Welcome

The three wise men have returned home by another route. The nativity scene has been carefully packed away for another year. The vestments are now green, which means that the Christmas Season is over and we have now started a new liturgical season. To all parishioners and visitors enjoying the Sunshine Coast, welcome, as we, together, celebrate the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The title Ordinary Time is a bit misleading. Many people think Ordinary Time refers to parts of the calendar of the Catholic Church that are unimportant. Actually, Ordinary Time is called
“ordinary” not because it is common but simply because the weeks of Ordinary Time are numbered.

The Latin word ordinalis, which refers to numbers in a series, stems from the Latin word ordo, from which we get the English word order. Thus, the numbered weeks of Ordinary Time, in fact, represent the ordered life of the Church – the period in which we live our lives neither in feasting (as in the Christmas and Easter seasons) or in more severe penance (as in Advent and Lent), but in
watchfulness and expectation of the Second Coming of Christ.

Nothing ordinary about that!

So we set off on this journey which will only be interrupted by Lent which begins with Ash Wednesday, falling on 22 February this year.

Exploring our Faith

Are you interested in learning more about your faith? Join us once a month as we discuss the questions, explore the mysteries, and delve into our faith starting with Fr Mike Schmitz and the
exciting programme ‘Catechism in a Year’. As a parish group we will meet on the last Wednesday of every month at St Mary’s Buderim, to share our discoveries and insights. If you would like to
be part of the group, or would like more information, please contact Fr William who is co-ordinating the monthly meetings.

Baptismal  Preparation

On the first Thursday of every month we host our Baptismal Preparation meeting. At this short meeting we explain the ritual and the meaning behind the symbols used in the ceremony and answer any questions before confirming dates and times of baptism. The next preparation meeting will be held at Stella Maris Church on Thursday, 22 February at 6.00pm. If you would like to attend and receive the paperwork in advance, please contact the parish office.

First Friday

A reminder that the First Friday of February is our first Anointing & Healing Mass for 2023 – Friday 3 February, 9.00am at Stella Maris Church. All parishioners and visitors are welcome to attend. After the Mass you are invited to join us for morning tea in the function room (bring a plate if you wish). Please check with your neighbours and friends to see if they need transport.

Liturgy

Members of the Parish Liturgy Committee are invited to the next meeting in the Stella Maris meeting room on Saturday morning, 10.00am on 4 February. At this meeting we will review our Lenten liturgies and Easter ceremonies. We also want to plan our liturgy workshops for the coming year.

Msza Polska

On the fourth Sunday of every month our Polish brothers and sisters gather for Mass at St Mary’s, Buderim. Everyone is invited to attend and you are asked to share this invitation with any of your
Polish neighbours and friends. The next Mass in Polish will be Sunday 22 January at 4.00pm.

Celebrating and Remembering

We welcome into God’s Family, the Church, Archie King, Odin Johnson and Wyatt Johnson who will be baptised this weekend in our Parish.

We pray for all those who have died, especially Juanita Hartkopf whose funeral rites were celebrated at St Mary’s, Buderim, last Friday. May Juanita’s soul and the souls of all our departed priests, religious, parishioners and family members, through the rich mercy of God, Rest in Peace.

Every Wednesday at 6:00pm all Spanish speakers are invited to gather in the Stella Maris function room for prayer and hospitality. The evening is coordinated by the Latin American Prayer Group. Please let your Spanish speaking friends know about the gathering.

New to the Neighbourhood?

We live in an extremely mobile society and especially here on the Sunshine Coast, where people are always coming and going. If you are new to our Parish, or if you are reconnecting with the Church, we would love to welcome you more formally to our Parish Family. You will find “welcome packs” at the entrance of our churches, or feel free to complete the I’m New form online. We will get in touch with you when the forms are returned. Once again, Welcome!

New Parish Website

The best way to keep up-to-date with news, information, and upcoming events, including mass and prayer times in our parish family, is to visit the latest parish news on our new parish website. Here you can find mass times and other key events planned across the parish in The Week Ahead.

Subscribe to our weekly E-newsletter to get these updates in your inbox weekly, or download the weekly parish bulletin.

Australia Day

To celebrate Australia Day on Thursday, 26 January, in addition to our regular 8:30am Mass at St Peter’s Coolum, there will be a 7.00am Mass at Stella Maris followed by traditional Aussie hospitality by the Knights of the Southern Cross. All Welcome.