Parish Groups
PARISH COUNCIL
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FINANCE COMMITTEE
In accordance with the provisions of Can. 537, there is to be a Finance Committee in every parish of the Archdiocese of Melbourne to assist the parish priest in the administration of the temporal goods of the parish.
This Committee is an advisory body to the parish priest who is the sole administrator of the temporal goods of the parish, ref. Can. 532.
The Parish Finance Committee assists the parish priest in his task of administering the parish finances, maintaining the parish properties, planning future capital works and raising the necessary funds.
The Parish Finance Committee is not directly involved in the day-to-day management of the parish finances.
The Parish Finance Committee shall be presided over by the parish priest.
The Parish accountant must not be a member of the Parish Finance Committee
Meetings are convoked by the parish priest.
The Parish Financial Committee is to be composed of at least three and no more than five members of the faithful chosen for their financial expertise by the parish priest:
- The Parish Finance Committee is presided over by the parish priest, who is not a member of the Committee, for it is an advisory body to him.
- The Finance Committee meets quarterly or more often if required by the parish priest.
- The parish priest appoints the secretary of the Parish Finance Committee.
Contact Person: Mr. Bernie Gray, Secretary (03) 5792 1064
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St. Vincent de Paul Conference
St. Mary’s Parish Seymour has a long history and tradition in the membership of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. The charitable works of the Society are universally well known and are of vital importance to St. Mary’s Parish in visiting the poor and the needy, the lonely, the infirm and the aged. The St. Mary’s Seymour St. Vincent de Paul Conference owes its beginnings to Jack O’Brien and Con Plieger circa 1969 along with Angus McDonald, Bob and Ann King, Bev McDonald, Conference secretary for many years and other devoted St. Vinnies volunteers in succeeding years. Today the Seymour Conference and St. Vinnies Shop provide an important outreach for those in need, those who have fallen upon hard times and for single parent families.
The Parish Conference meets monthly in the winter months and bi-monthly from spring thru late autumn. The Winter Appeal in the parish, which takes place around the Feast of the Sacred Heart, provides the Conference with non-perishable food items, blankets, good quality clothing, children’s needs and essential household items.
At the beginning of Advent, Conference members erect a St. Vincent de Paul Christmas Giving Tree in both churches at Seymour and Tallarook, with decorated coloured cards containing a request for a necessary food or household item(s) not over $5.00 in value. These items are packed into hampers and distributed to the elderly of the parish, needy families and those who have fallen on hard times, in time for Christmas
A Junior St. Vincent de Paul Conference has been established at St. Mary’s College in Seymour. Now in its fifth year, it has a membership of twenty members from the Middle Secondary classes who enthusiastically embrace the ideals of the Society and Blessed Frederick Ozanam. They regularly visit Karingal Hostel and Barrabill House, Seymour and gain work experience at the St.Vincent de Paul Centre in Wallis Street, Seymour. Major projects are the Winter Appeal and the Christmas Giving Tree which usually outshines the parish effort. The St. Mary’s Junior Conference is assisted by a member of College staff and a member of Senior Conference. It is hoped that in years to come these young St. Vinnies will be the future back bone of the parish Senior Conference and continue this important apostolate.
Contact person: Mr. Laurie Corboy (03) 5792 4094
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CATECHETICAL PROGRAMME
The parish offers a catechetical programme for children not studying at St. Mary’s College, in preparation for the following sacraments: Reconciliation, Holy Communion and Confirmation.
A general guide for parents as to when their children should receive the sacraments is as follows:
- Reconciliation (Confession) -- usually 8-9 years of age and in Grade 3.
- Holy Communion (Eucharist) -- usually 8-9 years of age in Grade 3.
- Confirmation – usually 11-12 years of age in Grade 6.
If a child is outside these general parameters a call to the parish priest can resolve the problem. The Seymour Parish, with its close proximity to the Puckapunyal Military Area, understands the problems of Defence Force families due to postings etc, and a call to the parish priest can resolve these problems.
Classes are conducted on Saturday mornings, beginning with Mass in the parish church at 9.00 am and continue till approximately 10.30 am. in the parish conference room situated at the presbytery. In general the sacramental programmes are as follows:
- Reconciliation – March and April,
- Holy Communion – May and June, Holy Communion Sunday is usually the Feast of Corpus Christi.
- Confirmation – August thru October.
For further information please call the parish office during office hours on:
(03) 5792 1064 or the accredited parish catechists below:
Contact persons: Mrs. Marg Winnell (03) 5792 2045;
Mr. Gerry O’Rourke (03) 5792 2145
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PRAYER GROUP
The St. Mary’s Prayer Group meet for the recitation of the Rosary and devotional prayers every Thursday afternoon at 4.30 pm in Our Lady’s Chapel of the parish church.
For further information please call the parish office during office hours on:
(03) 5792 1064.
Contact person: Mrs. Marg Winnell (03) 5792 2045
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PARISH CHOIR
St. Mary’s Parish Choir is an integral part of our Parish Liturgies. A well trained choir adds beauty and solemnity to the liturgy and also encourages the singing of the congregation. The Vatican Council in speaking of the choir, stated emphatically: “Choirs must be diligently promoted,” provided that “the whole body of the faithful may be able to contribute that active participation which is rightly theirs.”
The Parish Choir has three components:
- Folk Choir -- usually accompanied by a number of guitars.
- Mixed Voice Choir – usually accompanied by the organ.
- St Mary’s College Student Choir.
The Folk Choir and the Mixed Voice Choir sing on alternate Sundays for the 10.00am Mass. On Feasts such as Easter, Pentecost and Christmas the two choirs combine together when a Missa Cantata is sung.
On occasions such as First Holy Communion, Confirmation and Family Week Mass all three choirs combine.
In recent years the St. Mary’s College Choir has seen a renaissance and not since the departure of the Sisters of Mercy has the College Choir sung so movingly.
For further information please call the parish office during office hours on:
(03) 5792 1064
Contact persons:
St. Mary’s Folk Choir: Mrs. Alice Hall (03) 5792 1594
St. Mary’s College Choir: Mrs Kerry Hogan 5799 1784
St. Mary’s Choir: Mrs Frances McMahon (03) 5792 1064
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LITURGICAL DANCE GROUP
Liturgical Dance has been a special part of St. Mary’s Parish liturgy for a quarter of a century and was introduced to the parish by Mrs. Mina Skidmore who develops and choreographs themes of particular liturgies to music and dance. Archbishop Frank Little, then Archbishop of Melbourne, approved the use of the liturgical dance movement as choreographed by Mina Skidmore, for particular occasions and for certain parts during the Mass, if it was used on those solemn occasions. Subsequently the St. Mary’s Liturgical Dance Group have been invited to St. Patrick’s Cathedral for special occasions and to parishes to enhance solemn occasions. During the recent Archdiocesan Renew Programme, the Group were invited to open and close the gathering at the Cathedral.
For further information please call the parish office during office hours on:
(03) 5792 1064
Contact person: Mrs. Mina Skidmore (03) 5792 3335
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PASTORAL CARE GROUP
The St. Mary’s Pastoral Care Group is comprised of a number of dedicated ladies who provide a service for parishioners in times of distress and bereavement.
Seymour, located in north central Victoria, is a rural town where people “know just about everybody else.” A bereavement in a family touches many and the post funeral wake, a cup of tea and a scone, a slice or a country cream sponge is a welcome ending to a stressful time. It is a chance for family, relatives and friends to come together and the Parish Pastoral Care Team do their best to provide that care and consideration on such occasions.
To assist the Pastoral Care Team, the parish secretary maintains a list of generous people who offer to provide the scones, slices and cream sponges. They may be called upon once or twice a year. The parish secretary is always happy to add more names to his cake list.
For further information please call the parish office during office hours on:
(03) 5792 1064.
Contact Persons: Mr. Bernie Gray (03) 5792 1064
Mrs. Beverley McDonald (03) 5792 2275
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DEBUTANTE COMMITTEE
The Presentation of Debutantes has always been an important social occasion in the life of Seymour. In recent years St. Mary’s Parish and Christ Church Anglican Parish have alternated in the training and Presentation of the Debutantes.
The present St. Mary’s Debutante Committee has been training Debutantes and partners continuously for 26, years usually on a two-year rotational basis with Christ Church. Depending on the numbers of Debutantes the Presentation could be over two consecutive nights with each group having its own particular colour variation.
Twelve weeks of training precede the presentation evening, usually held in June or July. On the night itself as each Debutante is introduced a description of her gown is explained by the compère.
During the 2006 Presentation of Debutantes the present Committee’s 500th Debutante was presented.
For further information please call the parish office during office hours on:
(03) 5792 1064
Contact person: Mr Bernie Gray (03) 5792 1064
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ST. MARY’S BINGO COMMITTEE
St. Mary’s Parish Bingo has for more than a quarter of a century been an important contribution to the Thursday night social life of Seymour. The first St. Mary’s Thursday Bingo night was held in 1977 and was incidentally the very first game to be held in Victoria after legislation legalised the playing of bingo.
- Venue: St. Mary’s Parish Hall, 34 Crawford St. Seymour
- Doors open: 6.45pm
- Eyes Down: 8.00pm
- Cost per Book: $7.00
- The bingo canteen opens at 7.00 pm for a light supper, and again at half time intermission.
- Final game of each Thursday night has been $1,000.00, without exception, since 1992.
For further information please call the parish office during office hours on:
(03) 5792 1064
Contact person: Mr. Bernie Gray (03) 5792 1064
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ST MARY’S TENNIS CLUB
The St. Mary’s Tennis Club was formed in 1946 after WWII. In 2006 the Club celebrated its 60th Anniversary. Although always an active Club, St. Mary’s did not compete in tournaments every year. In 1974 St. Mary’s Tennis Club entered into full time competition and has continued to the present time.
In the early years the Club had two en-tout-cas courts inside the St. Mary’s Church complex on the site of the present day brick units in McIntyre Street. During the 1970’s two bitumen courts were built adjacent to the new presbytery and are still being used by the students of St. Mary’s College.
Today, the St. Mary’s Tennis Club offers tennis to all levels of players both on weekends and weekdays:
Saturday afternoon, players in 4 Grades
Broadford & District Junior Association
Saturday morning - Juniors, playing in 5 Grades, ages 10-16 years
Broadford Ladies Association
Monday – Ladies, players in 3 Grades
The St. Mary’s Tennis Club has had a distinguished history over its 60 years of competitive tennis, taking out 32 Senior Premiership Pennants.
For further information please call the parish office during office hours on:
(03) 5792 1064
Contact person: Mr. Bernie Gray (03) 5792 1064
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ST MARY’S FOOTBALL CLUB
In 1945 St Mary's assistant parish priest, Father Tom Curran a returned army chaplain, (see Parish History and Assistant Parish priests), enlisted the help of Fred Brock, a prominent figure in the St Mary's Parish along with his wife May, to establish a football team to be known as St Mary's Football Club. Fred Brock was an inspired choice to be coach of the fledging football team, as it was known that he had a long history and involvement in the local football scene. A member and past player of the Seymour football club, Brock had a rich love of football and always took a keen interest in the development of young players.
St Mary's would play against other parish oriented football teams from the Church of England, Methodist and Presbyterian churches.
In the inaugural season of 1945 Father Curran and Fred Brock assembled a team, many names from that first team still have strong links to the parish today. Members of the inaugural team were: Fred Brock (coach), Jack Francis (captain), Joe Trinder (vice captain), Des O'Brien, Les Kerris, Gordon Cox, Don Hay, Kevin Childs, Pat Corboy, John Comte, Terrance Knight, Ron Grattan, Stuart Doyle, Jack Donnelly, Brian Youngman, Joe Youngman, Pat O'Keefe, Don Mustow, Hugh Hunt, Jack Carli, Kevin O'Sullivan, R. Munari and Keith Pollard, who was later ordained a priest.
The competition was fierce amongst teams of the league and strong rivalries were quickly developed. St mary's would prove the team to beat. In fact they went through the first season undefeated to win the premiership of 1945. St Mary' continued to dominate the competition for years after that inaugural season. Though the competition was strong, St mary's were the team to beat for many years winning numerous premiership flags.
John Comte, one of the founding team members remembers,"Fred Brock had us boys playing such good football, we eventually played against much older boys in other competiotions to get more evenly matched games", he continues "Fred was a coach before his time with the style of play he coached, his work ethic demanded strong disciplines which he imparted onto all he coached."
The club that Father Curran and Fred Brock began in the winter of 1945, 65 years ago, has now become the most succesful junior football club in the district, not only with the number of premierships won but also with the strong ethic of junior sport, participation, enjoyment, making friendships, co-operation in a team environment and exceling at something they love ... playing football. (Darren Brock and John Comte)
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