French's Forest Catholic Parish Notices and News

Dear Parishioners, This week’s Gospel, Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple is a powerful reminder that true worship begins in the heart. The Temple was meant to be a place of prayer and reverence, but it had become filled with noise, greed, and distraction. Jesus’ actions show us his deep passion for what is sacred and his desire to restore right relationship between God and his people. When Jesus speaks of “the temple of his body,” he points us to a deeper truth, that God’s presence is no longer confined to a building, but fully revealed in him. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus becomes the new and living Temple where heaven and earth meet. This reading invites us to ask: what “markets” have crept into the temple of our own hearts? What needs to be cleared away so that God can truly dwell within us? May we allow Jesus to purify our hearts, so that our lives become places of prayer, truth, and love, temples worthy of his presence. We congratulate the children who were Confirmed this...

With heartfelt gratitude for all that you do, we warmly invite all our parish volunteers to our V olunteers Appreciation Dinner — an evening to celebrate you and your wonderful service to our parish community. Date: Friday, 21 November 2025 Time: 6:30 PM Venue: OLGC School Hall Join us for a relaxed evening of good food, laughter, and appreciation as we give thanks for the many ways you share your time, gifts, and hearts with our parish. Please RSVP by 14 November to the Parish . Call 9451 5097 or email parishoffice@ffcp.org.au (Kindly advise of any food allergies.) We look forward to celebrating with you!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended our Parish Retreat. Your presence, prayers, and participation made these days of reflection truly special. Our sincere gratitude to Fr. Sam VC and Fr. Juby VC for leading us with such inspiring and spirit-filled preaching. Special thanks to the musicians for lifting our hearts through beautiful music, and to the Davidson Vinnies members for kindly organising the light supper each evening after the service. May the graces we received during the retreat continue to strengthen our faith and renew our commitment to live as disciples of Christ in our daily lives.

Caritas Australia is calling for us to stand in solidarity with the people of Sudan, as escalating violence across the country pushes millions further into crisis. “This is a moment for compassion and action,” Sally Thomas, humanitarian manager at Caritas Australia, said. “The suffering in Sudan is immense, and yet it is barely visible in global headlines. Our partners are doing everything they can, but the needs are overwhelming, and the response is critically underfunded.” Caritas Australia is urging the Australian Government to increase humanitarian funding, support protection services for women and children, and ensure safe access for aid workers. Our parish can support with a letter to our local federal member and/or donations. https://cathnews.com/2025/11/05/suffering-is-immense-caritas-appeals-for-more-aid-to-sudan/

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.

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

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

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 ...