Parish History

Our Lady of the Angels, Rouse Hill is the newest parish in the Diocese of Parramatta and probably in Australia.  For several years there had been talk of the establishment of a new parish, with the development goal of a church and school community.  Land had been purchased and ideas had been floated.  In May 2007, Bishop Manning wished to see the project move ahead and so appointed Rev Warren Edwards, giving him the task of starting a worshipping community in this new growth area, and establishing the new parish of Rouse Hill. It has been a wonderful challenge to form this new part of the Body of Christ, as it is not often we get the opportunity to build up a community and church from scratch in a new suburb.  We hope to form a vibrant, close knit worshipping community and build a Church which is faithful to the tradition as well as being relevant to the present and future. It is also a great opportunity to build a parish and school together in a communion which is, social, spiritual and formative.   From the beginning there was an energetic and enthusiastic worshipping community who met for masses at St. Gregory’s Armenian School hall. We started with one Mass on Sunday morning with about 150 people. This foundation group developed a parish formation council and moved things along quickly. We chose a name based on its simple beauty and the Franciscan background of the parish; “Our Lady of the Angels”. Due to demand, the services expanded to three masses each Sunday while still at the school hall. A need for a place of our own drove us to build a temporary church on the site of our future development. In February 2009 this church and car park were completed and worship has commenced in the new church. We now have three masses every weekend with about 800 attendees, mostly young families typifying the demographic of the area. The great involvement of the parishioners in ministries and social events speaks well of a positive future for the fledgling parish. The Primary School officially opened in 2010 with 62 children across Kindergarten and Stage 1, 3 teachers, support staff, assistant principal and Principal. The staff, led by principal Eva La Rocca, have done a great job in founding this very modern and fully equipped school. They are now taking enrolments for 2012.

PARISH PRIEST
Rev Warren Edwards
2007 - present

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NEW MISSAL TRANSLATION IN CHURCHES
Archbishop of Canberra and Goulburn Mark Coleridge says the newly-approved Holy See translation of the Missal would be in use in churches before the middle of this year.

After nearly 10 years work on the new translation of the Missal, the final approval by the Holy See has been given for it.

"The Church has come to an important new threshold in the ongoing journey of liturgical renewal upon which much depends."

Work on the new translation has been done by a host of people around the English-speaking world under the supervision of bishops representing the 11 bishops' conferences that comprise the International Commission on English in the Liturgy.

Throughout the process, the bishops were in communication with the Congregation for Divine Worship and its Vox Clara committee to settle any differences and disagreements before the final approval was sought.
As a parish we will be endeavouring to learn much about the new missal and be fully prepared to welcome the changes as smoothly as possible.

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COMMON POSTURE IN MASS
Reminder of the important ways that we pray together
both in word and posture:

During "I confess...", all strike their breast
at the words "through my own fault"

During the creed, all bow at the words "by the power of the Holy Spirit,
He became incarnate of the Virgin Mary and was made man"

A common posture, to be observed by all participants,
is a sign of the unity of the members of the Christian community
gathered for the sacred Liturgy; it expresses and fosters
the intention and spiritual attitude. GRIM 42

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SACRED SPACE REVERENCE
Please be attentive to keeping the atmosphere of silence and prayer before, during and after Mass inside the church. Please keep social talk to before you enter and after you leave. Thank you.