John Pierce Centre Newsletter December 2024 "When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."   Matthew 2:10   John Pierce Centre – Spirit of the Deaf Community www.jpc.org.au admin@jpc.org.au www.facebook.com/JohnPierceCentre     A.B.N. 55 005 611 601 Contact: 25-35 High Street PO Box 443 Prahran Victoria 3181 Voice: 03 9525 1158 E-mail: admin@jpc.org.au Website: www.jpc.org.au Office Hours MON - WED  9.30am to 3.30pm  THURS - FRI  By Appointment Only Staff Fr Wayne Edwards Katrina Mynard Teresa Paulet Diane Backholer Sr Janette Murphy rsj Tamara Dwyer Executive Manager Sophie Duncan Chairperson JPC Board Trevor Hughes Board Members Dean Sinclair Br Shane Wood (Minutes) Evelyne Albrecht Roshan Abraham Next Newsletter Deadline MARCH 2025   JPC would like to thank the community members for allowing us to use their photos in this publication and we acknowledge the free images in this newsletter from rawpixel.com; brgfix.com; lucecitavectors and all Freepik images.   Message from the Executive Manager   Season’s Greetings! As we welcome the festive season and the new year, I want to reflect on 2024—a year filled with change, challenges, and the incredible support of our community. This year, we bid a fond farewell to Sr Janette, who retired after many years of dedicated service to JPC. Her contributions have left a lasting legacy, and while we’ll miss her in her staff role, we are delighted that she will continue to be part of JPC as a volunteer, sharing her time and talents with us. We also welcomed Tamara to the team, whose enthusiasm and fresh ideas have already made a positive impact. On a personal note, 2024 has been a challenging year for me. Your encouragement, understanding, and support have meant more than words can express. I am deeply grateful to be part of such a caring and supportive community. As we look ahead, December is brimming with opportunities to come together and celebrate. From end-of-year gatherings to festive activities, these events are a chance to reconnect, share joy, and embrace the spirit of the season. Thank you for your contributions to making this year at JPC so meaningful. As we look toward 2025, let’s carry forward the spirit of togetherness and compassion that makes JPC such a special place. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas, a joyful holiday season, and a bright and happy New Year! Warm regards, Sophie Duncan       Melbourne Catholic Professionals This year the JPC staff have been attending a catholic professionals network which has been established by the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. Events aim to bring people together from a range of industries and professions in order to open up a network centred around shared faith. The final event was a Christmas breakup celebration. It was held on the rooftop terrace at ACU (Australian Catholic University) and was a lovely evening shared with many professionals and the Archbishop Peter Comensoli.   Want to give back to the Community? The John Pierce Centre is overseen by a committed Board of Representatives and Subcommittees who support the overarching operations of the JPC. We are seeking expressions of interest from Deaf individuals to join our Board of Directors or one of our Board Subcommittees: Finance Subcommittee or Management Subcommittee. You do not require past Board committee experience, just a keen interest in supporting the work of the JPC. Help shape the future of JPC and learn some new skills. Feel free to ask any questions or request further information:   JPC Executive Manager manager@jpc.org.au     GOD’S LOVE – THE GREATEST GIFT Another year over. The Church’s year finished with the last day of November and with December and the Season of Advent a new year has begun. A time of preparation for the coming of the Messiah.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                A time of reflection and celebration of the first Christmas when the Son of God came as a little baby over 2,000 years ago. Born into a family – Mary and Joseph – like all families with their joys and struggles, at times experiencing like all families happy celebrations and trauma. Not only members of a human family we are all members of God’s family. For most of us our human families loved and nurtured us and we learn from their care and love and example how to care and be loving for and to others. Of course there are squabbles and disagreements at times but if we truly love each other the occasional spat will not be insurmountable. Mary and Joseph did not have much materially, but in every other way, everything. They had each other and the responsibility of bring life into the world, the life that would change the world and all of humanity forever. Mary and Joseph believed what God had told them, and committed to what He asked of them. We may not have the luxury of what they had been told but we are certainly given signs that point us in the right direction and on the right path. The Season of Advent and Christmas is such an important time and we need to stay alert and awake to the signs of God’s revelation – the Son of God born among us. Hopefully this time of year inspires us to be kinder to one another. If we can try to be more loving and kinder and gentle like God our Father then we will surely understand the true meaning of Christmas. I hope each one of you will have a peaceful, happy, joyful and Holy Christmas, embracing the love of God in yourselves and sharing and expressing that love with others.  Yours in Christ. Fr. Wayne Edwards With my Prayers and Love Yours in Christ Fr Wayne Edwards Chaplain to the Deaf     Thank you Party   An opportunity to thank all of those who support the John Pierce Centre. Support comes in many forms, whether that be financial, volunteering or donating, and we are truly grateful to all those that give so that we may continue our work to support the Deaf community. Each year we hold a thank you party to acknowledge our supporters and share in the good work that we are able to achieve together!   The John Pierce Centre support the spiritual wellbeing of Deaf and hard of hearing people all around Victoria. Donating to our work can be done simply and easily by using this QR code. All donations over $2 are tax deductible!   Signee Tots 25 Year Celebration   Signee Tots Playgroup celebrated 25 years with a family day at JPC. What a lovely day for all. The weather was lovely and families were able to come and enjoy catching up and participating in activities like face painting, Australian animal zoo and jumping castles. There was also plenty of food to go round for all. What an amazing day. We hosted Signee Tots families that currently attend playgroup as well as those that came over the past 25 years. A fantastic celebration of Auslan and Deaf culture and coming together as a community. We had a beautiful photo slideshow of the many families that have attended over the years which is a memory we can keep and we hope to continue on for the next 25 years. A huge thank you to Deaf Connect for providing a grant to ensure this event was successful and fun for all of our families!   New Staff at Member at JPC Welcome Kim Kavanagh Kim Kavanagh will be joining the JPC team in 2025 as a Pastoral Care worker. Many of you will know Kim from Deaf Club, Deaf sports, Vicdeaf/Expression Australia and/or through friends. Kim is a passionate supporter of all animals/ wildlife and our planet earth. She has been to JPC over several years for varied reasons and enjoys seeing the JPC community getting together. Kim looks forward to meeting the community in her new role at JPC so please make her feel welcome when we return to the centre in 2025.   Christmas Hampers Thankyou to Toorak Uniting Church and Endeavour Hills St Paul the Apostle Church Once again JPC are truly thankful for the support we receive each Christmas through donations provided from Toorak Uniting Church and Endeavour Hills St Paul the Apostle Church. Hampers full of food and goodies are given out to Deaf community members and families for the Christmas season. We hope that those who received hampers are able to enjoy them with family.   Working Bee—THANKS   JPC would like to extend a huge thank you to all of the people that came in to help out for the working bees that we have held in 2024! We have had busy days with cleaning of the windows and garden, re painting the carpark lines, painting the hall wall and table, fixing the flooring and plenty more. Volunteers are a very important part of our centre. Many of the jobs that people help with wouldn’t happen if we didn’t have willing volunteers. Everyone enjoyed a well earned drink and pizza when the work was finished! Thank you for all your hard work   Christmas Closure Dates: JPC will be closed from Wednesday 18th December and will re-open on Monday 20th January.   Staff will be on leave during this time but if you have urgent need of support please contact the Manager—Sophie 0416 207 913 (SMS or voice) or Pastoral Care—Katrina 0400 660 601 (SMS only) We are still available to support your needs and refer you to appropriate services if you need anything urgently.   We take this time to rest and rejuvenate, we will see you in 2023.     We remember always, those that have been a part of our lives, as their spirits are weaved through the story that is our Deaf community.   Rest in Peace Andrew Batson – 25 July’24 (son of Stan & Myra Batson) Joanne Ivy-Mae Porter – 11 Aug’24 Lynette Daily – 2 Sept’24 (mother of Matthew Daily) Pauline Atkins – 13 Sept’24 (friend of Deb) Francis “Graham” Johnston – 23 Sept’24 Robert Maher – 4 Oct’24 Barbara Stathis – 11 Oct’24 (ex Waratah student) Anthony “John” Beasley – 15 Oct’24 Margaret Cregan (nee Barry) – 5 Nov’24 (ex-Waratah student) Toni Ryan – 6 Mar’24 (friend of Michael Eastwood & Raylene Thorne)   Office Hours- MON - Wed: 9:30am-3:30pm Thurs-Fri: by appointment only Please make contact via email at admin@jpc.org.au   Leave a bequest By leaving a gift to John Pierce Centre in your Will, you will have a lasting impact, supporting our Centre for years to come. It is a powerful reflection of the values and principles you treasure. It enables you to create a legacy of love and care for those in need. For more information, please contact our office on 03 9525 1158 or email admin@jpc.org.au Thank you.   Your contribution: Help us to support Deaf people and their families throughout VIC by making a tax deductable donation today.   www.givenow.com.au Memorial Mass A lovely Memorial Mass was held at JPC on Sunday 17th November to remember all those that we have lost in the last 12 months. We also had two plaques placed on the memorial stone in the garden. Remembering Malcolm Stevenson and Geoffrey Treloggen.       Volunteering Do you have some spare time? Are you interested in giving back to the community? Perhaps volunteering is right for you.   We are looking for Deaf people who are interested in volunteering their time twice a month to visit the elderly Deaf in our community. It could be at home or in a nursing home. We would provide the necessary training and ongoing support as needed. If this sounds like something you want to do please contact us for more information via email at admin@jpc.org.au   Story of Impact—Gerard Miller Gerard Miller has been a part of JPC since 1972 when he was a young boy and his parents received a letter from Fr Robinson asking the family to come to the old Deaf club Mass. Gerard came along with his parents to the Mass and met many community members who became good friends. Nowadays Gerard attends the John Pierce Centre for the men's social group as well as coming to Mass each month. Having a place like JPC is so important for Deaf people so that they can communicate with ease in Auslan. It is a place of connection and community. Gerard also volunteers his time to help with the set up of the Mass each month. He assists to set up the altar and chairs and tables and then pack up again at the end. Gerard values his involvement at JPC.   Community Activities Update! Community groups are now on break for the Christmas and summer holidays. We will see you all back again in February 2025!   Signee Tots  Thank you to all of the Signee Tots families for their attendance and support this year with our playgroup. A special thanks to Kym and Ash who continued to run the Signee Tots playgroup as volunteers. We have had a boom of attendance this year with many families attending the sessions which has made the days lots of fun for the kids. Thank you to everyone for coming and making it a joyful space to play. The last session of the year was held at a water park in Werribee and was thoroughly enjoyed by all the kids (and the parents too!)   Kym has now stepped down and Olivia Beasley will share the role with Ash in running the Signee Tots playgroup for 2025. We are super excited to have them both to run the program. The JPC team hope that you all have a restful and joyful Christmas and New Year and we look forward to seeing you all again in 2025!   Please email for more information: signeetots@jpc.org.au   First session in 2025 will be Sunday 2nd February 10am-12pm   Deaf Men’s Group The Men’s group has had a great year in 2024 with workshops, activities and outings. We are looking forward to plenty more activities and outings in 2025. If you are interested in attending the men’s group please contact admin@jpc.org.au Sessions for 2025 Wed 19 Feb Wed 14 May Wed 17 Sept Wed 19 Mar Wed 18 Jun Wed 22 Oct Wed 16 Apr Wed 16 Jul Wed 19 Nov Wed 13 Aug   Thank you to our Volunteers A very big thank you to the wonderful volunteers that are involved in one or more of these community groups. They always attend with an eagerness to help out and always roll up their sleeves to take on the task.. Thank you from all of the staff at JPC.   Deaf Arts & Crafts What a very busy and successful year with the Deaf Arts and Craft Group! The artwork was absolutely stunning and I'm so proud of this group. First session back in 2025 will be Friday 7th February! (runs every Friday through the term) If you would like to join this group please contact Diane at JPC   Ladies Get Together   Co-ordinated by Diane Backholer   A fabulous year of gathering at JPC and going on outings around Melbourne and beyond! What an enjoyable year for all of the Ladies. First event for 2025 will be Wednesday 12th February! (runs every second Wednesday through the term)       Pankina It’s been a fabulous year again for Pankina with Bingo days and cards days. Numbers are always big and all are welcome to attend fortnightly on Mondays. First event for 2025 will be Monday 3rd February! A catch up and chat session ...then... Monday 17th February Monday 3rd March Monday 17th March Monday 31st March   Remember!! For information on any community activities, please contact Katrina: SMS: 0400 660 601 / E: k.mynard@jpc.org.au   JPC Third Sunday Mass JPC continues to provide onsite and livestreamed mass on Facebook. We encourage you to come to mass on the third Sunday of each month when you can or if you can’t you can watch it online at: www.facebook.com/JohnPierceCentre   Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral   Deaf Interpreters will be at St Patrick’s Cathedral for the Midnight Mass on the Tuesday 24th December.   Interpreters will continue to be provided on the first Sunday of each, beginning on 5 January 2024. We hope you are able to watch online or on Channel 31 (channel 44).   Thank you to the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne for their continued support of the Deaf community and JPC.   Calendar for Masses Tuesday 24th December JPC Christmas Eve, online From 5pm online only: watch at www.facebook.com/johnpiercecentre Sunday 24th December St Patrick’s Cathedral, East Melbourne 11:30pm St Patrick’s Midnight Mass. Watch on Channel 31 (Channel 44 on your tv) Sunday 5th January 2024 St Patrick’s Cathedral, East Melbourne 11am St Patrick’s or on Channel 31 (44) Sunday 19th January JPC, Prahran. Welcome back Mass 2024 11am at JPC in Prahran or watch www.facebook.com/johnpiercecentre Sunday 2nd February St Patrick’s Cathedral, East Melbourne 11am at St Patrick’s or on Channel 31 (44) Sunday 16th February JPC, Prahran. 11am at JPC in Prahran or watch online Sunday 2nd March St Patrick’s Cathedral, East Melbourne 11am at St Patrick’s or on Channel 31 (44) Sunday 16th March JPC, Prahran 11am at JPC or watch online Sunday 6th April St Patrick’s Cathedral, East Melbourne 11am at St Patrick’s or on Channel 31 (44) St Patrick’s Cathedral Christmas Eve Midnight Mass   The Midnight Mass at St Patrick’s in East Melbourne will be interpreted. 11:30pm start with Christmas songs 12 midnight Mass   Please come and celebrate Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral   JPC Christmas Eve Mass aired on Facebook on Tuesday 24th December   JPC Christmas Eve Mass will be pre-recorded and posted on Facebook. There will be NO onsite Mass provided   Please watch at www.facebook.com/JohnPierceCentre   Christmas Rally     Once again the John Pierce Centre had a lovely Christmas Rally event! Our most popular event of the year in our centre. There was a lovely Mass for the advent season. As well as a delicious roast lunch and dessert. Followed by the most popular raffle with several lucky winners! Thank you to everyone that attended. A special thank you to Santa for making the time to pop down from the North Pole to visit the kids! We hope you enjoyed the day as much as we did. Enjoy your Christmas with friends and family.   JPC would like to thank the following organisations for their support through grants and sponsorship… Deaf Connect CCI Giving Felton Bequest Tobin Brothers South East Water Ephpheta Foundation Grant Gorman Foundation Grant Please note that if you would like a hard copy newsletter the payment is $15 per year for 3 newsletters. Payment must be made by April 2025 Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year JPC will be closed to the public and community over Christmas. If you have any urgent queries, please contact Sophie Duncan 0416 207 913   If you would like a hard copy newsletter please contact JPC Newsletter—send to my email   Name: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Email: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Please print clearly Newsletter—post to me at a cost of $15.00 (covers 3 newsletters)   Name: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………...……. Address: ………………………………………………………………………………………………...……… Suburb …………………………………………………………………… Postcode ……………..…….…. SMS: ………………………….. Fax No: ………………………… $15.00 fee paid, how? Cash…………….Cheque……………..Credit Card…………….. Receipt Required? Yes………..No…...… Can we email your receipt? ……………...…………………………...…...…...…