From Fr Greg's Desk: Sunday 23rd June, 2024

Hi everyone!

Hope you are all well. Just have a few items to communicate to you this week. The Parish is certainly a busy pastoral centre, so we appreciate your patience with us if something isn't quite 'up to speed'. Among our 'news items' this week we have the following:

Little Noah's Cafe is gradually 'spreading its wings'...
I am so grateful to all those of you who are volunteering to learn how to use our Little Noah's Coffee Van to serve our Parishioners and visitors. We have recently had enquiries from volunteers to mount both a Wednesday and Friday morning service, perhaps even a limited afternoon coffee venture as well, but we are going to need many more volunteers to ensure the service not be too onerous on anyone. If you would be willing to avail yourself of a 'time slot' on any weekday during the school term (8am - 11am) or on Sunday morning (8 - 10 am and 10 - 12 pm) we'd love to hear from you.

The New 2024-2025 Financial Year is fast approaching...
So, it will likely be a busy time for those of you with financial 'cut-offs' between the old and the new. We, too, will be finalising our 2023-2024 accounts on the 30th, so if you were intending to make a donation to the Parish this year, to help offset the considerable pastoral and capital expenditure we have each year, please get it into us this week.

Thank you to all of you who support our Parish financially.
I heartily thank you all for your financial support this last year, knowing that the financial outlook has not been good. You help to keep RGCP moving! You will have noticed a lot of improvements over the last 12 months (stairway railings and AV equipment at SCB) and embellishments (to the gardens and so forth) which were all possible because of your generosity.

The big work-in-progress is the repainting of OLQP Church in time for the Centenary celebrations next year (1 March 25) and there is a lot of water damage to the plaster of both walls and ceilings which has to be fixed first of all. So, your generosity in helping us keep the Parish in good shape is greatly needed and greatly appreciated. Should anyone need tax deductibility for their contributions, please contact the Office for more details.

Reminder for those who still use the 'Planned Giving' Envelopes
The new boxes of envelopes will be placed in both Churches from this weekend on. As it is difficult for our staff to determine which Church each of you attends, (SCB or OLQP) could I just ask that, if you don't see your envelopes at the Church you attend, could you please get someone to visit the other Church as well (to see if it was left there instead)? If they are not at either of the Churches, then get in touch with the Parish Office on 9807 2966.

If anyone currently using the 'Planned Giving Envelopes' system could swap over to 'direct debit' - perhaps with the help of our friendly office staff - that would certainly make things easier from our end. However, I fully understand if that isn't possible and welcome the use of the Planned Giving envelopes all the same.

Please pray for our Youth and Youth Team this weekend.
Our Youth Team has organised a weekend retreat just for our older youth with Fr. Steve leading the charge. They will be away from Friday night until Sunday afternoon, so they ask your prayers for a profound and moving experience for all those participating (about 25 all in all). Another great initiative from our Youth Team!

And that's about it for this week. Hope you are all surviving the current 'bout' of colds and flu which is hitting the school and Parish pretty hard. I've also been a bit 'under the weather' this week, so I can well sympathise with you. I guess we just have to keep going...

God bless!
Fr. Greg