On the first weekend of the month we always have a special emphasis on hospitality.  If we want to be a friendly community we need to also be a welcoming community and providing hospitality is an excellent way of meeting new and old  parishioners alike.  Especially at our 9.00am Stella Maris Mass this weekend we welcome the Stella Maris school community who will be coordinating our celebration.   Please join us after Mass.  Thank you to the different groups who organize our hospitality each month – your ministry is appreciated.

See you after Mass today!!!

Monthly Meetings

All local groups are reminded that the monthly meetings scheduled for the first Wednesday of the month take place this coming week.  Coolum members, your meeting is at 12.00pm, Buderim’s meeting is 2.00pm, Sippy Downs, 4.30pm and Maroochydore’s meeting is at 6.00pm.  On behalf of the entire Parish, thank you to the parishioners who generously volunteer to serve on these coordinating and leadership committees.

Thank You

The annual St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal was held across our parish and with the kindness and support of our parishioners and friends, you enabled us to continue to support many in our local community who came to us for assistance.  Thank you for your generosity and trust.   Over the Christmas period we distributed $15,736 to people and families in need.  In addition, the Maroochydore Conference distributed 141 hampers while the Coolum Conference distributed 25 hampers.

Thank you also for your regular support of our ministry through the Vinnies Poor Boxes located at each of our churches. Would you like to know more about the work and mission of our local St Vincent de Paul conferences?  The Stella Maris Conference meets every second Wednesday at the Vinnies shop, Norval Court, Maroochydore.  The St Peter’s Conference meets every second Thursday at St Peter’s church.   For more information about joining either conference please call 07 5451 7600.

As St Vincent de Paul himself said: Charity is the cement which binds communities to God and persons to one another.

Getting Ready

This June we will celebrate the diversity of our universal faith at our Multicultural Mass.  To ensure that it is once again an enjoyable and successful occasion on Saturday 9 March at 9:30am at Stella Maris, there will be an initial planning meeting.  All co-ordinators and parishioners interested in helping organise this year’s gathering are warmly welcome.

Baptismal Preparation

The next baptismal preparation session will be held on this Thursday 7 March at 6.00pm in Stella Maris Church.  At this short meeting the symbols of baptism will be explained, questions answered, and baptismal dates finalised. To book and receive the paperwork before the meeting, please email the Parish office ([email protected]) The baptismal preparation sessions are held on the first Thursday of every month.

NET Team update

So what have our NET team been up to?  Over the past two weekends they have been visiting every Mass and introducing themselves to parishioners.  As you can imagine, with eight weekend Masses and four church communities, it takes a while to work out where everyone is and who belongs to who!

During the week they have been getting accustomed to the rhythm of Siena Catholic College and settling into their accommodation. Over the next couple of weeks some new youth initiatives will be launched, and the goals for the year will fleshed out. NET is an acronym for National Evangelization Team, and for more than 35 years, young Catholics have volunteered by generously giving a year of their life supporting the mission of the Church.   This year, our Parish welcomes six young Catholics who will minister within our community.  Their focus will be on our schools,  especially Siena Catholic College and the St Catherine’s community at Sippy Downs, but their ministry will stretch across our Parish.

Worth Considering?

If you have a desire to deepen your relationship with God and find God’s presence in your everyday life, this could be a retreat for you!  Inner Peace in Darkness and Light is the title of the retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises by St Ignatius of Loyola and will be held on 22 April, 29 April, 6 May, 13 May and 20 May at St Peter’s, Coolum.

Everyone is invited  and there are no special requirements to attend!

What’s involved:

Participants make a commitment to pray at home for 30 minutes each day, and meet together with retreat guides within a group setting once-a-week for 9 minutes.     There are in total five 90 minute group meetings.  These sessions are guided by trained givers of the First Spiritual Exercises.

Your Commitment:

Spend 30 minutes daily in personal prayer.   Keep a journal.  Willingness to commit to four weeks of the retreat and attend the five weekly group meetings.

More information will be provided closer to the date or go to [email protected]

Sisterhood

What a beautiful start we had to our women’s ministry with over 50 women attending our first meeting! There was an abundance of positive energy as we got to share our faith and know one another over pizza & punch. Our next meeting will be Tuesday 19 March 6.00-8.00pm at Stella Maris.

Upgrade

During this coming week at Stella Maris, a major audio system upgrade will take place, including the decommissioning of our current AV cabinet, and the relocation and installation of new cables into a new AV cabinet. One of the positive outcomes of this work we be our ability to record and broadcast all services, funerals, weddings and Masses from Stella Maris. The relocation of the AV cabinet will also provide the opportunity to create a designated vesting area for our priests and the allocation of designated storage space for the different groups that access Stella Maris.

Quietly, behind the scenes, a lot of people are diligently working away to ensure everything flows smoothly and that our Weekend Masses are moving and meaningful celebrations.  From cleaners to musicians, audio-visual operators to welcomers, our Parish is a rich tapestry of generous parishioners who take seriously their ministries.  Each week a lot of time and reflection goes into planning our Masses. Have you noticed the changing imagines at the base of the Altar at Stella Maris Church?  The sand and cactus immediately reminds us of the desert journey of Lent and this week the two tables allude to the First Reading and the giving of the Ten Commandments.

Misa en Español

All Spanish speakers are reminded that Mass will be celebrated in Spanish next Saturday, 9 March at 6.00pm at St Mary’s Buderim, followed by hospitality.   Looking ahead, we will be celebrating a Mass in Spanish every second Saturday of the month for further    details please contact Patricia 0480 304 643.  Please tell your Spanish speaking friends.

Liturgy Committee

Liturgy is the highest moment of prayer and purpose for our Sunshine Coast parish. As Catholics we believe that it is the primary setting where God and people come together for the good of the whole world.  As we look forward to celebrating Holy Week and Easter. All members of the Liturgy Committee are reminded of the  planning meeting this Tuesday 6 March at 6.00pm at Stella Maris.

Remembering

We welcome into God’s Family, the Church, Hallee Charles, Billie Fitzgerald, Luca Fitzgerald, Maverick McKenzie and Milla McKenzie who will be baptised this weekend in our parish.

We pray for all those who have died, especially Maggie Lindley Harris, who funeral will be held at St Catherine of Siena this week.

May their souls and the souls of all our departed through the rich mercy of God, Rest in Peace.

Invitation to QLD Symphony Orchestra

Invitation to Chrism Mass