Young Adults meeting

Save the date! Next Saturday, 25 February at 6.00pm – come down to The Savvy Squire, Mooloolaba, for the first Social event for our Young Adults’ Group for those aged between 18-40 years. All Welcome – bring a friend!  We will be joined by the Caloundra Young Adults Group. If you need some courage or would like some encouragement contact Fr Will or Deacon Isaac.

Episcopal Visitors

This Monday our Sunshine Coast deanery will welcome Archbishop Mark Coleridge and the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Charles Balvo.  It will be an opportunity for the Archbishops to see first hand the tremendous growth already happening in our region, and how looking into the future we are now preparing the foundation to respond to some of those challenges and pastoral opportunities.

From Ashes to Hope

Lent begins this week on 22 February and the Archdiocesan Lenten programme this year is titled “From Ashes to Hope”.   Over the years, especially pre-covid, groups of parishioners would gather and share their insights, guided by the programme. We now have three parish groups gathering to reflect on the Archdiocese’s Lenten Program.  How about joining one of them?

St Catherine of Siena Church, 6.30pm to 7.30pm, during Lent, starting on Ash Wednesday (22 February).
Contact Helen 0403 617 512.

St Peter’s Church, 9.30am to 10.30am, weekly during Lent, starting on Tuesday, 21 February.
Contact Eric 0403 849 499.

El Shaddai group – St Catherine of Siena Church, 2.00pm to 3.00pm, weekly during Lent, starting on Saturday, 25 February.
Contact Ellie 0415 552 289.

Another opportunity this Lent is our Lenten Mini Mission. Bishop Tim Norton, as a missionary priest, provincial and retreat master, brings to our community a wealth of experience and unique spirituality. Bishop Tim will lead us over 3 sessions on Monday 27 February, Tuesday 28 February and Wednesday 1 March at Stella Maris from 5.00-6.00pm.  Everyone is encouraged to make the Parish Mini Mission part of your Lenten journey this year and invite a friend!

Lenten Concert series

Come explore the 40-day journey of Lent through music – featuring compositions inspired by the key themes and scripture readings of Lent every Thursday during March at midday at St Stephen’s Cathedral.

There will also be a time of inspiration and reflection before the 12:30pm Mass.

All welcome, free admission.

Green for St Patrick’s Day

March is just around the corner and that means it’s St Patrick’s Day.  Let’s face it, there is a little bit of Irish in all of us!!!   Parishioners and friends from all corners of our Parish and beyond are invited to St Peter’s Church at Coolum on the 17 March. BYO Lunch to share and Singalong, 11.30am for 12noon start. To be sure, all are welcome!!!

Become a Pastoral care volunteer

Do you want to become equipped with the skills to provide pastoral care and support to people in aged care and hospitals?  The Volunteers CARE Essentials Course is a basic introduction to Christian pastoral care where you will learn the foundational skills needed to get started on your pastoral care volunteer journey. The programme is run on Friday 18 February and 18 March from  9.00am -5.00pm each day.   If you are interested or would like more information please get in contact with Fr Peter through the Parish Office.

World Day of Prayer

The origins of World Day of Prayer date back to the 19th century when Christian women of the United States and Canada initiated a variety of cooperative activities in support of women’s involvement in missions at home and in other parts of the world.

In 1927, Queensland and New South Wales led the way to the introduction and establishing of Women’s World Day of Prayer in Australia.  The other states soon followed.  Each year a different country prepares the programme.  Australia was given the privilege of preparing the Order of Service in 1958 with the theme ‘Bread of Life’ and again in 1986 with ‘Choose Life’.

This year the people of Taiwan have prepared the order of service.   The theme is God’s promise, in the letter to the Ephesians, which invites us to active listening to build a foundation in our praying. Following the example of the letter (Ephesians 1:15-19), where the author praises the church for their faith in Jesus and love toward all the saints, the worship service contextualises the witness of the saints with the stories from Taiwan.

On Friday 3 March, you are invited to join your fellow Christians for World Day of Prayer and this year the host churches are:

St Mary’s Catholic Church Buderim: 10.00am

St Peter’s Anglican Church (Cnr Church Street and Beach Road), Maroochydoore: 10.00am

Holy Spirit Anglican Church (25 Beach rd), Coolum: 9.30am.

The Catholic Leader

Catch up on all the latest Church news each week for free. The Catholic leader has gone digital and is now online! 

Celebrating and Remembering

We welcome into God’s Family, the Church, Tahlia Kelly who will be baptised this weekend in our Parish.

We pray for all those who have died, especially Colleen Brady, Kevin Ryan and Dr Daniel Lane whose funerals were celebrated last week, and Connie Graham (whose funeral will be 11.30am Saturday 25 February at Stella Maris Church).

May their souls and the souls of all our departed priests, religious, parishioners and family members, through the rich mercy of God, rest in peace.

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!

Safeguarding in our parish

…for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.
Mark 10:14

Children, young people and vulnerable adults are a gift from God with an intrinsic right to dignity of life, respect and security from physical and emotional harm.  They are to be treasured, nurtured and safeguarded.

This means that everyone in the church must ensure that the fundamental right of children, young people and vulnerable adults are respected. This will be achieved through the development of respectful relationships and a commitment to safety embracing appropriate boundaries, behaviours for Employees and Volunteers who work in service of the Church as well as adherence to the legislative imperatives of the State. (Extract from the Archdiocese of Brisbane’s Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Prevention and Protection Policy. Version: 17 March 2017)

The Safeguarding Commitment for the Archdiocese of Brisbane and Stella Maris Catholic Parish is: zero tolerance for all forms of abuse and is committed to safeguarding everyone involved in its activities, ministries, and services. The safety and wellbeing of children and adults-at-risk is paramount.

In an emergency, please call 000 or information can be provided to STOPline anonymously. Phone: 1300 304 550 or Email STOPline