and you, the parishioners, who demonstrated again and again your faith and your love. Again, there are too many examples of this for me to list in this column, but you can read about them in the rest of this e-magazine also. I am so grateful to all of those people who have responded so generously and graciously to the curve-ball of COVID. Adam, Tony, Cameron and I feel deeply inspired and honoured to serve you as your priests and deacon. 

As I said in a homily a few weeks ago, the stage we are in presents new challenges to us. My prayer is that we continue to be caring of each other, gracious, and committed to the mission that has been entrusted to us. 

With love and prayers for you all,

Chris 

To read the rest of the July issue of Declan's Well, click here.

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