Happy new year! The first bulletin message from me for 2026 is one that bears exciting news. After two years of proposals and planning, I can finally relay to you that the Archbishop Peter Comensoli has approved the change of name for our parish. The decree reads:

After carefully considering the motivations and observations presented to me, and after the formal canonical consultation of the Archbishop’s Council of Priests given on 26 November 2025, and the College of Consultors of the Archdiocese of Melbourne given on 12 December 2025, I hereby decree the following:

The Nazareth Catholic Parish Grovedale be re-named Damascus Parish.

The decree will take effect from February 22, 2026. Thank you to Fr Linh and all those who helped initiate the project, facilitated the process and helped see it through to this stage. It’s been a big effort. Honestly, when I received the email from the Archbishop’s office a couple of weeks back, the first feeling was one of relief. Canonically, the matter has been finalised. The questions of “if” and “when” are answered. That said, there is now the new work of implementing the change.

A number of those changes will be administrative; updating things like our ABN and who the bills are addressed to. Others will be more interesting, like a revamping of our website. I dare say for most, not much will seem to change at all. Each of the churches and communities are keeping their respective names of Nazareth, St Therese and St Christopher’s. Mass times will stay the same and you still have the same mug parish priest…

That said, to see this name change as simply pragmatic or a necessary formal process would be to miss a great and God-given opportunity. I hope this change is not something in name only but acts as a catalyst to revitalise our parish and inspire us to look to the future with renewed zeal and real growth in mind. The Archbishop in his decree has similar hopes:

“I pray that these arrangements that I have decreed will be a rich opportunity for the parishioners of Damascus to renew their commitment to the Lord, and to the building up of his Church. I invoke the blessings of Almighty God on the priests and parishioners of this parish”

Thanks be to God.

In Christ,

Fr Joel.

To read the full Decree from Archbishop Comensoli, head to our website here: tagparish.com.au > leadership-team > Parish rename