French's Forest Catholic Parish eNews

Dear Parishioners, This Sunday’s readings bring the usual warnings about preparation for the end of our own world, the end of our own time, and our passage to another world. They tell us that a searching, watching, and growing heart is essential for a lively, dynamic Faith in God. In this week’s Gospel, Jesus tells us the parable of the ten bridesmaids waiting for the bridegroom. Five are prepared and bring extra oil for their lamps, while the other five are unprepared. When the bridegroom finally arrives, it is too late for those who have not prepared. The message of this Gospel is simple: be ready and stay awake. Jesus invites us to live each day with open hearts, growing in our faith and recognising His presence in our lives. We may not know what each day will bring, but we can choose to be prepared by placing our trust in God and allowing His love to guide the way we live, love and care for others. The oil in the lamps can remind us of the ways we nurture our relationship with ...

Today we celebrate the Feast of St Martin de Porres, whose feast day was on 3 November, in our parish. At St Martin’s Church, Davidson, the 8:30am mass will be followed by morning tea for everyone. The school will kindly host the 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!

    At Frenchs Forest Parish, everyone is welcome! We love seeing families and children joining us for Mass each week. We understand that bringing young children to Mass can sometimes be challenging, but please know that your family's presence is always a gift, never a burden. Whether little ones are happy, restless or noisy, you belong here! We want our parish to be a welcoming and joyful place where children feel valued and families feel at home. Children's Liturgy of the Word Children aged preschool to 12 years are invited to join our Children's Liturgy of the Word at the 10.00am Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Good Counsel, Forestville & Little church at St Anthony’s Terrey Hills 9am mass. Through Scripture stories, discussion, prayer and activities, children explore the Sunday readings in an age-appropriate way. They rejoin the congregation after the Creed. We warmly invite parents to send their children to children’s liturgy & to come along  We have also started ...

Thank you for your generous support of Pastoral Works Broken Bay (PWBB). Through your prayers and giving, PWBB continues to support vital ministries that bring care, hope and practical assistance to people across our Diocese. Your past support has helped make a real difference in our communities — supporting pastoral care, outreach, chaplaincy, faith formation and assistance for those most in need. As we begin the PWBB 2026/27 Appeal, we invite parishioners to continue supporting this important mission.  Our parish target for this appeal is:$19 000 Every gift, large or small, helps continue the good works made possible through PWBB. Please give generously using the parish donation QR code on the parish Bulletin or via  donation link . Together, we can continue bringing care, hope and dignity to those who need it most.

Have you ever felt God calling you to make a difference in a young person’s life? As a catechist, you will not only help children discover God's love, you will also deepen your own faith, build lasting friendships, and experience the joy of seeing faith come alive in the hearts of our young people. You do not need to be an expert or have all the answers. Our parish is simply looking for people with a willing heart who are prepared to walk alongside the next generation. Why not take the first step today? Your time, faith, and witness could have a lifelong impact on a child and bring great blessings to your own life as well. If you have ever thought about becoming a catechist, now is the time to act. We would love to hear from you. For enquiries, please leave your contact details with the Parish Office on 9451 5097 or email catechists@ffcp.org.au . We would be delighted to welcome you to this rewarding ministry.  

Our next gathering will take place this Sunday 8 November as we continue to come together to discuss the Catholic Faith. Please keep the candidates in your prayers as their journey in faith is nurtured and strengthened as they journey towards being received into full communion next Easter.  

Thank you to those who were able to join us for the seniors session this week. It was wonderful to have over 30 people join together for food, friendships and learning about diabetes and living a healthy life.

We warmly invite all our wonderful parish volunteers to join us for a special Volunteers’ Appreciation Dinner on Friday, 20 November 2026, at 6:30pm in the OLGC School Hall, Forestville. This is our opportunity to say a heartfelt THANK YOU for your generosity, dedication and all that you do for our parish community. Please don't forget to RSVP by calling or emailing the Parish Office , and let us know of any dietary requirements.

Celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe with Catholics from across Greater Sydney! We will gather on Sunday 22nd November for the Walk with Christ Eucharistic procession, annually hosted by the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney. Date: Sunday 22nd November 2026 Time and location: 1 pm Festival at Martin Place, Procession at 2:30pm from the corner of Martin Place and Pitt Street Website: https://www.sydneycatholic.org/about-us/archdiocesan-events/walk-with-christ/ To help gauge who may be attending from our parish could you please let Susanne Bragge know via email to sacraments@ffcp.org.au by 18th November

Safeguarding Creation is integral to Christian Life A digital Atlas of actions to Care for creation in the global Church was launched this week from the Vatican. It refers to the biblical call to cultivate and protect the natural world and says that safeguarding creation is not an optional extra, but an integral part of the Christian vocation. See  https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2026-11/laudato-si-platform-5-year-report-digital-atlas-press-conference.html How are we going with implementing a parish Laudato Si' action plan? How have the Laudato Si' Newsletters assisted you this year? Please let us know. Via Parish Office Volunteers Appreciated Students from  Mater Maria College, Warriewood and St Pius X College, Chatswood are doing Faith in Action Days at St Anthony in the Fields Terrey Hills on Fri 20th, Tues 24th and Thur 26th November. If you can help with catering or assisting with setting up, cleaning up, or the small groups, please c...

Please join us for Taize ‘ Prayer Around the Cross ’ next Friday, 7.00pm at St Martin’s Church.   All are welcome.   

The Cathedral Precinct Charity Golf Classic, was postponed due to rain and is now schedules for Friday 2oth November.  Places are still available.  Only $130, which includes the game of golf, a lovely lunch with drinks and loads of prizes to take home. It will be a great day – at the new golf course in Chatswood. for more information see poster included in this message.  

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.

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 ...