From Fr Greg's Pew: 20th December

Hi everyone!

Well, the final countdown to Christmas has begun! And we have a lot to get ready for this year, with five outdoor services due to COVID-19 Restrictions, and two extra Mass times to cater for your needs.

We still need a LOT MORE VOLUNTEERS!! So, if you wanted to know, the best Christmas present of all would be to help us 'shoulder the load' of this year's Masses, and help make this COVID Christmas an unforgettable experience of Jesus' loving service. Service provided by your good selves! 

Here are the volunteer work slots and areas which still need to be filled (as of time of printing, Friday 18th at 1 pm):


4:30pm - SCB School grounds

• 4 x parking wardens
• 5 x set-up volunteers 

6pm - HCC grounds

• 2 x first aid officers
• 1 x altar server 
• 2 x readers (youth) 
• 3 x parking wardens 
• 3 x set up volunteers 
• 5 x pack up volunteers 

7pm - SCB Church

• 1 x communion minister
• 3 x wardens 
• 4 x parking wardens 

8pm - OLQP Church

• 1 x reader
• 1 x communion minister 
• 1 x first aid officer 
• 1 x warden 
• 2 x altar servers 

9pm - SCB School grounds

• 2 x altar servers
• 1 x warden 
• 2 x parking warden (?) 

12am - SCB Church

• 2 x communion ministers
• 2 x altar servers 
• 1 x camera operator 
• 1 x first aid officer 
• 3 x parking wardens 4 x wardens 

8am - SCB school grounds 

• 2 x communion ministers
• 2 x altar servers 

9am - OLQP Church

• 2 x communion ministers
• 1 x first aid officer 

10am - SCB school grounds

• 2 x parking wardens
• 1 x reader 
• 2 x communion minister 
• 2 x wardens/ushers 
• 10 x pack up volunteers 
• 2 x altar servers 

Please contact our friendly Office Staff on 9807 2966 or office@rgcp.org.au to fill in a spot. All volunteers will need to complete their Parish Compliance in order to volunteer, so let us help you get that sorted!

Apart from that, the good news is many of you are already booked in to help reduce the line-ups at our Christmas Masses. Remember, there will be an "Express Lane" set up at all venues for those who have already booked in for Mass.

Please do all you can to book in early. Please also remember that we cannot hold seats for parishioners after the Mass has begun, so ensure you are seated well before the start times.

We will have carols, however, before every Mass to help enter into the festive spirit.



Collections at all Christmas Masses

Please be advised that we will have wardens walking around at the time of the Offertory to receive your donations in cash. Electronic donation point devices will be available at all our Christmas Masses near where the COVID wardens are registering attendees.

Thanks to all those who are already a part of our Planned Giving this year. Details are in this bulletin and on our website to help you make our mission possible.


Letterbox Drops this week

Over the next few days volunteers from our Parish will be undertaking our regular Christmas Letterbox Drop with postcard sized cards. We thank you for your help in getting this important "Community Service Announcement" out to our people.

In the last census, we learned that around 10% of our local Catholics have recently moved into our Parish. It is important that recent arrivals be informed as to what local Mass services are available to them. We thank you for your help in getting this into their letterboxes in time.

Some have asked if we should be dropping Christmas postcards into letterboxes which state things like "No Junk mail" or "Addressed Mail Only". To clarify this, here are the current Australia Post stipulations:

Unaddressed mail: Place a 'No Junk Mail' or 'Addressed Mail Only' sign or sticker on your letterbox if you don't wish to receive catalogues and other unaddressed mail items. Our postal delivery officers are instructed not to deliver unaddressed mail to letterboxes with this signage. Please note, however: Material deemed to be political, educational, religious and charitable is exempt from "No Junk Mail" signed letterboxes according to standards developed by the Australian Catalogue Association.


So we are permitted to put Parish's Christmas Mass Times card in letterboxes in the district, as a service to our neighbourhood. If someone specifically asks us to not deliver it to them, we will do our best to avoid this happening. We apologise in advance for any unintended omissions or doubling up of deliveries.



And that's all for this week!

God bless!

Fr. Greg