Blessing of St Mary of the Cross Mackillop Statue & Pentecost Sunday at St Thomas' Church

Blessing of St Mary of the Cross Mackillop & Pentecost Sunday at St Thomas’ Church

It was a busy and joyful Pentecost Sunday at St Thomas’ Church, as parishioners gathered to celebrate one of the most important feasts in the Church’s liturgical year. The celebration brought together members of the parish and school community in a spirit of prayer, thanksgiving, and fellowship.

The day began with the blessing of the statue of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, generously donated by a parishioner for the Lower North Shore Parish and school community. The statue, now installed outside St Thomas’ Church, stands as a visible reminder of Australia’s first saint and her example of faith, service, and dedication to Catholic education. Fr Vincent Nguyen, Parish Priest, led the blessing ceremony before the Pentecost Mass, sprinkling the statue with holy water and incensing it in the presence of parishioners who had gathered for the occasion.

The Pentecost Mass itself was celebrated with great reverence and solemnity. Assisting during the liturgy was a thurifer, whose use of incense added to the prayerful atmosphere of the celebration. The parish was also blessed by the presence of Deacon Peter McCulloh, who proclaimed the Gospel and delivered a meaningful homily directed especially to the children preparing for their First Holy Communion. In his reflection, he encouraged the children to open their hearts to the Holy Spirit and to continue growing in faith through prayer, kindness, and participation in the life of the Church.

Adding to the beauty of the liturgy, the choir prayerfully sang the Pentecost Sequence Hymn and Gospel Acclamation before the Gospel proclamation. Their singing helped create a joyful and uplifting celebration befitting the feast of Pentecost, commemorating the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles.

Before the conclusion of Mass, Fr Vincent informed the congregation that the Diocese had requested an attendance count as part of the National Attendance Census conducted across parishes. Parishioners were counted according to the following age groups: 0–17, 18–29, 30–49, 50–69, and 70+.

Following Mass, parishioners gathered for morning tea, enjoying the opportunity to share fellowship and conversation with one another. The gathering provided a fitting conclusion to a joyful and grace-filled Pentecost celebration for the St Thomas’ parish community.