French's Forest Catholic Parish eNEWS

Dear Parishioners, Jesus' time in the wilderness can be seen as a model for how we can confront challenges and temptation in our own lives. Like Jesus, we are called to resist the lure of worldly desires and remember that true sustenance comes not from material things, but from God. Jesus' steadfastness teaches us to priorities our relationship with God and resist the urge to put Him to the test by trying and change circumstances for our benefit. As we reflect on this passage, let it inspire us to seek God's guidance in times of trial, knowing that the Spirit will lead us, just as it led Jesus. The wilderness becomes a place where, through struggle, we grow stronger in our faith and reliance on God's word. It was wonderful to have families and parishioners at our parish picnic last Sunday. We appreciate those who came and attended. Thank you to the teachers and youth group who were there to assist with cooking and games. My gratitude to Susanne Bragge and the Parish tea...

A Time of Grace and Renewal: Lenten Penance and Preparation for Easter in the Jubilee of Hope The days of Ash Wednesday and Good Friday stand as significant moments in our Lenten journey of penance. On Ash Wednesday, 5 March 2025, we begin the season with a powerful reminder of our mortality and need for repentance. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, 18 April 2025, the Church calls us to abstain from meat and to fast as acts of penance and self-denial. All those who have completed their fourteenth year of age are to abstain from meat on these days, and those between the ages of 18 and 60 are urged to fast. While these days of penance are vital, the Church also encourages us to embrace each Friday throughout the year as a special day of penance and prayer, as well as a day to accompany others, through charitable works of mercy. These practices of self-denial and charity help us to grow in holiness, especially as we follow Christ’s example of self-sacrificial love, which we commemorate mo...

This weekend we celebrate Catechist Sunday in our Parish.  I appreciate all our Catechists for their dedicated ministry. Catechist Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the role that each person plays, by virtue of Baptism, in passing on their faith and being a witness to the Gospel. Catechist Sunday is an opportunity for all to rededicate themselves to this mission as a community of faith.  Hearty congratulations to all our Catechists on this special Day.  Fr Satheesh

This weekend we celebrate the Rite of Sending as Vansy continues her faith journey and seeks the community’s ongoing prayers. This ritual symbolizes the parish supporting her desire to be one with us at the Eucharistic table. On Sunday afternoon she will participate in the Rite of Election at our cathedral where Bishop Anthony will welcome and affirm Vansy and other catechumens throughout the diocese who are also seeking grace and support as Easter draws near.

You are warmly invited to spend time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament during this Lenten season at our 12 Hours Adoration at OLGC Church on Friday, 14 March 2025. Time: Begins with Mass at 7:30 AM and concludes with Benediction at 7:20 PM, followed by the Stations of the Cross. This is a special opportunity to deepen our Lenten journey through silence, reflection, and prayer in the presence of the Lord. We encourage all parishioners to come and spend some time before the Blessed Sacrament. Let us draw closer to Christ this Lent.  All are welcome!

International Women's Day This Saturday, 8th March we honour the women of all times and all places: Women of courage. Women of hope. Women suffering.  Women mourning. Women living fully.  Women experiencing joy.  Women delighting in life.  Women knowing the interconnectedness of the human family.  Women honouring the sacredness of the relational, the affective.  Women quietly tending the garden of human flourishing. Women boldly leading the transformation of unjust global structures.  Women seeking wisdom.  Women sharing wisdom.  Women receiving love.  Women giving love.  Women: life-giving.  Women: the image of God. Loving God, we celebrate your faithfulness and love.  On this day we commit ourselves to  the promotion of the full humanity of all women everywhere. We know that whatever denies, diminishes, or distorts  the full humanity of women is not of God. Help us to be faithful to your call to love.  Ame...

It’s that time year again - 15 March at 6:30 PM at OLGC School Hall Join us for a fun-filled evening with Irish stew, BBQ, dessert, tea & coffee, plus trivia, raffles, music, and jokes! Organize your own team of up to eight or join one on the night. Tickets must be pre-purchased for catering purposes: Adults: $30 | Kids: $5 Get your tickets from the Youth Group after Mass, the Parish Office, or email youth@ffcp.org.au . All proceeds support our Parish Youth Groups.  Wear your best Irish green, BYO drinks, and enjoy a great night of fun, friendship, and prizes! Any prize donations would be greatly appreciated! Please drop off your contributions in the Prize Donation Baskets.  Thank you for supporting our Trivia Night!

Thursday March 20th, 5pm -St Anthony’s Terrey Hills. This Lent you are invited to walk and reflect on the Stations in the Forest and then share a simple rice meal. Entry by donation in support of the work of Caritas through Project Compassion. Our speaker is Alopi Latukefu Director of the Edmund Rice Centre who will share his knowledge and experience of our Pacific neighbours and the impact of climate change on these nations. RSVP Sign on sheets in each Church or text Carmel on 0412 532 657 before Monday 17th March.

This Lent, we are called to Unite Against Poverty through Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion. By taking home a Project Compassion donation box or envelope, you’ll be answering the Gospels’ call to care for our global family and walk alongside the most vulnerable. Your generous support this Lenten season will enable Caritas Australia to provide life-changing support to communities facing poverty, food insecurity, lack of education, and water shortages, while building resilience against future challenges. Together, through faith and action, we can bring compassion and opportunity to those most in need. You can support Project Compassion 2025 through the donation boxes, or by scanning the QR code above. Or online at: caritas.org.au/project-compassion Or by calling: 1800 024 413 Thank you for standing with us, as we Unite Against Poverty this Lent.

You are invited to journey with Christ this Lent by attending the Stations of the Cross, a time of prayer and reflection on His Passion and love for us. St. Anthony’s, Terrey Hills – Thursdays at 5:00 PM Our Lady of Good Counsel, Forestville – Fridays at 7:30 PM Let us walk with the Lord, drawing closer to Him through this beautiful Lenten devotion.  All are welcome!

Frenchs Forest Catholic Parish and Ku-ring-gai Chase Catholic Parish invite you on a spiritual journey of a lifetime! Pilgrimage is accompanied by Fr. Satheesh Antony OSH and Fr. Biju Jose OSH. Pilgrimage Dates: 15 September – 28 September 2025 Destinations: Rome, Assisi, Florence, Pisa, Venice, Padua, Turin, Avignon, Lourdes, and Paris Cost: Twin Sharing: AUD 8,850 (Air & Land), Single Room: AUD 1,650 extra. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Experience the sacred sites, deepen your faith, and walk in the footsteps of saints! For more details and bookings, contact the Parish Office: parishoffice@ffcp.org.au | or 02 9451 5097 Limited spots available—secure yours today!

Ghost and Elegy A Celebration of 20 Years of Wyvern Music Forestville Wyvern Music is delighted to open its 2025 season and celebrate 20 years of presenting classical music concerts in Forestville with an unforgettable afternoon of music titled Ghost and Elegy. This captivating program will feature evocative and masterful piano trios by Suk, Beethoven, and Smetana, performed by three of Sydney's most distinguished musicians: Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s Principal 2nd Violinist, Marina Marsden, SSO cellist, Timothy Nankervis, and renowned Sydney-based concert pianist, Vatche Jambazian. Josef Suk’s Elegy for Piano Trio is a reflective and deeply emotive piece that captures the beauty and melancholy of Suk's compositional style. Beethoven’s Piano Trio in D major, Op. 70 No. 1 "Ghost", known for its eerie and hauntingly beautiful second movement, is a masterpiece that showcases Beethoven's genius. Smetana’s Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 15 is an intensely passionate work ...

As we journey through Lent parishioners are warmly invited to come together on Tuesday mornings at St Martin’s. Each week will include Breaking Open the Word, questions for discussion, reflecting on some classical and modern paintings to stimulate our imaginations and see what God may be saying to each of us as we walk with Jesus on his mission leading in his last week to his death & resurrection. Each week we will be contemplating the SEVEN WORDS OF JESUS ON THE CROSS. DATES: March 4, 11, 18, 25, April 1 & 8. VENUE: St Martin’s TIME: 10am – 12.00pm.

At Frenchs Forest Catholic Parish we are keen to make sure families feel welcome and are encouraged to come along to Holy Mass each weekend. Children's liturgy of the word is one way to support this. In 2025 each Sunday at the 10:00am OLGC Mass the children will have their own liturgy of the Word. It is for children of preschool and Primary school age. They listen to, reflect on, and have activities based on Sunday readings at their level. The children re-join the congregation after the Creed. Parents are welcome to join in with their children at the children’s liturgy of the word. Parents those who wish to bring your children please come early before the Mass begins. Come along and be part of the fun. We hope to welcome you to children’s liturgy soon.

At Frenchs Forest Parish, we are committed to creating a safe and welcoming environment for all, especially children and vulnerable adults. Safeguarding is a fundamental part of our mission, ensuring that everyone who engages with our parish community feels protected and respected. If you have any concerns or need to report an issue, please contact Fr Satheesh Antony OSH – Parish Priest at 9451 5097 or frsatheesh@ffcp.org.au . Or contact the Office for Safeguarding (Chancery) on 8379 1605 or email safeguarding@bbcatholic.org.au Thank you for helping us build a safe and faith-filled community.

Set Aside some Time to Rest with God Feb 4th, March 4th, May 6th, June 3rd, July 1st, Aug 5th, Sept 2nd, Oct 7th, Nov 4th  between 10am – 12pm at St Martin’s Church. Enjoy Contemplative music, Reflections and Meditations  

During this Jubilee Year, we will recite the Jubilee prayer at all of our weekend Masses on Sundays after Communion. The prayer will be on the screen. Jubilee Prayer Father in heaven, may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity  enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of  your Kingdom. May your grace transform us  into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally. May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen Within Broken Bay, we are called to celebrate this...

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 which is the “SCAN ME” symbol in our parish bulletin . 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 joi...