TCF News

Many of us are blessed to experience the joy, expectation, and love that Christmas brings. However, it can also be a lonely and distressing time, especially if you’re in hospital.  

This was the case for one young patient, Lucy*, and her family, who received news that she had been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. They felt helpless not knowing if this would be their last Christmas together.

When Yvonne Turner joined Catholic Care as a lay chaplain in 2022, she embarked upon one of the most rewarding journeys of her life. As part of our Bishop’s Christmas Appeal, supporting the ministry of chaplaincy, we spoke to Yvonne about her vocation.

“I started my vocation as a registered nurse about 25 years ago and spent a lot of time in aged care and community-based care. In these environments, spiritual and emotional care are an important component of patient care. Over time, I decided to explore these roles more and look into chaplaincy,” she explains.

The Feast Day of St Camillus De Lellis on 14 July is truly significant to Fr Dado Haber MI. A member of the Camillian Congregation—founded in 1582 by St Camillus to care for the sick—Fr Dado has devoted his life to the Order.
“To me, it’s a very meaningful day because God has given us St Camillus who saw the need to care for someone who is sick,” Fr Dado said.

Many of us are blessed to experience the joy, expectation and love that Christmas brings. However, it can also be a lonely and distressing time, especially if you’re in hospital.
Our Bishop’s Christmas Appeal is raising funds to help the 15 Catholic Care chaplains in our Diocese who provide care, comfort and support to people who are suffering. They minister to the sick in public hospitals and also visit people in prisons. They listen, connect, and endeavour to understand and comfort those who might otherwise feel abandoned.

Abraham is a dedicated Catholic lay chaplain who provides support to young patients and their families at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. In the lead-up to our Bishop’s Christmas Appeal, supporting the ministry of chaplaincy, we spoke to Abraham to learn about his role, the people he assists, and what he finds most rewarding about his vocation.

Last Sunday 13 August, 23 Holy Spirit Seminarians, priests and parishioners from the Diocese of Parramatta banded together and entered the City2Surf, with the aim of raising awareness of Catholic vocations and funds to support our Holy Spirit Seminarians’ education and spiritual formation.

Holy Spirit Seminarian Jason Irawan has several motivations for entering this weekend’s City2Surf fun run. The 27-year-old sees it as an opportunity to bond with his fellow seminarians, priests, and parishioners over a shared challenge, exercise and fun, while also ‘normalising’ the call to a life of service. During this National Vocation Awareness Week from 6 to 13 August, Jason encourages those who are feeling the call from God to vocations in the Catholic Church to be open. “If It feels like a calling, then come and see!” he said.

Sunday morning will look a little different this weekend for Colleen Nicholas. Instead of attending her regular Sunday Mass at Sacred Heart Parish Luddenham-Warragamba, Colleen will pull on her walking shoes and head to the city for her first City2Surf, getting Active4Vocations to raise awareness for Catholic vocations and funds to support our Holy Spirt Seminarians.

The idea of becoming a priest came to Luke Thien Quoc Huynh very early in life, but it wasn’t until he attended an Open Day at the Diocese of Parramatta’s Holy Spirit Seminary that the path forward in his vocation began to fall into place.

Macky Amores’ journey to the Holy Spirit Seminary in the Diocese of Parramatta has been a somewhat winding road, but it is definitely where he feels God is calling him to be.