French's Forest Catholic Parish Notices and News

Dear Parishioners, This week’s Gospel we hear Jesus say “Young man, I say to you, get up.” In this touching scene, Jesus meets a widow whose only son has died. Surrounded by sorrow, she walks in a funeral procession, her heart heavy and her future uncertain. Seeing her grief, Jesus is moved with deep compassion. He approaches, tells her not to weep, and with divine authority says to the young man, “I tell you, get up.” Instantly, life returns, and hope is restored. This moment reveals the heart of Jesus, a heart that feels our pain and acts with mercy. He does not remain distant from suffering but steps right into it, bringing comfort, healing, and new life. The people respond with awe, proclaiming, “God has visited his people.” Through this miracle, we see that God’s compassion is not an abstract idea but a living presence among us. In our own times of loss, sorrow, or despair, Christ continues to draw near. He sees our tears, touches our wounds, and speaks words of life to our hearts...

All Souls Blessing of the Graves and Remembrance Mass Sunday 2nd November 2pm at St Martin’s Davidson Church,  (please note the change) We will gather at the church first and then head to the Frenchs Forest Cemetery for Blessing of the graves to honour our oved ones who have passed away. 6pm Remembrance Mass at OLGC Forestville Church . All are welcome to this special mass for those who have died. We would love to have fresh flowers for the mass. Please bring some flowers to O LGC by 2:30pm Saturday 1st November. If you would like your loved one, whose funeral was not held in our Parish during this year, remembered, please contact the parish office. All are welcome to join these celebrations and pray for our departed loved ones. November Mass envelopes are in the Church, if you wish to celebrate a Mass for your loved ones please use the envelopes and hand them to the priests or to the Parish office or place them in the Sunday Collection bag.

Please note there will be no Saturday morning mass at OLGC on 8th November.

We warmly invite everyone to come along and celebrate St Martin de Porres feast day When: Saturday 15th November Where: 5pm Mass at St Martin’s church Davidson the flowed by a sausage sizzle in the School to celebrate. Come along and help us celebrate this wonderful patron saint of ours.

A copy of the Annual Finance Report of the Frenchs Forest Catholic Parish (FFCP) 2024/2025 is now available for you to read in each of our three churches. We extend our sincere thanks to all members of the Parish Finance Committee (PFC) for their time, dedication, and support in preparing and publishing this report for our wonderful parishioners. If you did not get a copy, please contact the Parish Office to obtain one. Fr. Satheesh Antony OSH, PP.

Praying for Peace:  As wars continue around the world, Pope Leo XIV joined religious leaders in prayer this week, calling for an end to war and a renewed commitment to reconciliation and prayer.In his address, delivered in the presence of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and other religious representatives, the Pope renewed the Church’s call for reconciliation, dialogue, and fraternity among all peoples. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/3mh6tthp. Let us all respond to this call.

Listening and Discernment Across Our Regions As we continue our shared journey of discernment across the North Shore and Northern Beaches regions, we are deeply grateful for the prayerful engagement and thoughtful insights offered through the local listening and dialogue forums. Project Summary Reports for both regions have now been prepared, highlighting the key themes and reflections that emerged from this process. These are available as downloadable PDF booklets on the Diocesan website.

As we joyfully continue to grow as a faith community at Frenchs Forest Catholic Parish, we warmly invite parishioners to take part in our parish ministries. Your time, faith, and willingness to serve help make our parish a place of welcome and love. In particular, we are looking for more Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, especially as we return to sharing Holy Communion from the Chalice during Mass from Sunday 23 November 2025. If you feel called to serve in this sacred ministry—or in any other parish ministry—please contact the Parish Office on 02 9451 5097 or speak to one of the priests after Mass. Your participation is a beautiful way to live out your faith and contribute to the life of our parish community. Fr. Satheesh Antony OSH, PP

Volunteers Needed for Children's Liturgy Our Children's Liturgy group, held during the 10:00 am Mass at OLGC each Sunday, is growing! We are looking for a few more adult volunteers to help out. The role is simple: just provide an extra adult presence and assist the teachers. If you are able to help, please contact the Parish Office.

How can we each open our hearts to the spirit of Jubilee  and participate in this ongoing year of favour? We need to open up our hearts, set aside cynicism and criticism. We need to embrace the Jubilee year with a spirit of childlike trust, just as Jesus says, because the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like children. The gifts of the Jubilee are forgiveness, freedom, family and fullness. For forgiveness, the Jubilee year is a great time to practice forgiveness in our own families, in our own circles of acquaintances Regarding freedom, we should appreciate the sacrament of reconciliation and make more frequent use of it. The Jubilee year is a great time for us to work on our relationships within our families, especially for parents. There’s a great practice of having a Jubilee Day as a family where you make it clear that your children can come to you and tell you anything and there will be no consequences for it. Fullness is the idea of learning to trust in God’s pro...

The Chanterelle String Quartet with Ben Jacks (French Horn) Enjoy an afternoon of beautiful chamber music featuring the acclaimed Chanterelle String Quartet and guest artist Ben Jacks, one of Australia’s finest horn players. The program includes works by Mozart, Vaughan Williams, and Piazzolla — blending classical elegance with vibrant modern rhythms. Sunday, 9 November 2025, 3:00pm OLGC Church, 9 Currie Rd, Forestville Tickets: Full $35 | Concession $25 | OLGC Parishioners $20 | Children under 16 free Bookings: www.ticketebo.com.au/ wyvernmusicforestville Enquiries: 9416 5234

Share Your Favourite Recipe! Our wonderful Youth Groups are excited to announce that they’re putting together a special Parish Cookbook! This is your chance to be part of something delicious and meaningful. We’re inviting all parish families and friends to share your favourite recipe — along with a photo of the dish and, if you’d like, a photo of the family behind it! Submit your recipe here: https://cc.recipes/ffcp-youthfundraiser All submitted recipes will be collected into a beautiful Parish Cookbook, which will be published and made available for purchase. Proceeds will support our youth programs and parish activities. If you have any questions or need help uploading your recipe, please reach out to: Susanne Bragge – sacraments@ffcp.org.au or Michaella – youth@ffcp.org.au Let’s make this cookbook a true celebration of our parish community. We can’t wait to see your recipes — and taste them too!

Dear Parishioners, We, your parish priests, are always happy to visit your homes—whether it is to offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the housebound, to visit the sick, to bless your home, or simply to have a friendly chat and spend time together. If you or a loved one would like a visit, please don’t hesitate to contact the parish office at parishoffice@ffcp.org.au or call us on 02 9451 5097. We look forward to being with you and sharing God’s love and presence in your home. Fr. Satheesh, Fr. Biju and Fr. Boby.

Dear Parish Family, Thank you so much for your incredible generosity and ongoing support! Because of you, our parish continues to thrive and serve the community. As you know, this vibrancy relies on your generosity for which there are now many different ways of giving using modern technology. In recent times we have introduced Tap’n’go machines in our churches. We have now added a new, easy, and secure way to make a contribution to support our parish—through a simple scan of a QR code. This small code allows you to give a single gift directly from your phone at any time, wherever you may be. All you need to do is open your camera, scan the code and you'll be taken directly to our secure giving page. It’s fast, easy, and helps the parish to continue the great work we’re doing together. Of course, like Tap’n’go, contributions by QR code are a once only gift. If you would like your donation to be regular and automatic, please join our Planned Giving program which is easily arranged ...