Farewell Fr Will

Infant Baptism

The next Baptismal Preparation meeting will be on Thursday 11 January at 6.00pm, at Stella Maris Church.

At this short meeting we explain the significance of the symbols used in the sacrament, answer any questions and complete relevant paperwork. For more information please contact the Parish Office.

Dates for 2024

As the New Year begins, we invite parents and families who are interested in their children receiving Confirmation and First Holy Communion to visit our Parish website and mark the dates for the events on the Calendar. Simply follow the links to either Confirmation or First Holy Communion on the Parish website where the dates for 2024 are displayed. We look forward to celebrating these dates with you in the coming year.

Ministry drive

Your parish family is looking for volunteers for the ministries listed below. Volunteers are not just the mortar that holds our parish together but it is a practical and rewarding way of living out our faith. Already, we are blessed as a community to have so many generous people who, quietly behind the scenes, do so much to enrich and sustain our parish. On Saturday 20th of January you are invited to consider adding your gifts and energy to the life of our parish by being a part of one or more of the following ministries. No previous experience is necessary. You will always be part of a team and all the resources are provided and, where necessary, training will be provided. Ultimately, being a volunteer is a great way to serve God and the people of God.

So don’t be shy, we need you!

Here are some of the ways you can volunteer:

• Baptism Support Group
• Liturgy of the Word
• Hospitality
• Church Cleaning Group
• Communion Minister
• Grief Support Group
• Funeral Hospitality
• Children’s Church
• Music Ministry
• Welcoming Group

What’s NET Ministries?

You may have heard that we’re getting a NET Team in February, but what is a NET Team?

NET stands for National Evangelisation Teams, and they are an organisation focused on peer-to-peer ministry. Our NET Team will spend a lot of their time in the Parish schools encouraging and connecting with our young people. The main mission of NET is to help young people encounter and develop a personal relationship with Jesus.

If you would like to learn more about how they’ve impacted local areas over the years, visit their website 

New to the neighbourhood?

We live in an extremely mobile society, and especially here on the Sunshine Coast there are always people 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, and if you complete and return the forms we will be in contact with you. Once again, welcome.

Ordinary Time

This coming week, we begin 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 either 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 February 14 this year.