LATEST PARISH NEWS

YOUNG ADULTS (The next three weeks)

BEACH BBQ, 2PM – SUN 17/NOV 

This Sunday, 17 November, the Young Adults group will be meeting at 2pm for a beach bbq at Alex Bluff Foreshore Park. The group will head to the 5pm Stella Maris Mass following the event.  There will be food, games and great people to connect with on your Sunday. Bring a snack to share, and invite a friend. Contact Georgia (0451 650 042) to let her know if you can make it!

ADVENT FORMATION, 6PM – SUN 24/NOV

Next week (Sunday 24 November), the Young Adults group will be gathering after the 5pm Mass for an hour of formation and fellowship. There will be a formation session to help young adults prepare their hearts for the Advent season.

SCRIPTURE ROSARY, 6PM – WED 4/DEC

The following YA gathering will be held on Wednesday, December 4 at 6pm for a Scripture Rosary on the Joyful Mysteries for the first week of Advent.

All Year 12 and Young Adults are welcome! Contact Georgia (0451 650 042) for more details. 

CRAFT SALE

Join us at Stella Maris on December 1st for a special Craft Sale featuring the Sisters of Mary Morning Star! The Sisters will be present at the 6:30pm, 9:00am, and 5:00pm Masses, offering a variety of handmade crafts and goods. This is a wonderful opportunity to support their mission while finding unique gifts for the holiday season. Be sure to stop by and see the beautiful items they have to offer!

THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS

Our annual Christmas Thank You party for all the generous volunteers of our Sunshine Coast Parish Family will be on Monday, December 2^nd, from 6pm to 7:30pm. Everyone is invited! Thank you from a grateful Parish!

ADVENT

Advent begins in 2 weeks time and it is a short, focused season of expectation – waiting for Emmanuel – God is with us!   A great way to help prepare is by spending a little time reflecting on the approaching birth of the Christ Child as part of an Advent programme.  Each Wednesday during the 4 weeks of Advent, commencing November 27^th, you are invited to join our Advent programme at St Catherine’s. Please call Helen Matchett on 0403 617 512 for more details.

SISTERHOOD RETREAT

You are warmly invited to join us for the 2024 Stella Maris Sisterhood Retreat Day! This is a day to come and receive, be formed and connect with other women. We are so excited about what is in store for us this year and the way God is unfolding His grace filled plans for us already. You don’t want to miss what is going to be a truly anointed day. We are thrilled to announce our guest speakers for 2024 are Renee Doyle and returning from last year Karen Doyle. These are two inspiring Catholic women who have a gift for teaching and preaching with passion and grace. Karen Doyle is the host of Genius Podcast, the author of the Catholic Women’s Masterclass and is founder of the Sisterhood Australia’s National Catholic Women’s Movement. She is also co-founder with her husband of Choicez Media which provides faith based puberty, sex, and relationship education for adolescents. Renee Doyle is the director of leadership and development at NET Ministries, she has over 15 years experience helping individuals and teams grow in faith.

Come along and be blessed, meet other women and be nourished and fulfilled. Please register by the 15 Nov via our website maroochydoreparish.com.au (news&events>sisterhood) or the parish office 5443 3488.

ADVENT ADVENTURES

We have a possible 50 children interested in attending Fun Days with God – Advent Adventures, on Monday the 16 of December. However, at the moment, I can only accept 30 children with the current number of adult volunteers. We are certainly missing our NET Team.  You don’t have to be young, just young at heart, enthusiastic, and eager to make a difference. We’d love for you to join us in this inspiring ministry! Your involvement can help bring more joy and connection to our parish family. If you are interested in giving your time from 8:45-3:00pm on that day, it would be greatly appreciated. To be a part of this wonderful opportunity, reach out to Bernie Baillie at [email protected]

CONTAINERS FOR CHANGE

With the silly season not far away, please think of our Youth Group 10:10, Junior Ministers and our Fun Days with God Ministries.  Did you know our parish has a “Container for Change” account? When you drop off your recyclable cans, beer, wine, and spirit bottles, as well as poppers and small flavoured milk containers, please quote our parish Scheme ID number C10193859. Put in your mobile under Containers for Change so you’ll always have it. All the money goes to our Parish Youth. Alternatively if you attend the 5:00pm Sunday Mass at Stella Maris you can give the cans directly to Bernie Baillie ([email protected]).  Thanks so much for your support.

FOLLOW OUR SOCIAL MEDIA 

It has never been so easy to get in touch and keep up to date with the many ministries and activities of our Sunshine Coast Parish. Why not start by visiting our Parish Facebook page?  You will receive updates on what’s happening within the parish, religious articles and content of interest. It is also a way we contact you with urgent news.  “Like” our Facebook and Instagram page.

EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS

The protocol for all our Eucharistic Ministers who take Communion to our sisters and brothers who are sick, housebound or in hospital or nursing homes is before you place your pyx on the offertory table, please record your name and the names of those whom you are going to see (the folder is at the entrance of each church).  This important ministry always takes place on the day, ideally following when commissioned at the end of Mass.  Only commissioned Eucharistic Ministers are allowed to take the Blessed Sacrament from the church.

PLANNING AHEAD

As a community that also has to welcome many holiday makers and visitors ,we have to plan ahead.

For your information, our Christmas schedule is as follows:

Communal Rite of Reconciliation, Caloundra Saturday morning December 21, 9am

Communal Rite of Reconciliation, Maroochydore Monday evening December 23, 5pm

Christmas Eve: Maroochydore 4pm, Coolum 5pm, Sippy Downs 5pm, Maroochydore 6pm, Maroochydore, Midnight

Christmas Day: Maroochydore 6:30am, Coolum 7:30am, Maroochydore 9am, Buderim 9:30am

FLOCKNOTE

Have you gone online and become a registered member of your Parish?  Last week, we launched across our community the invitation to register using Flocknote, our new, church designed, Australia wide date programme.  There are three ways for you to register.

By simply using your phone and this QR code it will take you directly to the parish sign up page. You will receive a confirmation code which will allow you to securely enter your family details.

When you are sitting in front of your computer follow his link  https://maroochydore.flocknote.com/register and it will also take you to our Parish data page.

Feedback tells us that it is a easy process when you are sitting in front of your computer!

If you haven’t got a computer or if you have tried and technology has beaten you, then at the entrance to the church you will discover a hard copy of the registration form – please complete it and return it to the parish so that we can register you.

Finally, if you are having trouble or if you have any suggestions please send us a email. ([email protected])

Flocknote is a work in progress and every parish is different with unique ministries and needs – only with your feedback and involvement can we continue to refine Flocknote so that it lives up to its full potential as a instrument of the Good News!

Thanks for registering! 

NEW?

We live in such a mobile society.  Apparently, data from the census revealed that Queenslanders had one of the highest rates of residents who have changed addresses in the previous 5 years.  Also, the Australian Bureau of Statistics mentioned that Queensland was the most popular destination for Australians to move to from other states.

So, sitting beside or in front of you might be someone new to our Parish Family – make sure that you make them feel welcome!  

If you are new to the Parish could you pick up a welcome pack at the entrance of the church so that we can formally welcome you to your new Parish family.  On Monday, November 25^th we are hosting a “New Parishioners Cocktail Party” which is really just a fancy name for a gathering at the presbytery to welcome you! So please, if you are new to our Parish Family or if you have been here a while but have never been formally welcomed, take home a welcome pack, complete and return the details and we will be in contact with you.

Stella Maris Parish Office

• Adjacent to the Stella Maris Church
• Office Hours 9am—2pm Weekdays
• Telephone: 5443 3488
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: maroochydoreparish.com.au

At Your Service

• Fr Peter Brannelly
• Fr Isaac Falzon
• Deacon Michael Khoury
• Bishop Brian Heenan
• Bishop Emeritus