St Canice Feast Day 2022

𝐒𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐁𝐐
Even severe weather warnings for Sydney with advices to stay at home this weekend doesn’t stop parishioners venturing out to celebrate the Feast of St Canice and gathering for the first parish BBQ in three years.
Maybe we thank St Canice, our patronal saint and patron of those caught in storms at sea, for the ribbons of sunlight breaking through cloud cover dispelling any second thoughts to stay in bed on this very cold ‘Irish’ wet and windy Sunday morning.
Canice, or Kenny is an Irish saint from the sixth century. Not too many people realise that stories of his life are illustrated in bold colour in the three-stained glass windows behind the main altar here at St Canice’s. The colour purple predominates.
After a welcome by the Chair of our Parish Council, Brian, an Irish parishioner, Sheila, relates some of the early history of St Canice’s life. The ‘stormy seas’ in the St Canice story are akin to guests who come to our St Canice Kitchen, or simply knock on the door of the parish house needing some comfort or simply to be listened to.
The hymns chosen for today reflect the heart and soul of Irish culture, haunting, and beautifully sung by Robyn. Graham accentuates other lively beats and beautiful melodies with his fiddle. At the end of the liturgy, after the Recessional hymn, Claudine ratchets-up the bellows and we exit the church, already in BBQ-mode, to a rollicking ‘When Irish Eyes are Smiling’.
The long-awaited BBQ gathering takes place in the church hall. It’s full to overflowing and with such a buzz. We farewell our parish manager, Lynelle, who is leaving St Canice’s after six years. Since the birth of her grandson, Lynelle has wanted to step back to spend more time with her family. The combination of a beautiful liturgy with Fr Sacha, uplifting music and saying farewell to so many people has allowed Lynelle to say thank you to our community who has supported her during her time with us.