From Fr Greg's Desk: Sunday 10th March 2024

Hi everyone!
Easter and Holy Week are fast approaching. Thank you to all those who have already taken on a volunteer role for the many Masses and liturgies we have on at that time. There are still vacancies, though, particularly with parking wardens at the big events, so if you could give us a hand, please sign up using the following link https://forms.gle/iDpp8ME49zxMMT91A or get in touch with the Parish Office.

We also need more musicians and singers to help out with the weekend Masses. Having six Masses every weekend between SCB and OLQP, it is an ongoing challenge to offer 'live music' at every Mass (recorded music is always an option). We particularly need people for 'keyboard ministries' so if you have skills in this area, please let us know.

Fantastic Opening Mass for OLQP 'Centenary Year'
Last Sunday we had a very fitting opening celebration to our Centenary Year at OLQP Church. A huge ‘thank you’ to those of you who put so much effort into the preparations beforehand, as well as to all of you who 'showed up' on the day and then staying to gather and talk with Bishop Danny in the schoolyard of OLQP.

The Bishop was immensely pleased with both the Mass and Morning tea, with an almost full Church and a very friendly gathering afterwards. I have printed a letter from Br. Nicholas Harsas fsp in the Bulletin, as I think it sums the day up nicely. More about upcoming 'centenary events' in future bulletins.

'Green Fingers Working Bees’
Over the next few months will be getting stuck into the gardens and lawns at SCB to upgrade some and keep the others in 'tip-top' condition.

Our next big effort will be on the Saturday 23rd March, to get the gardens looking good in time for Holy Week and then the first Saturday of every month from May onwards. If that day doesn't suit, there are always opportunities in between to harness your gardening skills. Let me know if you can help out.

Noah’s Ark Cafe will soon be ‘closing its doors' at SCB
Noah's Ark Cafe will be leaving us soon. We have been blessed to have Dom and Jessica and their extended family with us over the last two years, as they cheerfully served up coffees and food from their van at SCB. Their 'last supper' will be on Easter Saturday evening with their Easter Saturday BBQ after the Vigil Service and the doors will officially close on the last day of the school term.

They have basically run the van as volunteers for the last two years, as they wanted to ‘give back’ to the Parish community in gratitude for all the love and support they received over the time of little Noah’s illness.

We have been greatly blessed to have them all this time, and will be sad to see them go. We wish them all the best in their future endeavours with their coffee food service.

Repositioning of the Organ and AV at OLQP.
In the next month or so, we will be repositioning the organ and AV desk at OLQP Church from off the altar area. The idea is to place the AV and sound system inside the adjacent 'priests' vesting room', and save space in the body of the Church. After much deliberation, I think the best option is to place the Organ down towards the Confessional room, leaving a few pews behind for the sake of choirs and people waiting to enter the confessional.

We can also offer to run the cables and connections up into the choir loft, and install a second keyboard there, should that be a desired option for them. Happy to discuss this with anyone having other ideas but for now that seems to me the best option.

And that’s about it for now.

Fr. Greg