The Catholic Leader - July 2

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The Catholic Leader, July 2, 2017
News
gathers for first Mass in its renovated church for 30 months
FROM PAGE 12
These changes coincided with the development of a retirement
and aged-care complex, St Luke’s Green, which is now part of the
Buranda parish community and will officially open in September.
Parish administrator Monsignor Peter Meneely said the new
village – which includes a 60-bed retirement village and 60 beds
in high care – suited the parish’s missionary needs in the new mil-
lennium.
“We started by looking at a vision of a development of the site
to respond to the missionary needs of the parish at this time in its
history,” Msgr Meneely said.
“That new mission is in aged care.”
Msgr Meneely said the parish came into negotiations with re-
tirement and aged-care property company Greengate for a 99-year
lease agreement of the church land.
The agreement includes protection of the existing church,
convent and presbytery, and the development of St Luke’s care
village.
“Part of the vision was those that lived in the area would have
an option to stay in the area when they go into retirement,” Msgr
Meneely said.
“It’s also eighty years since the church was open so major reno-
vations were needed.
“We’re also seeing a significant densification in the area, with
lots of units being built, and we’re seeing more younger families
and retirees coming in.”
Msgr Meneely will act as chaplain to the St Luke’s Green com-
munity in providing spiritual care to Catholics in the area.
This would also include a proposal to have live-streaming of all
the St Luke’s Masses on televisions, laptops and computers owned
by residents of the village.
Msgr Meneely also encouraged lay Catholics in the area to grow
the parish’s spiritual dimension through prayer groups and other
outreaches.
“The church will be opened every day and will be there for any-
one to pray in, meditate in, pray the Rosary in, and so on,” he said.
“My hope would be, certainly, for a good integration between
the retired and aged care and the parish’s life.”
New beginning: Monsignor Peter Meneely, carrying the Blessed Sacrament, and Fr Fadi Salame, from St Maroun’s Church,
Greenslopes, joining Buranda parishioners in procession into the renovated St Luke’s Church.
BURANDA’S Catholic community has re-
membered the parish’s longest-living and old-
est parishioner Vera Acres, who died two days
before her home parish reopened to the public.
Born on November 26, 1916, Mrs Acres
lived to be 100 years and nearly seven months
old.
She died on June 16 this year, just two days
before the St Luke’s Church, Buranda, reo-
pened for Sunday Mass.
Mrs Acres shared her life story in The
Catholic Leader one month after her 100th
birthday, saying her faith in God was what kept
her alive.
“Everybody asks me what the secret is, but
there’s no secret,” she said.
“All you’ve got to do is just live day to day
and just, I don’t know, just believe in God I
suppose.
“That’s probably why I’m still alive.”
The long-time St Luke’s parishioner spent
65 years of her life in the parish at St Luke’s,
which celebrates 80 years since its opening and
blessing this year.
She even had her 100th birthday celebra-
tions at the church, attending a special birthday
Mass on November 27 at St Luke’s celebrated
by parish administrator Monsignor Peter
Meneely.
Msgr Meneely presided at her funeral on
June 26, the first one in the newly reopened
church.
He said Mrs Acres was the oldest parish-
ioner in the St Luke’s community.
“Vera is the church’s oldest parishioner, so
it’s most appropriate that she be the first to
have her funeral in the newly restored church,”
Msgr Meneely said.
Mrs Acres leaves behind three children, sev-
en grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
– Emilie Ng
St Luke’s farewells oldest
parishioner Vera Acres
Remem-
bering:
Long-time
parish-
ioner of
St Luke’s
Church,
Buranda,
Vera
Acres,
who died
on June
16, with
Monsig-
nor Peter
Meneely
at the
parish’s
sod-turn-
ing event
on March
8, 2015.
St Luke’s
was Mrs
Acres’
home par-
ish for 65
years.
Special day: Monsignor Peter Meneely and Fr Fadi Salame celebrating the first Mass in the reno-
vated St Luke’s Church, Buranda, for 30 months.
Supporters: Zoe Lomax and Sarah Martelli are among those admiring the refurbishment of St
Luke’s Church.