From Fr Greg's Desk: Sunday 15th February, 2026

Hi everyone! I hope you are having a great weekend, despite the forecast rain. Lots of things are happening this week in and around the Parish.

Lent begins this Coming Wednesday 18 February
The Season of Lent begins this week with Ash Wednesday (18 Feb). The 'colours' will be changing in our Churches on Tuesday afternoon from 'green' to 'purple' (indicating a time of penance and conversion) to prepare for the celebration of Easter Sunday and the Resurrection. All of us need to experience the mercy of God for our failures to love God and others, and repent of our sinful ways. This is the reason for the 40 days of the Lenten season, with its days of penance and fasting, its acts of almsgiving and service, and increased times of prayer and reflection. Lent is a time for renewal in both our personal lives and our interactions with others, to 'nip temptation in the bud' and create better habits of kindness, compassion and humble works of mercy. May it be a time of renewal for all of us.

In order to give ample opportunities to you all to get to Mass on Ash Wednesday, we have quite a range of Masses to choose from. Please make the effort to come along and start Lent on the right foot. Fasting is expected of us particularly on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent (especially Good Friday), and it would be very good to find the time for an extra Mass during the week, or to join a Lenten Prayer group, or to get in to SCB Church in the mornings or during the day for a visit to our Lord, either exposed in the Blessed Sacrament on the Altar, if not perpetually present in the Tabernacle (when no Warden is available to keep vigil).

Lenten Parish Retreat for Lent: "Stay With Me" with Fr. Steve and Fr. Dan
Why not deepen in the experience of Holy Week ahead of schedule, with our Verbum Dei Priests guiding a weekend retreat of silent prayer and reflection at Varroville Retreat Centre? The retreat will particularly be focussed on the Five 'Sorrowful Mysteries' of the Rosary, and I think it could be just the thing you need to enter into the 'spirit of Lent and Holy Week'. More information on the opposite page. Or speak with Fr. Steve or Fr. Dan after Mass.

"Guadalupe: Mother of Humanity" Movie Next Saturday 21 Feb 7 pm SCB Hall
As many of you know, I am a huge 'fan' of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the apparition of Our Lady to St. Juan Diego on the Tepeyac Hill near Mexico City back in 1531. The whole account, plus the image produced on the 'tilma' or poncho Juan Diego was wearing, is a historical event that is both heart warming and astounding, but also a present day phenomenon attracting more than 20 million pilgrims each year to visit our Lady there. This movie: "Guadalupe: Mother of Humanity" is an uplifting documentary about the apparition, However, please be warned that the movie also includes references to abortion, and accounts of illness and accidents, which make it a movie rated for adults and adolescents. I will most certainly be there for the viewing, and invite you to come along and see it as well. For more info see the info box on the opposite page. You might also like to visit this movie review at https://catholicreview.org/movie-review-guadalupe-mother-of-humanity/ for a better understanding of what the film is about. See you there!

Thank you to our New Volunteers!
We have had a very positive response to our petition for more volunteers as Catechists, Kid's Liturgy and 10 am Parking attendants. Thank you to all who have offered to help. We should now have enough Catechists for this year, but we still need more helpers for Kids Liturgy at the 10 am Mass (so that it not be a burden on anyone) and as Car Parking Wardens, as we have become very busy with all the extra "Mass-goers" at SCB Church, Ryde. Let me know if you can help!

Camera Operators and A/V Operators needed.
One of the other areas in which we need help is for the "Live Streaming" of our Masses, funerals and weddings. Every weekend we get an average of around 300 views on Sundays, and about half that for weekday Masses. We maintain our 'live streaming' particularly for the elderly who can no longer come to Mass, but can 'feel' a part of it by watching the Mass from home. Several elderly care residences regularly 'tune in' to the live streaming, not to mention parishioners who happen to be interstate or overseas. So it is an important ministry to maintain, but needs more people to avail themselves and be trained up to know how to operate the system.

We are often requested to do the same for funerals and weddings, which happen outside of normal 'mass hours' and need people who are more free to help out. It isn't so complicated, once you get the hang of it. Can any of you help us out in this way??

That's enough to digest for one week! God bless you all this Season of Lent.

Fr. Greg