Mary Mother of the Church

Catholic Parish Ivanhoe

 

 Q.1.1 How helpful to you OVERALL have all these various arrangements in our Parish been to you?

• In particular, the Holy Thursday service was so real, personal and spiritual. We honestly felt as though we were sharing a meal with Jesus and would like to thank you Father for giving us such a wonderful opportunity.
• Father Bill has done a great job - mind you, I have not been so faithful at turning on my computer and attending to everything.
• Was very kind of Sr Carmel to drop newsletters in.
• It is great to have the Parish Newsletter to read online and now the mass streaming tis just great!
• We loved the newsletter outline on how to conduct our own Easter liturgy. It was a very special moment to sit at our own table and celebrate Easter.
• Well done Fr Bill.
• The program for Easter was very helpful and provide a lot of insight and activities to live Holy week greatly despite the circumstances.
• Very acceptable under the grim circumstances that we are currently in.
• The prayers are beautiful and Father's Homilies are most insightful and highly relevant to the spiritual theme of each day.  
• "We have really appreciated, your newsletter and all the other resources.
  
•  changing tableau in the foyer of Mary Immaculate Church. We often walk by and say a little prayer. Sunday's Gospel on display is lovely too. Well done to whoever is responsible."
• Thank you. A big effort but very valuable. It made me feel proud of our parish that what has been given to me I can share with others, confident it was worth sharing.
• "Fr Bill has been very proactive and helpful in so many ways from looking after our spiritual needs and offering to help in other ways where possible."
  
• I did not realise that so much was being offered from the parish until I picked up a newsletter from outside the church on a walk.

• I can't remember what I used during Holy Week - sometimes just my old missal.

• Particularly grateful for meaningful & relevant homilies. Thank you Father.
• "I actually viewed the Stations of the Cross at the Good Shepherd Cathedral in Singapore where I attended Easter Sunday Mass in 2019. 
• I thought Easter Sunday Mass telecast from Sydney was beautiful."
  

• I didn’t see Fr. Bill’s informative and inspiring video until we saw the question on this survey. Didn’t know it was there until I saw it on the survey. The Friday email stated that it would be there later that day. Hard to find. That was a shame.
• The readings in some of the days didn't match the ones used during the streamed and televised masses.
• Excellent coverage provided.
• Don't visit the Parish website much, but will try to do so more often now.
• Homilies were excellent to read and reflect on in your own time.
• I printed the liturgies beforehand to read a couple of times at leisure and meditate on them before the ceremonies aired.  This Easter it seems that I have prepared myself and participated in a deeper and more spiritual way.
• Helped to feel still part of the community.
• I collected The Easter Triduum at Home from the church. Reading it in print, and thus celebrating Easter, was much easier and more meaningful than peering at it on a computer screen.
• All good.

• Television coverage combined with parish documentation made Easter different but very spiritual and pleasant.

• I have watched 3 Sunday masses from Fr Kerin St Francis Xavier Box Hill.

• Thought the Mass from Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney was most inspiring ,especially when the families of the four young children killed in a motor accident were included so sensitively into the service .
  
• These were NOT viewed from the Parish website , rather from Mass on Demand or Cath News (U Tube Channel).
  The Easter Vigil televised from St Patrick's Cathedral was disappointing as it dropped out.
  St. Patrick's live streamed Easter mass.
  
• We didn't realise the Easter Masses were streamed, so used the written version, which we loved. We'll be sharing the streamed Mass tomorrow, 19 April. Many thanks.
  
• "I can only marvel at the riches of technology, unknown not so long ago and manageable even by we senior citizens.
  Taking about senior citizens, I remember well the very bland liturgy  before Vatican 2 and how even those changes were uplifting."
  
• "We found the televised Liturgies and Masses from St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney, the most helpful ones to watch. Archbishop’s Fisher’s warm and all inclusive manner, was very comforting.
  
• The Melbourne streamed service on Holy Thursday, with only one camera, was very distracting, and the poor signal often cut out. "
  
• The viewing was excellent and very well presented.
  Tried the streaming not all that successsfully, prefer televised but streaming was good when necessary.
  
• I have appreciated all that has been offered. I am conscious some families who have young members may be interested in more online services (as well as the streamed liturgical services) and perhaps find them helpful. My suggestions would be 'Pray as You Stay' daily online prayer, now beginning its third week,  designed for people facing this pandemic. Breath prayer, Jesus Prayer, etc.
  
• "Streamed mass without interruptions was peaceful and Fr Bill’s Easter msg had significant.
  meaning. It would have been good to see a streamed mass from our own Parish as this was possible in other parishes."
  Fr bill's message was uplifting.  The cam streamings were excellent and much appreciated.
  "It is times like this that l thank God for technology!

• It has helped me and my family celebrate one of my FAVOURITE  seasons of the church calendar. Without it, l would have felt 'deserted ' and lost.
• Thank you for taking the time to upload all of these programs and giving us the opportunity to be able to celebrate in our own way, the Easter Triduum."
• I am so grateful for the facilities that the Parish put at our disposal during these celebrations.  It must have been such hard and time-consuming work to organise all this.  For ever thankful.
• Good Friday service from St Mary’s Sydney plus their Easter Mass were better than the ones on Ch.44 so it was nice to be able to share in them
• Not sure of specific definitions of streamed and televised: By televised I watched Masses at St Patrick's Cathedral Melbourne and St Mary's Cathedral Sydney.
• "Great to have had these options.  The hard work and preparation very much appreciated.  With many church contacts, many different liturgies utilized over the Easter weekend.  Thank you.
• Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday,viewed from St Patrick's Cathedral.  Also viewed Sunday Easter Mass from St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney.
• So much to view.  Wonderful!"
• I am unfamiliar with streaming and don't look at day time TV.

• We have found Father Bill's emails very informative and helpful.
• Although I miss Sunday Mass, there is the advantage of fewer distractions, thereby absorbing all sections of the liturgy instead of letting some slip by.
• Well, don't share this if it isn't acceptable, but we shared a little meal during Mass on Easter Sunday of small pieces of vegemite toast.
• Couldn’t recommend the services from St. Mary’s in Sydney more highly. We set up a small altar in front of our television, and restored some resemblance of the occasion.
• The program for Holy Thursday and Easter Vigil was very special as I have never experienced those days in the way suggested. It was a wonderful material to share and reflect with my household the good news during Easter.
• It was a very strange experience to view the Church services electronically.  It certainly did not take the place of actually being present within the Church and that of our congregation taking part.
• I am deriving great personal benefit from the company of my two elderly sisters as we together meet the daily "at home" requirements.
• I thought the coverage of our Easter ceremonies celebrated from St Patrick's Cathedral were very poorly presented.   At this special time people from all over the state would have tuned in if their local Parish didn't stream the Masses   The firm conducting the videoing seemed totally unaware of the need for the con- celebrants to wear microphones.  Also at the homily the entire Mass was halted and reverted  to studio "comedy" which was inappropriate for such solemn ceremonies and as a consequence {in my opinion}the whole professional presentation was left wanting.  As the media and some sections of society are every ready to criticize the Church it is important for the Cathedral to careful choose who they contract to undertake this important televising.
• Knowing that Jesus is with us at all times, I personally find it strange to be watching Mass on TV instead of in Church with fellow parishioners. But have discovered that I can stay focused more than when in Church. However, if I happened to be sick and can't go to Church, then TV Mass it is.
• I prepared my table for Holy Thursday as Father Bill suggested and shared my meal time with that very special guest whom I invited, and I found myself conversing with Him all through dinner.  Definitely I was not alone on that day.  It was a precious moment before attending the televised ceremony.
• Found the liturgical decor at MI most reflective and a means of visual contact with purpose and meaning to daily walk.
• In some ways accessing these resources alone, as I have, can offer the advantage of deeper personal engagement.

• From the Cath News ( U Tube Channel) - Lavender Bay - Sydney Church. - Short, pointed and extremely relevant homilies of 3-4 minutes length.Maybe the Jesuit way?
• I was pleasantly surprised to receive the paper copies in my mailbox.  It really helped my family on focussing on the message at Easter.
• We are able to share Sienna’s prayer and meditation corner.
• I'd be most interested if the meditation group should decide to meet virtually. I've shared Mass and a meditation with the WCCM each Sunday at noon French time, which is 8 pm Melbourne time.
• I have been motivated to go back to some good practices--long forgotten/overlooked.  One is to read the Mass readings  before hand and the other to appreciate the daily reminders of our salvation  history in the Angelus and the Regina Coeli.
• Too much other information on the website. It is Easter.
• The homily was very encouraging and help us to reflect on these difficult times.
• Although very fortunate to have our services provided electronically, however, it still leaves a very big void by not actually being in the Church itself.  When we finally get back together as "one" once again, we should never take for granted what we have.  The old saying "we did not miss something until it is taken away"!
• I feel there is a strengthened and beautiful focus by my neighbours (Catholic and non-Catholic) during this time of crisis. Many have knocked on our door asking if we need any assistance and offering help. This is one (at least) positive consequence from the current circumstances and is consistent as Father has stressed with our catholic principles. These thoughts can be shared across the Parish.
• The goodness of people are a shining light burning in all sorts of ways in this time. People are paying attention to others who also inhabit this planet and responding with kindness. To me, this shows an interior journey being expressed in action.
• They do not replace the benefits of being in communion at the service itself but do offer a worthwhile alternative which enables a real experience. Helpful to know available if for another reason not able to attend physically comments can be shared.
• I did not realise that masses were being streamed or there were video presentations to be accessed. I will carefully re-read the newsletter and follow instructions to access the streamed masses.
• The @Home liturgies were very good and meaningful a and gave us something special to focus on in these difficult times.
• There are many mediums for connecting with God and the parish.
• The regular emails and parish newsletters help maintain communication and contact with the Mary Mother of the Church Parish community. Thank you to Father Bill and all of those who, provide this for our community.
• A regular video update from Bill would be good perhaps around the weekly homily ?
• I haven’t explored these options, although I’d like to chase up Fr. Bill’s homilies. I’ve enjoyed them in the past!
• Now have awareness of streamed Masses
• So many blessings, thank you. 
• That I really miss Mass in community
• Very helpful at this period of time, and aspect may be continued further for those unable to come to Mass on a regular basis, whilst realising that weekly newsletters have been taken as part of home visits already. Perhaps parishioners could become further involved in delivering  newsletters.

• The streaming of mass from the Parish is much appreciated.
• I think we are all learning how to share these important days/Liturgies in our present circumstances. I appreciate all the effort that has been made. It was a joy to be part of Mass at MoG this morning but I would ask Fr Bill not to turn his back - if that is possible. One of the great reforms of Vatican 2 is that God's priest and people celebrated the Mass together. (My opinion)
• perhaps a Ivanhoe catholics facebook page so that we can offer support to those in our community and share stories.
• I think we are all (parish community) & Father Bill are doing our best to bring & attend Mass as our usual Saturday night ritual.
• Being over 70, and the restrictions placed on me,  I feel quite useless. Cannot volunteer to help anyone. If I can walk 7-8 km twice a week, there should be something I could help with.
• It could be good for the community to provide video or voice call confessions during these days.
• "As a Parish we have covered all bases at present.
• My concern is that the longer it takes to get back into our locked Church, it is going to be hard to get the flock back together again."
• Fr bill and john costa and the parish team are doing an exceptional job in keeping us involved in spiritual and parish life for which we are very grateful. Maintaining contact is critical.
• We could drop off newsletters where necessary on our recreational walks around our immediate area.
• I'm ok at this time.
• Can the church claim the Job Keeper allowance ?
• I'm always available to help when called upon.
• I’d like to help where I can. I am hoping to help out with St Vinnies in the next week or so, but I am happy to help out any other way I can.
• Pickup &/or delivery of essentials for vulnerable parishioners.
• "i believe that you are doing all that is humanly possible. Just continue to keep the lines of communication open-you never know who may reach out to you for advice or help.
• Knowing that those lines are open, will hopefully encourage people to take up the offer if they know it's there."