French's Forest Catholic Parish Notices and News

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I pray this letter finds you in good health and peace. As members of the Parish of Frenchs Forest, we are blessed to come together in faith to experience God’s love through the Mass and through one another as a community of faith. I am continually encouraged by your meaningful participation and engagement in the life of our parish. As we continue to journey together as the People of God, I invite you to deepen this engagement, through prayerful consideration of becoming a Planned Giver. Planned Giving is a prayerful commitment to dedicate a portion of your financial income to God and His Church in gratitude for His many blessings. It helps ensure the mission and ministries of our parish continue to thrive for our present community and future generations. Your contributions remain within our local parish and support: Evangelisation and mission outreach Liturgical expenses (vestments, bread, wine) Ongoing ministries (youth, senior, RCIA) Special mi...

The Sunday before Ash Wednesday is traditionally celebrated as Catechist Sunday and this year will be held on Sunday 15 February 2026. Catechist Sunday originated in 1935 when the Vatican published a document ‘On the Better Care and Promotion of Catechetical Education’, which acknowledged the importance of the Church’s teaching ministry. As catechists begin another year of ministry, let us remember the dedicated work of these volunteers. Catechist Sunday acknowledges the importance of the Church’s teaching ministry. Congratulations to all our wonderful Catechists. Catechists Service Awards will be given at the OLGC morning Mass on that day.

National Marriage Week February 7th -14th During National Marriage week we are encouraged to support and celebrate the Vocation of Marriage. At Masses this weekend, our Parish will celebrate the love shared by couples and the love of Jesus reflected in their love. Couples will receive a Blessing as we pray for all who have ever received the Sacrament of Marriage. All couples will be encouraged to take a Prayer bookmark. Couples celebrating a significant Anniversary this year are invited to contact the Parish Office so their special anniversary can be acknowledged.

Frenchs Forest Reconciliation Preparation Classes 2026 Family Based Sacramental Program 2025/2026 We warmly welcome eligible families back to the program for 2026. To be eligible for enrolment in this program your child must be baptised and had their Confirmation. The Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Eucharist follow after the Sacrament of Confirmation. The 2026 Family Based Sacramental Program is due to commence with the sacrament of Reconciliation. It is important that Reconciliation is completed before the Sacrament of First Eucharist (First Communion). If you are considering enrolling your child, it is essential to enroll by using the trybooking link found on the Parish website and complete the form. The link will be live from 7PM Monday Feb 16 until 7PM Monday 2nd March.

Support for the Fire Affected Community of Harcourt There will be a card at each of the 3 parish churches over the next 2 weekends for people who wish to express prayer and emotional support for the healing for the people and the land of the Harcourt community after the disastrous fires which destroyed their town. They will be collated into one card which will be sent to the President of Vinnies in nearby Castlemaine who are the ones who know best which people are most in need of other support as they are locals on the ground. For more information about ways of helping, please contact please contact Anne Lanyon (St Anthonys) or John Heike (OLGC) Kierans Creek Youth Landcare begins this Sunday 8th Feb.    

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a sacred time of repentance, reflection, and renewal. We invite you to join us for Mass and the distribution of ashes as we open our hearts to God’s mercy. Ash Wednesday Masses:  Wednesday 18 February 2026 OLGC Forestville-9.15am and 7pm St. Martin's- Davidson-9.15am St. Anthony's Terrey Hills-10.15am The Church encourages us to observe Fasting and Abstinence on this day as a sign of our commitment to spiritual renewal. Let us begin this Lenten season with prayerful hearts , seeking God’s grace and strength. All are welcome.

All Parish Men Welcome! We invite all the FFCP men to join us for an uplifting evening of faith, friendship and fellowship at the Frenchs Forest Parish Men’s Group. Friday 13 February 6:30pm Parish Centre, Forestville. A relaxed and supportive gathering with prayer, meaningful conversation and faith sharing. Come connect, grow, and journey together as brothers in Christ. Enquiries: Please contact Fr. Boby – frboby@ffcp.org.au

All are welcome to join us as we journey with Jesus towards the Cross. Our guide will be the booklet Compassio (to suffer with) offering us the invitation to stand with Christ and with one another. Through daily reflections, Sunday gospel readings, art reflections and prayer we will be invited to listen, contemplate and share our faith with one another. Our gatherings will be on Tuesdays, 10am -12pm at St Martin’s  on February 17 & 24, March 3, 10, 17 & 24. Booklets will be available at our first gathering @$5 each. Booklets are also available at back of churches. Please place money in boxes provided.

Everyone is warmly invited to join our Cuppa & Chat gatherings: OLGC – Last wednesdays of month (25 February at 12:00 noon) SMDP – Last Fridays of month (27 February at 12:30 pm) All are welcome. Please bring a sandwich to share, and enjoy a cup of tea, coffee, and friendly conversation. We look forward to seeing you there!

OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL, FORESTVILLE

Come and discover the richness of God’s Word as we journey together through the Book of Beginnings. Whether you are new to the Bible or wishing to deepen your faith, you are most welcome. Join us for this 15-session Scripture journey , led by Rev Dr Biju Jose OSH, Parish Priest of Ku-ring-gai Chase Catholic Parish. Venue: OLGC Forestville Church Time: 4.30pm – 6.00pm First five sessions: · February 12 & 19 · March 5, 12 & 19 Beginning with the Book of Genesis, these sessions offer a welcoming space to listen, reflect, and grow in faith together. All are welcome — come and be part of this shared journey. If you are interested to join could you please inform the Parish office on parishoffice@ffcp.org.au or call 02 94515097.

As we enter the new year, let us prayerfully consider God’s blessings in our lives, and how He may be calling us to respond with thanksgiving and discipleship, through our financial offerings.  The First Fruits initiative is an invitation to enter more deeply into the life of your parish through regular, meaningful contributions to the First and Second Collections.  During the first three weeks of February, you will find special materials available throughout the parish, as your priests guide you to prayerfully reflect on your offering.  

From Tuesday 6 January until the end of February 2026, the Parish Office will be open on Tuesdays to Fridays only. We thank you for your understanding .

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 ...