Newcastle CLP: Guided by the Holy Spirit, Each and Every Step!

By Sis. Jocelyn Celestino

Over the past year, we travelled monthly to St. Joseph’s Church in East Maitland to sing at the 8:30 AM Mass and serve morning tea, getting to know the parishioners. We were supported by CFCA/HOLD members in Newcastle and bonded as a team, discovering new spots to eat and relax on the way back to Sydney. Despite our efforts, there was no concrete participation in East Maitland, so we decided to defer our Christian Life Program (CLP) there.

In November 2024, we included the Sacred Heart Cathedral in our Chapter planning. After singing at the Simbang Gabi in December, I reached out to a member in Newcastle for contact details of the parish priest. Instead, they offered to serve as the CLP Coordinator/Liaison, which led to a new plan.

In just three weeks, we organized and held the CLP at Sacred Heart Cathedral from May 18 to June 29, 2025. Though it seemed like two months, Holy Week, the CFCA National Conference, and the preparation for a joint morning tea on May 11 took up valuable time. Despite these constraints, we managed to complete all preparations, including booking the venue, creating ads for the bulletin, finalizing speakers, and gathering participants—all in just three weeks!

The rapid and efficient progress was a testament to the Holy Spirit guiding our efforts. Former Broken Bay Cluster Heads, Brod Joe and Sis Lina Josue, acted as liaisons, facilitated invitations, and ensured smooth operations. We were also deeply supported by Fr. Greg Barker, the parish priest and Vicar General of the Newcastle-Maitland Diocese, and Fr. Anthony Coloma, the assistant parish priest.

The CLP was a success, largely due to local involvement. The participants, from diverse cultural backgrounds (Australia, East Timor, India, Japan, Mauritius, Mexico, New Zealand/Tonga, Philippines, Slovenia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam), shared moving personal testimonies that brought us to tears. We felt that our work was complete, and God was pleased.

May God be praised!