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First ever Multi-cultural Mass Catholic Mass held at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney with many from Sri Lanka participating |
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Archbishop Antonio Vegliò, President of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerant People and Fr. Gabriele Bentoglio, under-secretary of the same Council were in Australia from May 2 to May 14, 2011. This visit was hosted by the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO). Being the first of its kind, it was hoped that the visit would contribute to making Australia’s Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees known to the Holy See. The visit was pastoral in nature and would have had an impact on the wider Australian Community as well as increased the awareness of the pastoral care of the Catholic Church to Migrants and Refugees in Australia in the broader context of the Church’s teaching on the care of migrants. In celebration of this visit, there was a multicultural Mass organised by the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office on 10 May at 7:30pm at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney. The chief celebrant at this mass was Cardinal George Pell; the mass was concelebrated by approximately 15 Bishops and 25 priests including our Sri Lankan Chaplain Fr Jude Nicholas. It was participated by several ethnic communities, including Italian, Maltese, Philippino, Samoan , Sri Lankan, Sudanese, Tongan and Vietnamese. The Sri Lankan community had the honour of participation in four parts of the liturgy that included 2 people carrying the Sri Lankan National flag in the entrance procession, 2 people carrying engraved gifts symbolising Sri Lanka in the offertory procession, the children’s choir singing a hymn in Sinhala and a liturgical dance by Sri Lankan youth that lead the offertory procession. Most of the community members present were in traditional attire braving the windy and chilly weather that evening. Sr. Ann Laid-Law on behalf of the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office expressed her sincere thanks to the members of our Community for their wonderful support and participation in the liturgy. She thought the celebration was very moving and the Sri Lankan Children’s choir and the liturgical dance added colour and richness to the event. |
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