Priest’s Message

It is with gratitude, hope and joy that I welcome you to our parish family. Whether you are a long-time parishioner, a visitor, someone searching for faith, returning to the Church after some time away, or simply exploring our community online, please know that you are warmly welcome here.

Our parish bears a beautiful and powerful name — Divine Mercy. In a world often marked by uncertainty, loneliness, anxiety and division, Divine Mercy reminds us that God never ceases to love us, forgive us and call us closer to Himself. The Heart of Jesus remains open to every person. His mercy is greater than our weaknesses, our failures and our fears.

A parish is much more than its buildings, programs and activities. It is a living family of faith where people journey together, pray together, celebrate together, support one another and encounter the living presence of Christ. At Divine Mercy Parish, we seek to become a welcoming, compassionate and faith-filled Catholic community where every person is respected, valued and encouraged to discover their place within the life and mission of the Church.

Our two church communities — Our Lady of Victories, Shortland, and St Patrick’s, Wallsend — each carry a rich heritage of faith, sacrifice and devotion. We are grateful for those who built and sustained these communities before us. Today, we are called not simply to preserve that heritage, but to build upon it with renewed faith, fresh energy and a missionary spirit, so that what we have received may be passed faithfully to future generations.

As your Parish Administrator, I come among you not with all the answers, but with a sincere desire to walk alongside you in faith and service. I believe that a vibrant parish is built when clergy and laity pray, discern, serve and share responsibility together. Every person has gifts to offer. Every generation has something to contribute. There is a place for everyone within the Body of Christ.

At the centre of everything we do must be Jesus Christ — encountered in the Word of God, in prayer, in one another, and most especially in the Holy Eucharist and the Sacraments. From our encounter with Christ, we are sent out to become instruments of His mercy in our families, schools, workplaces, neighbourhoods and wider community.

I therefore encourage you to participate actively in parish life through worship, prayer, ministries, volunteering, faith formation, outreach and fellowship. Sometimes the simplest act of welcome, kindness, encouragement or service can become a powerful experience of God’s mercy in another person’s life.

At the heart of our Christian faith is hope. Whatever burdens we may carry, Christ continues to walk with us through joy and sorrow, strength and weakness, success and disappointment. When we place our trust in Him, He renews our hearts and leads us forward in faith and peace.

My hope and prayer is that Divine Mercy Parish will increasingly become a spiritual home where people encounter Christ, deepen their faith, experience healing and belonging, and discover the joy of serving God and one another.

I entrust our parish, our families, our children and young people, our elderly and vulnerable, and all who seek God’s grace to the loving care of the Blessed Virgin Mary and to the unfailing mercy of Jesus Christ.

May God bless you abundantly, and may the peace of Christ remain always in your hearts.