French's Forest Catholic Parish eNews

My Dear Parishioners, The readings for the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time challenge us to choose freely and wisely to observe the laws given by a loving and caring God. He revealed His laws to His Chosen People through Moses and the prophets in the Old Testament, and through His own Son, Jesus, in the New Testament. For the Israelites, This week the Gospel is an invitation to grow in love, sincerity, and inner freedom. Jesus gently leads us beyond simply following rules and encourages us to live with hearts that are honest, peaceful, and compassionate. He reminds us that true goodness begins within us — in our thoughts, intentions, and choices, where God quietly works to shape us into better people. Rather than being a burden, these teachings are hopeful. They show that holiness is not about perfection, but about striving each day to be more loving, truthful, and kind. When our words are simple and sincere, when we choose forgiveness over anger, and when we act with purity of heart, we re...

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.

Begin Your Lenten Journey 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.

at OLGC Church Friday, 20 February 2026 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, 20 February 2026. Adoration 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!

This Lent, take time to reflect on Christ’s journey to Calvary and deepen your faith through the Stations of the Cross. Join us as we walk with the Lord in prayer and contemplation: Anthony’s, Terrey Hills Outdoor Stations (inside if wet) – Thursdays at 5:00 PM Our Lady of Good Counsel, Forestville – Fridays at 7:30 PM Come, pause from the busyness of life, and enter into the mystery of Christ’s love and sacrifice.  All are welcome!

This is the final week of our First Fruits focus period, but it is not the end of the initiative. First Fruits continues as an ongoing invitation to deepen our commitment to the mission of our parish through intentional Planned Giving. Together, we continue to grow as a community rooted in gratitude. Thank you to all who have responded with prayer and generosity. If you haven’t yet had the chance, we invite you to consider your First Fruits commitment for the year ahead. Your offerings enable our parish to thrive and continue proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Walking in the Wilderness is a  Lenten resource prepared by the Diocese of Broken Bay is available at the foyer of the church for you to take home. This resource booklet invites to journey on a Lenten Pilgrimage towards Easter and for us to enter more deeply into the sacred mystery of our faith and to renew our encounter with Jesus Christ.  

Thursday 5 March at 5 pm at St Anthony's This Lent you are invited to walk and reflect on the Stations in the Forest and then share a rice meal to support the work of Caritas through Project Compassion. Entry is free and for the privilege of a bowl of rice and a glass of water you are invited to give a donation to Project Compassion. Please sign up on the clipboards at each Church before Monday 2nd March for catering purposes. Organized by the Parish Social Justice group and Davidson St Vincent de Paul Conference.  

Social Justice News 1. Support for the Fire Affected Community of Harcourt The card continues to be at the 3 parish churches over this weekend 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 Anne Lanyon.  2.   Opportunity to participate in a fantastic faith formation program: Thresholds of Transformation for Seekers & Searchers (TTSS) A new spiritually rich group resource from Monica Brown at Emmaus Productions, grounded in Laudato Si’, is launching its first official Australian group on 24 February 2026. TTSS offers a personal and relatio...

 OLGC Forestville Lenten Reflections

 OLGC Forestville Playgroup

Mater Maria College Open Day Tuesday 3 March

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.

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.

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 ...