Liberal Catholic Church Melbourne

05/10/2024

It is with pleasure that we announce a visit from our Regionary Archbishop, the Rt.Rev. Dr. Richard Taylor.

This will take place on Sunday 20th October. He will be the celebrant and will also be making a presentation in the social room afterwards.

Please note this in your diary. We would like to see as many people as possible attend this important service.
Everyone is most welcome.
Open communion.
Contact:
V.Rev. Fred Shade
Tel: 9459 2670
Email: [email protected]

AUSTRALIAN CHURCH WEBSITE

The province of Australia has an excellent website, and is recommended viewing. It provides details of the parishes etc., and also the magazine Communion.
It also has a link to the American province magazine Ubique, which is recommended reading. The address is:

Holy Eucharist and other services are celebrated in churches in Canberra, Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

03/10/2024

On Sunday 29th September, we celebrated the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels at St John The Beloved.
It was the 43rd Anniversary of my Ordination.
Where has the time gone!
I thought that, on this special day I decided to wear my special chasuble and stole.
It is called the Jerusalem Chasuble as it depicts, among other things, the Jerusalem Cross which is an unique design.
I purchased this some years ago in the Old City of Jerusalem at a Christian supplies shop (it would not be there now).
You will notice that the stole is not underneath but on top of the chasuble, which is the way you wear it with chasuble.
Fr Fred Shade
Vicar

14/08/2024

Here is a photo from the weekend.
The first child was baptised in Perth during Covid, now the second child is baptised in Melbourne.
The family are now living Canberra (the husband is in the Army - headquarters), and they plan to attend our church there.

Fred

15/07/2024

This is the Oratory of Fr Fred Shade, Vicar of St John The Beloved.
It has been used daily ever since his ordination in 1981.
It is dedicated to Christus Rex (Christ the King.)

18/12/2023

Splendiferous Garden

During the past month, our gardener has been doing a massive clear-out and weeding of the back garden.
It was a huge project, and he used several of his colleagues to assist him.

The back is no longer a forest and now a delight to see.

Of course, this was an expensive enterprise, but the Vestry decided that it should be done, the first time that such a project has been undertaken for decades.

Come and see!

13/12/2023

Our Archbishop Richard has been busy recently as the Archbishop for the province of New Zealand.
On Sunday 26th November he ordained Rasik (Russ) Rupa to the diaconate at the Church of St Francis in Auckland.
He was assisted by V.Rev. Fred Shade who acted as Master of Ceremonies.
The sanctuary team are pictured below:
(l to r) V.Rev. Fred Shade (MC), Rev. Rasik Rupa (deacon), Archbishop Richard Taylor, Rev. Arthur Goodall (Vicar) and Jim Rudd (server).

14/10/2023

Our Vicar, Fr Fred Shade, attended the Masonic Knight Templar Jubilee celebrations earlier this year at Kryall Castle, Ballarat.
Here is a photo of him with a knight and his horse from the jousting.
Fr Fred did not joust; he left it to the young and brave.

22/09/2023

In Byzantine art, and in later Eastern Orthodox art generally,
the Deësis or Deisis is a traditional iconic representation of Christ in Majesty or Christ Pantocrator:
enthroned, carrying a book, and flanked by the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist, and sometimes other saints and angels.
This icon was made in Greece and is installed on the Vicar's prayer desk in his oratory.

07/09/2023

The Templars came!

On Sunday 20th August, Great Priory, members and families of the Masonic Order of Knights Templar attended our service.
It was a delight to see the church filled with so many people.
Not only did their attendance increase the Collection, but the Grand Master presented a cheque to the Vicar.
Their visit takes place after the Annual Great Priory meeting at which, this year, a new Grand Master was installed.
The Vicar is a senior member of the Order.

23/08/2023

In 2018 Fr. Fred Shade visited Nepal.
In the ancient capital of Kathmandu, he visited a shop selling Mandalas.
Here is a mandala, with its four gates of purification.
It is viewed as if from above, looking down and focussing on the centre, the place of nirvana, and where the buddha sits.
For Christians it is also a powerful symbol, showing the way to the centre of our own being, where the Christ dwells within the cave of the human heart.
Also below is a photo of the vicar with the artist and an uncompleted mandala.
It is extremely complex and takes many years of formal training to be able to produce such a product.
Those who qualify as a master are permitted to use gold in their work.