19th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C 10th August 2025

It is with a heavy heart that we write this final newsletter. Although Anabel and Ann Marie will still be around until the end of the summer, this will be the final newsletter that we as Verbum Dei Community will be contributing and this is also the weekend of our farewell Mass and celebration.

It is a time filled with many emotions. Sadness because we will miss you all very much, a lot of gratitude for all that this parish had been for us and we are also very moved by the many gestures of love, gratitude, and sadness from many of you who have valued our presence at St John Vianney over the last 12 years.

We would like to begin by giving thanks to God who, through the Holy Spirit guided us here to St John Vianney 12 years ago. We would like to give thanks to Fr Joe and the PPC who saw the gift that our charism and our presence would be here and they found ways to adapt, accommodate, and welcome us, providing us with the Spirituality Centre at Number 4, where many people have come to know God more and grow in their relationship with Him. Thank you to all of you for welcoming us and embracing the charism of our Community, “to pray and to share the Word of God”. We have had twelve amazing years of sharing with this parish Community the richness of the Word of God through Bible sessions, catechism, retreats, personal accompaniments, introducing people into the Catholic faith, growing in faith through faith seminars, friendship and so much more. Thank you to all the parishioners, you really opened your hearts to us, supported us, and made us feel fully part of the parish family.

In Mark 1:38, Jesus tells his disciples that God is sending Him to other towns to share the Good News, this is what we have also understood that He is inviting us to: He is sending us out to other towns. Although, it is sad to leave this Community, we are certain that He is the one who walks with us and continues to walk with you. His Spirit will provide you with what you need, as he has already provided a new Religious Community in the Spiritans to guide the Parish.

In this week’s Gospel, Jesus says to his disciples, ‘Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom’ (Luke 12:32). These words are for all of us, any change can make us fearful of what lies ahead, but we are in God’s hands, and God gives us his love to build up the Community where we are as part of his kingdom. Thank you for your support, friendship and especially faith. May the Lord bless each one of us and continue the work He is doing in us.  Sr. Ann Marie D’Souza