From Fr Greg's Desk: Sunday 25th May, 2025

Hi everyone!
Well, in case you might have been wondering, “Where’s Fr. Greg?” last weekend, the short answer is that I simply had a ‘weekend off' before the next round of fairly intense activities, and I thank my brother priests at the Parish for having covered for me in my absence. The next 'Big Thing' happening here is our "Survey Sunday"...

Our “Survey Sunday” is Next Sunday
Over the last months or so, we have been advising you via ‘word of mouth’ at Masses as well as the Bulletin about a survey we will be conducting to listen to you, our Parishioners, about your experience of 'Church' at our Parish and to better understand what you feel would improve that experience into the future.

We have once again engaged the National Church Life Survey model, which was also used at St. Charles Borromeo Ryde back in 2011, as a way of 'feeling the pulse' of the Parish over a range of areas and help us prepare for the 'Parish Forums' being planned for the near future.

I thank our presenters from the Parish Forum Planning Committee for their help in having presented the Survey to you at all the weekend Masses two weeks ago.

Please be aware that the ‘main’ survey will be available to all parishioners aged 15 years and over (with another ‘age-specific’ survey available for our 8 – 14year olds), and these will be available both in paper and an online format. Rest assured that the responses will be treated confidentially and given in a “non-identifiable’ format.

Again, I heartily encourage each and every one of you to participate in this survey, as your responses will help shape our pastoral vision and outreach over the next five years of our Parish's life.

Our desire is to listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying, through you and with you, and continue to build and sustain - with your invaluable assistance - a vibrant, welcoming and faith-filled community at RGCP.

'Confirmation Weekend' is also coming up on the 14 - 15 June 2025
Our annual "Confirmation Season" is also almost upon us, as Confirmation Masses will be held over the weekend of the 14th-15th June (at 12 and 3 pm each day). This year we will be blessed to have Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett, the 'emeritus' Bishop of Lismore, to confer Confirmation on all our candidates. He is also looking to pop in at the Confirmation preparatory retreat day on Friday 13th. Please make Bishop Geoffrey very welcome if you happen to bump into him on his visit.

And that's about it for this week

God bless you all; hopefully some nice sunny days are up ahead.

Fr. Greg