Parish of Baulkham Hills
St Michael’s and Our Lady of Lourdes
Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time – 21st September 2025
Baulkham Hills parish is committed to being a community of safeguarding with zero-tolerance to abuse of any form.
For details on safeguarding, please visit the diocesan safeguarding website: https://parracatholic.org/safeguarding
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I am back on board….
Last week, I had the opportunity to visit 295 leper’s families and 4 orphanages.
Together with the Sisters of St Paul de Chartres, we delivered 3500 kilos of rice, 350 litres cooking oils, 350 kilos of dried fish, 350 kilos of salt, 350 kilos of sugar, 400 kilos of detergent, 700 cartons of instant noodles. We also delivered school uniforms, basic school items and sweets for the orphanages. Each orphanage received 20 mil VND (around 1200 AUD) for food supply.
It was a week full of action and organisation. However, it was also full of satisfaction. For a week, I was the happiest person on earth.
However, I am also happy to be back. And, our parish is truly amazing. Look at what is happening in our parish. The Parish Fete is approaching. Our Fete committee has done a great job in managing and organising the many activities of the day. I am grateful to Gregory, Luciana, Monica, Maria, Paul, Nick, Agnello, Steve and Austin who form the core of the Fete committee. Of course, such a Parish Fete needs the support of the whole community: the sellers of the rafle tickets, the donors of the prizes, the school communities, the dancers and martial arts performers, face painters, the food stalls cooks and volunteers, the chocolate wheel “shouters”, first aid helpers, the marketing experts, cleaners and many more. Everybody is involved as far as I can see. So, I would like to shout a THANK YOU to you all.
I am sure it will be a great day for all of us.
The income from the Fete will help us to maintain and update our two churches at St Michael’s and Our Lady of Lourdes. This week, the church’s carpet has been replaced at St Michael’s. The current carpet has served many generations for 45 years. Fond memories may have been associated with the carpet. We change the carpet also for safety and health reasons. It is also another wonderful step to make our church not just a place of worship, but also a spiritual home for all of us. The green colour liturgically reminds of the green pasture on which the Good Shepherd gathers us to nourish us at his Eucharistic table.
Another milestone has been taken with the submission of the Old Church renovation plan for the Hills Shire Council’s approval. At the same time, a step-by-step plan has been developed and renovation priorities have been identified. Hence, the renovation is making good progress.
Last week, the parish financial audit has been completed. The Parish Finance Committee is currently working on the
2025/2026 budget. We will make both available after our next PFC meeting on 13thOctober 2025. I believe that our finance has stabilized, but caution still needs to be applied to expenses.
Also, you may have heard that Peter Maguire has passed away last week. Peter was a long-term parishioner before he and his wife Lucy moved to QLD for health reasons. Both were very supportive of our parish. Let us pray for Peter and offer our condolences to Lucy and family.
Our parish is alive and full of activities. I thank God for the good people of Baulkham Hills.
Have a great Parish Fete Sunday
Fr Joe
Important notice: Carpet installation at St Michael’s will commence on Tuesday 16 September and scheduled to be finished on Tuesday 23 September. The weekly Masses from Monday 15 to Saturday 20 September, also Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 September will be celebrated at Our Lady of Lourdes at 9.30am. Please be assured that our weekend Masses will be celebrated as normal at St Michael’s, i.e. Saturday Vigil at 5.30pm, Sunday at 8am, 10am and 6pm.
LIVE STREAMING AND MASS LINK
This week’s live stream Mass link for The Exaltation of the Holy Cross on Saturday 13 September at 6pm from OLOL https:// youtube.com/live/56j-LZTldWY
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Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Entrance Antiphon
I am the salvation of the people, says the Lord. Should they cry to me in any distress, I will hear them, and I will be their Lord for ever.
First Reading Amos 8:4-7
Listen to this, you who trample on the needy
and try to suppress the poor people of the country, you who say, ‘When will New Moon be over
so that we can sell our corn,
and sabbath, so that we can market our wheat? Then by lowering the bushel, raising the shekel, by swindling and tampering with the scales,
we can buy up the poor for money, and the needy for a pair of sandals,
and get a price even for the sweepings of the wheat.’ The Lord swears it by the pride of Jacob,
‘Never will I forget a single thing you have done.’
Responsorial Psalm
- Praise the Lord who lifts up the
- Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! May the name of the Lord be blessed both now and for evermore! (R.)
- High above all nations is the Lord, above the heavens his glory. Who is like the Lord, our God, who has risen on high to his throne yet stoops from the heights to look down, to look down upon heaven and earth? (R.)
- From the dust he lifts up the lowly, from the dungheap he raises the poor to set him in the company of princes, yes, with the princes of his people. (R.)
Second Reading 1 Tim 2:1-8
My advice is that, first of all, there should be prayers offered for everyone – petitions, intercessions and thanksgiving – and especially for kings and others in authority, so that we may be able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet. To do this is right, and will please God our saviour: he wants everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth. For there is only one God, and there is only one mediator between God and mankind, himself a man, Christ Jesus, who sacrificed himself as a ransom for them all. He is the evidence of this, sent at the appointed time, and I have been named a herald and apostle of it and – I am telling the truth and no lie – a teacher of the faith and the truth to the pagans.
In every place, then, I want the men to lift their hands up reverently in prayer, with no anger or argument.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia!
Jesus Christ was rich but he became poor, to make you rich out of his poverty.
Alleluia!
Gospel Lk 16:1-13
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There was a rich man and he had a steward who was denounced to him for being wasteful with his property. He called for the man and said, “What is this I hear about you? Draw me up an account of your stewardship because you are not to be my steward any longer.” Then the steward said to himself, “Now that my master is taking the stewardship from me, what am I to do? Dig? I am not strong enough. Go begging? I should be too ashamed. Ah, I know what I will do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there will be some to welcome me into their homes.”
‘Then he called his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, “How much do you owe my master?” “One hundred measures of oil,” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond; sit down straight away and write fifty.” To another he said, “And you, sir, how much do you owe?” “One hundred measures of wheat,” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond and write eighty.”
‘The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light. ‘And so I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?
‘No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.’
Communion Antiphon
You have laid down your precepts to be carefully kept; may my ways be firm in keeping your statutes.
Next Sunday: Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Amos 6:1, 4-7; 1 Tim 6:11-16; Lk 16:19-31
Congratulations to
- Siena Westley
who was baptised at St. Michael’s Church last week
We pray that her faith may be an important and integral part of her life.
Our Week
Tuesday 23 September Memorial – St Pius of Pietrelcina
Saturday 27 September Memorial – St Vincent de Paul
Baptism of a child of a Maronite father
What should I do if I want my child to be baptised according to the Roman Catholic Rite, if I (the father) am a baptised Maronite?
There is a special agreement between the Maronite bishop and the Roman Catholic Bishops in Australia on baptism and other sacraments.
The agreement degrees that a special permission must be obtained by the Parish Priest of the Maronite community for the baptism of a child according to the Roman Catholic Rite.
There is a Maronite Parish for the Hills District. Please contact Christ the Redeemer Maronite Parish on 0433 826 661 to request permission for the baptism of your child according to the Roman Catholic Rite.
Fr Joseph Lam Parish Priest
Join the Gardening Group!
Thankyou to the 16 parish members who have already volunteered to help maintain
the lawns and gardens around St Michaels. We need 2 more volunteers to join the roster, the commitment is one Friday or Saturday
morning every 5 weeks to assist.
Please email the parish admin@parishofbaulkhamhills.org.au if you can assist or email James McFarland jamesmcf80@gmail.com who is coordinating this ministry
Jesuit Refugee Service Australia Special Evening
You are invited to join us for a special
evening in support of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Australia on Friday, 10 October.
The night will feature a delicious dinner, raffle prizes, musical performances by refugees and people seeking asylum in our community, and a rich program of inspiring speeches and stories. It’s a chance to come together, share a meal, and celebrate diversity and multiculturalism at a time when we sadly see too much negativity directed toward it.
The event will be held at St Patrick’s Cathedral Parish Hall, 1 Marist Place, Parramatta, at 7pm. A Mass will be held beforehand at 6pm at St Patrick’s Cathedral, which all are welcome to attend.
RSVPs are essential – you can get your ticket and find more details here: events.humanitix.com/jrs-australia-2025- fundraiser-dinner-an-evening-of-hope
Please also remember those for whom prayers have been requested, especially for:
Recently deceased: Peter Maguire, Cynthia Gomes, Fr. Cyril Desbruslais, Frank Burgess
Anniversaries: Janos Kocsis, Mario Serracino-Inglott, Lawrence Boffa
Sick: Andrew Wenham, Mila Ranoso, Manel Perera, Maddie Menasse, Laurie Grech, May Yap, Lynne Harris, Benett Perera, Sumithira Joseph, Lucy Ward, Mary Leong, Jose, Julie Zuvela, Bill Rowan, Jo Khong, Jeanette Uvero, Judy Poon, Felix Melinz, Natasha Leitao, Arlene D’Cruz, Valentina Diaz Mendoza, Cathy Vella, Jacqui Sneesby, Mary Burns, Debra Price, Rebecca Grech, Monera Obeid, Tony Biddle, Connie Rivas, Margaret White, Greg Hopwood, Baby Carter McGhie, Joey & Noah, Garry Eldersley,
Marie Bolton, Greg Brown, Mimi Yeung, Judy Taylor, Katherine Izzo, Frank Jacobs, Nicholas Tadros, Joel Uvero, Kong Su Chong, Jane Gibson, Jamal Kairouz, Deba Beani, Jacinta Hollins, Florgina Henry, Maria Roche, Melba Oki, Richard Miranda, Evan Garcia, Violet Nehme, Carmel Willis, Joseph MacDermid, Khyla Meighan, Catherine Hemmings, Lisa Middleton, Bridgette & Gabriella Boldt, Charlie Howell, Young William Merhi, Rod Johnson, Leonie Turner,
Rev Dr. Richard Waugh QSM, Frankie Fernandez,
Peter Campbell, Pablo Herrara, Philippa Ford, Julie Bracks, Harry & Pam Williams, Lavinia Costello, Brian Roche,
Anne Torina Wayman, Warren Moses, Matthew Burke, Edward Beani, Roumanos Nehme, Jenny Francis and all who are ill.
PARISH STAFF
Parish Priest: Fr. Joseph Lam
Assistant Priests: Fr Thomas Bui
Assistant Deacon: Deacon Roque Dias
The Parish of Baulkham Hills (02) 9639 0598
Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm
Office Administrator Monica O’Callaghan
Assistant Secretary Betty Cheung
ST MICHAEL’S
1 Chapel Lane, Baulkham Hills, NSW 2153
OUR LADY OF LOURDES
1 Canyon Rd, Baulkham Hills, NSW 2153
PO Box 702, Baulkham Hills 1755
Email: admin@parishofbaulkhamhills.org.au
Website: www.parishofbaulkhamhills.org.au
CURRENT LITURGY SCHEDULE
ST MICHAEL’S WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Saturday Vigil: 5.30pm
Sunday: 8.00am, 10.00am and 6.00pm
Mon – Fri: 9.15am Sat: 9.00am
ROSARY: Mon – Fri 8.50am, Sat 8.45am
ADORATION OF BLESSED EUCHARIST
Tuesday 9.45am – 10.45am
RECONCILIATION
Saturday 9.30am – 10.30am, 4.45 – 5.15pm
OUR LADY OF LOURDES WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Saturday Vigil: 6.00pm
Sunday: 9.00am
Wed – Fri: 9.30am
ADORATION OF BLESSED EUCHARIST
Friday 8.50am prior to 9.30am Mass
RECONCILIATION
Saturday 5.00 – 5.30pm
Use Coupon Code “parishofbh2153” to support Parish of Baulkham Hills
