From Fr Greg's Desk: Sunday 12th November, 2023

Hi everyone!
Rain Couldn't Dampen our SCB Feast Day Celebrations
What a great day we had together last Sunday! Our RGCP Feast Day celebrations got off to a rather wet start, with buckets of rain all Sunday morning. We quickly discovered that the large tarp over the basketball court leaks heaps of water. Nevertheless, we decided to go ahead anyway, even if we had to adapt quite a bit - but what a good decision that was! We had close to 500 people all told ... which, considering the rain, was a nice turnout.

Our kids from St. Charles and Our Lady Queen of Peace provided their own version of 'Young Talent Time" with singing and dancing, and rock bands and the like. The food was great - we thought for sure we would have so much left over, but in the end most of it was eaten. And even if not, everyone got the food of their choice, there was still plenty to go around and a marvellous day was had by all.
Huge thank you to all our cooks, helpers, people who set up the chairs after the 8am Mass, and then helped get everything back in order at about 2.30 pm. Particularly to our 'choir and band master' Vince Feria and Peter Watkins who was on hand all day long. There are so many to thank that I will just keep it general. But certainly, it was a lot of fun - even if the Kiddies Castle had to be cancelled and the games and things with our Youth leaders were canned (the grass was soggy, and then cement would have caused more than a few gravel rashes).

Our next big event like this will be early next March with the beginning of the '100th Year of OLQP Church" (foundation stone laid on 1st March, 1925) which should be a lot of fun, even if a little different to what we have at SCB. I would love to get some ideas from you as to how we might make this 100th year a major event down at OLQP.

Fr. Ismael Goes Back to Rome on Sunday
We farewell Fr. Ismael this Sunday, (Superior General of us Verbum Dei Missionaries) as he will be taking the evening flight back to Rome that day. We thank him for all the insights he gave us over his three week visit and wish him all the best in this last year of his tenure as our 'Big Boss'. Bon voyage, Fr. Ismael! You can catch him at the 10 am Mass this Sunday if you wish to say goodbye to him.

Don't Forget Our Annual Remembrance Mass next Tuesday 14th November SCB 7.30pm
We have quite a few families already registered for their Remembrance Mass and Candle (courtesy of our friends at Candle Supply). This has always been a fitting and meaningful way to remember our recently deceased loved ones (with all the rest having been remembered at Field of Mars Cemetery last Sat 28th Oct). I look forward to seeing you there, and to celebrating their lives and praying for our deceased 'loved ones'.

And that's all I have to report on this week.

God Bless!!

Fr. Greg