Latest Parish News

Our Confirmation Programme starts this Wednesday evening for an hour long adult information and preparation meeting at Stella Maris church beginning at 5.00pm. Theologian and author, Fr Richard Leonard SJ will lead the session. If you have a child in Year 3, or older, please enrol online: enrol your child.

Feeling Crafty

Our Craft Groups meets next Friday, April 26th after the 9.00am Stella Maris Mass. New members are always welcome – come along and join us – we meet at the function room, just down from the parish office.

A New Ministry

Over the last two years we have deliberately concentrated on upgrading and improving our audio visual and sound equipment across the parish. You might have noticed last week wider screens at Mass. Next week hopefully a new projector will be installed in Stella Maris – being so close to the sea the atmosphere has a detrimental effect upon all our equipment. Finally we have the ability to reintroduce live streaming of our Masses and other liturgical services at Stella Maris. This is an important service we provide to our Catholic brothers and sisters who cannot join us at Mass. We want to start a new ministry and develop a roster of parishioners who are willing to help with the live streaming. It is a very simple and straight forward ministry with clear guidelines – would you like to be involved? Is this ministry for you? Please give us a call to register your interest, or email [email protected]

Back in Action

Our Young Adult group continues every Sunday evening after the 5.00pm Mass. All senior students, young adults and university students are welcome to join us at 6.00pm for a semiformal sharing of some food and faith development. Bring a friend!

Invite Your friends

Preparations are well under way for this year’s Multicultural Mass and cultural celebrations. On Sunday, 16 June our diverse Catholic community will come together at 11.00am for Mass followed by an afternoon of celebrating our universal faith and the many unique groups that form our Parish Family. Make sure you tell your neighbours and don’t forget to invite your friends.

: Scenes from the inaugural event last year

Historic Photos

We are planning to enlarge and frame some historic photos for the new meeting room – if anyone has some inside experience, expertise or advice could you please contact Fr Peter or Robyn Jewry at the Parish Office on 07 5443 3488 or email [email protected]

On the journey—Where life meets Faith

We welcome into God’s Family, the Church, Zoie Axtell, Hugh Hemphill and Robert Keeley who will be baptised this weekend in our parish.

We pray for all those who have died, especially this weekend we pray for Fr Marty Larsen, Aida Hulse, Lynette McIntyre, Gwenda Wyles and Elaine Wishart.

May the souls of all our departed priests, religious, family and fellow parishioners, through the rich mercy of God, Rest in Peace.

Sisterhood Wine & Cheese

Our next sisterhood is this Tuesday 23 April meeting is shaping up to be another fun filled and formative evening. We’ve jumped at the opportunity to have Fr Joe give us a short talk whilst he is here, we’re looking forward to being inspired by his knowledge and teaching on symbols in the Church.

Come join us Tuesday 23 April , 6.00—8.00pm. Why not bring a friend?

Commissioning Mass

Last Friday members of our Maroochydore St Vincent de Paul conference gathered for the Commissioning Ceremony of Carmel Barbagallo as the new President of the St Gerard Majella Conference, Maroochydore. It was also a chance for the members of the conference to recommit themselves to the important work of Vinnies. For many in our community the men and women of St Vincent de Paul are the face of the Church and practical faith in action. Our local and very busy Vinnies Conference is always happy to welcome new members and if you would like more information please talk to a member of the conference or pay a visit to their centre at 1 Norval Court.

Meet the family

Last Monday evening the Parish Welcome Committee hosted a reception at the Stella Maris presbytery for new and returning parishioners. Representatives of all four of our church communities were on hand to introduce themselves and add to the welcoming atmosphere. Being a wel- coming Catholic community is everyone’s responsibility! Each week there are new faces and families at Mass and in such a large and busy parish it is easy for new members of our community to get lost in all the activity and busyness. Thank you to the members of the Welcome Committee and all the local representatives for this important ministry.

Still some distance to go!!!

Fr Isaac has a long way to go if he wants to rival some of the truly great mullets! During April, he will grow a mullet to raise awareness of the Black Dog Institute in support of their important work in combating mental illness. One in five of us will experience symptoms of mental illness in any given year so the funds raised by Fr Isaac will support the Black Dog Institute to provide awareness for suicide prevention and mental health research. If you would like to financially support Fr Isaac’s Mullet, follow this link to donate.

Thank you for your support.

Together ~ A True Team Effort

With the glow of the Easter Resurrection still illuminating our journey and the memory of so many liturgies over Holy Week still fresh in our minds, it is important to recognise and acknowledge everyone who helped make it all possible. We are privileged to belong to a parish of very generous people! Throughout Lent and Holy Week, so many nameless fellow parishioners were involved in making our liturgies moments of grace and hope. From cleaners to musicians, sacristans to liturgical art, readers to office staff and helpers, so many people were involved – and each person a valuable and indispen- sable part of our faith community. A grateful parish says thank you. As a way of acknowledging everyone who played a role in ensuring all our Holy Week ceremonies went so smoothly, I would like to invite all those involved to a small thank you party on Monday evening, April 22 at 6.00pm. If you played any part – don’t be shy! If you can bring a plate that would be great. To help with catering, it would be appreciated if you RSVP by contacting the Parish Office on 07 5443 3488.

Holy Communion to the Sick & Housebound

Any parishioners who wish to take Holy Communion to our brothers and sisters who are sick, housebound or in hospital or a nursing home must be listed on the “Register of Parishioners commissioned to take Holy Communion to the Sick”, which can be found at the entrance of the church. This is an important ministry and out of reverence for the Blessed Sacrament we have strict protocols. If you have not been commissioned to do this ministry, please speak to one of the priests who can commission you. Each time you take the Blessed Sacrament from the Church, you are required to complete the details on the distribution sheet at the entrance of the Church. Thank you for your ministry.

Assistive Listening System launches at Stella Maris

Hearing is a sense we all rely on in some way, but we cannot assume that everyone hears the same way, or equally as well. For people with hearing loss the ability to hear speech and important sounds is diminished. At Stella Maris church we have a Assistive Listening System that transmits audio directly from the source to the listener’s ear without amplifying ambient noise. If you would like to access the system or find out more about the system please contact a Mass co-ordinator or one of the sacristans.

Sunshine Coast Men’s Rosary

May is the month of Mary and a group of men on the Sunshine Coast have formed a group that will focus on the rosary during May. Recently, a small group of men from the Our Lady of the Rosary in Caloundra took the initiative to start a local Sunshine Coast Men’s Rosary Crusade. In this year of “invitation,” we extend this call to all who resonate with our purposes and intentions. Their inaugural rosary gathering will commence on 1 May, the first Wednesday of the month. This Holy Rosary will be carried out each first Wednesday evening at 6:30PM at the OLR Church. For any further information please call Carlos from OLR Caloundra on 0402 220 029.