French's Forest Catholic Parish eNews

Dear Parishioners, In this week’s Gospel Jesus reminds us of what lies at the very heart of our Christian faith: love. When asked which commandment is the greatest, Jesus does not hesitate. We are called to love God with all our heart, soul and mind, and to love our neighbour as ourselves. These two commandments are closely connected. Our love for God cannot be separated from the way we treat the people around us. We show our love for God through kindness, compassion, forgiveness, patience and generosity towards others. It is easy to say that we love God, but Jesus challenges us to put that love into action in the way we live each day. Loving our neighbour is not always easy. There will be times when we disagree with others, when we are hurt, disappointed or challenged. Yet Jesus calls us to look beyond our differences and recognise the dignity and goodness in every person. Sometimes loving our neighbour means offering forgiveness; at other times it may mean simply being present for so...

All parishioners are warmly invited to join us as we celebrate the Feast of St Martin de Porres, whose feast day is 3 November. When: Sunday 8 November Where: St Martin’s Church, Davidson Mass and Morning Tea: 8:30am Mass & then Morning Tea for everyone Following Mass, the school will kindly host a morning tea for all families and parishioners. Come along and celebrate this special occasion with our parish and school communities as we honour St Martin de Porres and enjoy celebrating together. Everyone is welcome!

On behalf of the Oblates of the Sacred Heart (OSH), I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the wonderful parishioners of Frenchs Forest for your generous support of our OSH Appeal. We are sincerely grateful to each and every one of you who contributed so generously. Your kindness and generosity will help support the many important ministries and charitable works carried out by the OSH community. Thanks to your generosity, we raised an incredible $10,561. This is a wonderful testament to the caring and giving spirit of our parish community. Thank you for your continued support and for helping the Oblates of the Sacred Heart in their mission of service to others. Your generosity is truly appreciated. Fr Satheesh, OSH, PP

Remembering and Praying for Our Loved Ones November is a special time in the Church when we remember and pray for our loved ones who have passed away. We warmly invite all parishioners, families and friends to join us for our All Souls Day services and Remembrance Mass. Sunday 1st November – Blessing of the Graves ·   2:00 pm – St Martin’s Church, Davidson We will gather at St Martin’s Church before proceeding to Frenchs Forest Cemetery for our annual Blessing of the Graves. This is a special opportunity to come together in prayer and lovingly remember those who have gone before us. Monday 2nd November – All Souls Day Masses Masses will be celebrated at the following churches: ·   9:15 am – Our Lady of Good Counsel, Forestville ·   9:15 am – St Martin’s, Davidson ·   10:00 am – St Anthony’s in the Fields, Terrey Hills Remembrance Mass – Monday 2nd November ·   7:00 pm – Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, Forestville All are warmly invited t...

Thank you for your generous support of the Church in Malawi and the communities it serves. Because of your kindness, children like Yamikani* will have greater access to education, nourishment, and the opportunity to build a hopeful future. And if you chose to become a Mission Partner with a monthly gift - thank you so much for your ongoing commitment. To learn more about the work of Catholic Mission in Malawi and around the world, please visit catholicmission.org.au/our-work .

to our wonderful volunteers who take Communion to those in our Nursing Homes and homes who can no longer attend Mass. We celebrated a beautiful Mass of Thanksgiving last Saturday followed by a lovely morning tea. Special thanks to Angela, Gina, Christiane, and Marcia. Our sincere appreciation to all our Communion to the Sick volunteers for their generosity of spirit and their commitment to this ministry.

A Reminder that our next date is WEDNESDAY 28TH OCTOBER.  We are not able to use the Parish Centre at present so we will chat outside the entrance to the Church (if raining will sit at the back of the church )and be able to use the electric jug for our Cuppa.   Please come along with sandwich as this may be our last for this year.  

Youth Landcare Afternoon is coming up this Sunday, 25 October, from 3pm – 5pm at St Anthony’s in the Fields Church, 46 Myoora Road, Terrey Hills. Come along and help restore an endangered ecological community by weeding invasive species and caring for plants along Kierans Creek. The afternoon will conclude with snacks. Families welcome What to wear: Sturdy boots— Hat—Long-sleeved shirt- Long pants If the weather is uncertain, a confirmation message will be posted on the Facebook page at 12pm on Sunday.  

As this year is devoted to the 800th anniversary of St Francis of Assisi, 40 of our parishioners went on a little pilgrimage to the Franciscan Shrine of the Holy Innocents in Kellyville during the week. The weather was perfect and the surroundings were beautiful and peaceful. The Stations of the Cross were quite imposing making one feel they were really in the presence of Jesus. It was a wonderful day, filled with strong devotion, love and great friendship.

Our next seniors’ event will be held on Wednesday Nov 4th November at St Martin’s church foyer at Davidson at Time 11am-1pm Come along for morning tea, fun & friendship. There will be a discussion, question and answer session with Genevieve Biviano. Genevieve is a Credentialled Diabetes Educator (CDE) and other qualifications include Life and Health Coaching, and a degree in BioMedical Science. Come along with your questions about diabetes and healthy living for Genevieve. RSVP by emailing sacraments@ffcp.org.au , calling the parish office or scanning the QR code.

David’s Place Community Visit 2026  David’s place is an inner city space where Sydney's homeless and MARGINALISED can come to find friendship, peace, spiritual NOURISHMENT and connect with the wider community. www.davidsplace.com.au/ It was created to be a place where Jesus would have liked to hang out, where it doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, or where life has led you. The David’s Place Community are coming for their regular visit to the parish. Please come and welcome them with open hearts and a listening ear. St Anthony in the Fields Saturday 24th October 1.30pm: Bus Arrives Snack lunch and Socialising, Dadirri Reflection outside (seated) Stations of the Cross outside (chairs at strategic places) Cuppa 4.30pm: Mass celebrated by Fr Satheesh Light Supper. Bus leaves.  Donations toward bus hire offered.

What a year it’s been! We have had some wonderful new catechists join our ministry (there will be more about them in upcoming bulletins), and we said farewell to two of our valued stalwarts, both of whom completed 25 years as catechists- Pauline Van den Berg and Aileen Boyle. When asked to reflect on their experiences, Aileen shared, “My most touching experience was a reminder of how the families have changed. While giving out a Christmas religious tree decoration and message, a dear little girl came and asked for 2, as she has trees at mummy’s house as well as Daddy’s. I have gone from blackboards and chalk to whiteboards and USBs.” A true reflection of an ever-changing tapestry in the lives of the children and families we serve!

Connect. Be inspired. Help shape the future. You’re invited to the inaugural Women of Broken Bay Lunch. A special afternoon bringing women from across the Diocese together for connection, conversation and inspiration. Join us for a delicious two-course lunch, wonderful company and an inspiring keynote address from Mrs Kelly Paget, as we explore the theme “Called to Lead: A Journey of Faith, Family and Community.” Come along with friends, colleagues or fellow parishioners and enjoy an opportunity to meet other women from across Broken Bay Diocese and beyond, share stories and build new connections. Invite the women in your parish, workplace, family and friendship circles to join you. Date: Wednesday 28 October 2026 Time: 11:30am arrival, 12:00pm start – 2:00pm Seats are limited – book today: https://www.trybooking.com/au/event/women-of-broken-bay-lunch2026-1630835

Dear Parishioners, Please be aware of a scam currently targeting parishes. Scammers are creating fake Gmail and other free email accounts using the names of our Parish Priest and parish staff. They use these accounts to send messages asking people to make urgent payments or buy gift cards on their behalf, often giving a plausible reason for the request. Because the display name shows a familiar name, it can look genuine at first glance. However, if you examine the actual email address, you will find that it does not come from our official parish domain: ffcp.org.au . Please Keep This in Mind: ·          Verify Before You Act: If you receive an email, text, or message of any form asking for money, gift cards, or financial details, do not respond or make any payments . ·          Double-Check: Always contact the parish office directly, or speak to the person you think it is from via a known, trus...

Parish Office will be open on Tuesdays to Fridays 8:30am to 2:30pm

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 ...