From Fr Greg's Desk: Sunday 3rd March, 2024

Hi everyone!
Opening Mass for OLQP '99th Year' Anniversary this Sunday 9 am
Just a reminder that we will be 'kicking off' the Centenary celebrations for OLQP Church this Sunday with an Opening Mass at 9 am, followed by morning tea in OLQP Primary School grounds. The Centenary Celebration is set down for the 9th March 2025, with his Grace Archbishop Anthony Fisher presiding, God willing.

Bishop Danny Meagher, Auxiliary Bishop for Sydney Archdiocese, and our local Bishop for the area, is very excited about coming back to his 'old haunt' to be with us this Sunday for the opening of our Jubilee Year at OLQP Gladesville. I saw him on Wednesday evening at a meeting in the City and he told me he was looking forward to the event. He spent several years at Gladesville while Fr. Byron was still Parish Priest, and has fond memories of the place.

Please be aware that parking on our grounds will be very limited, so if you could please park elsewhere and walk up to OLQP Church on Sunday morning, that would be appreciated. I apologise in advance to those who may not get 'their' parking spot or pew!!

Open Day at Holy Cross College this Sunday 3 March 10 am - 1 pm
Just across the road from us we have an excellent 'all boys' College and they are having their 'Open Day' this Sunday from 10.30 am to 1 pm. If you are considering a College for your sons, this is an excellent educational institution with 133 years of history and a fine future ahead of it. We Verbum Dei Missionaries are the official Chaplains to the College, and I am an Officer of Cadets for their burgeoning Cadet Unit at the College.

I hope to see you there after the 'Centenary celebrations' wind up at OLQP on Sunday. A big thank you to Mr. Phil Stewart, the Principal of the College, for all his support at our Parish over the entire time of his tenure as Principal of HCC. For more info visit their website: https://hccryde.syd.catholic.edu.au/.

‘Campus Experience Evening’ Marists Sisters College Woolwich Tuesday 5 March 4 - 7 pm
Our feeder all-girls' College, Marists Sisters College Woolwich, will be having their own 'Open Day' on Tuesday 5th March, from 4 - 7 pm. MSCW is also an excellent educational institution, and many of our girls from both OLQP and St. Charles go on to finish their secondary studies here, so it will be well worth your visit to check them out when deciding your girls' College education. For more info, please visit their website at: https://mscwoolwich.syd.catholic.edu.au/

Volunteers for Easter Events at SCB and OLQP
Once again Easter and Holy Week are on our doorsteps and we are going to need lots of help at these yearly - and well attended - events at RGCP. To give you an idea, last Christmas alone, at the Christmas Masses we had somewhere between 2800 - 2900 people pass through our doors for the Christmas Liturgies. That can cause a lot of logistical headaches for those of us who are leading these liturgies and we appreciate all the help we can get. Parking attendants are especially needed in order to fit as many cars as possible into the very limited spaces we have in our parking areas and primary school grounds, particularly at SCB Ryde.

We will also need a mini army of ushers, welcomers, and other helpers that week particularly with the outdoor Stations of the Cross on Friday in the school grounds at SCB. Please let us know at the Parish Office of your availability for any of those masses - particularly the 8 am, 10 am and 6 pm Easter Sunday Masses at SCB.

And that's about it for now. See you on Sunday!

Fr. Greg