Christmas Mass Times on our webpage
Faith and Formation
‘To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances; to seek Him, the greatest adventure’
-St Augustine of Hippo
The Parish Faith and Formation Ministry provides opportunities for spiritual and prayerful accompaniment, catechesis and formation experiences. Our overarching theme is the ‘Journey in Faith’. The Journey in Faith program in our Parish hopes to find, support and guide each of you on your personal journey into a deeper relationship with Jesus. Opportunities for Formation include:
- Alpha
- Faith Formation Hour – Weekly Catechesis
- RCIA program for catechumenates and candidates
- Faith Circles – small group studies
- Links to online resources
Alpha in 2024. We will start Course #1 for the year in the first week of February with courses running at OLR on Tuesday evenings, at Landsborough on Friday mornings, and at Southern Cross Care, day to be confirmed. Please consider, in this coming Year of Invitation, who you may be able to invite. Further courses will run in May and October.
Faith Formation Hour (FFH) offers ongoing catechesis for all parishioners under the direction of Fr Francis. FFH will be offered weekly on Thursday from 4-5pm in 2024 at the Parish Centre at OLR, with Zoom capability for those wishing to join from the comfort of your homes.
- Know Your Faith: Commencing 11/1/2024, the Know Your Faith course will run every week up to Easter. It is based on the At Home with God’s People text and will offer a great refresher to the basic tenets and beliefs of the Catholic Church.
- Unlocking the Mystery of the Bible will commence after Easter. This is an eight-week journey through salvation history using the Great Adventure Bible timeline from Ascension Press.
Faith Circles are small group opportunities for bible study, prayer groups, book discussions etc. Currently parishioners including John Manion, Carol Devcich, Caroline Kettle and Julie Borger are providing Faith Formation opportunities in this small group model across our Parish. Starting January 18, John is leading a 10-session Bible Study on the Eucharist from 8am-9.30am at the Good Shepherd Centre, Kawana. For all available Faith Circle opportunities, visit the Parish website and click on Faith and Formation, under Ministry Areas, or go to Linktree to register.
Anyone can run a Faith Circle. The Faith and Formation Ministry is putting together resource packs to support volunteer Faith Circle leaders with the first resource being the Practice of Prayer. What Faith Circle could you offer, or could you join? Can a few friends meet at your place over a coffee and journey in faith together?
‘Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you’
-Matthew 7:7
Jacinta Elks, Faith & Formation Ministry Leader
St Vincent de Paul Society Annual Christmas Appeal
This weekend is the annual Caloundra Vinnies Christmas Appeal. There are envelopes on the pews with the option of cash or credit card donations.
Please place the envelopes in any of the collection baskets or boxes. You may also take home and return the envelopes in future weeks. Conference members will be in their Vinnies uniforms should you have any questions.
Those in need within our community thank you for your generosity and ongoing support.
God Bless, Caloundra Vinnies team
OLR, Craft Group
For the past two years the OLR craft group has handmade and decorated the Christmas Tree in the church. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses the children may choose and take a decoration to hang on their tree at home.
We would like to take the opportunity to thank the craft group for their time and efforts for the Christmas tree decorations.
If you would like to join the craft group they meet on Monday in school terms, 9.00am to 12.00pm.
Caloundra Catholic Homes Foundation Limited- Chairpersons Report 2023
I am pleased to present the Chairpersons report for the 2022/23 financial year.
Wow – what a rewarding year. We successfully sold Lavally Lodge and moved our residents into their new houses in Banya: “Wells” and “Lynam” houses – all are very happy. The families provided new bedroom furniture and we provided white goods, TV’s and other necessities.
Centacare continues to provide the care and support for our residents, and we thank them for partnering with us.
We donated to all the parish-based St Vincent de Paul services, Rosies and Orange Sky laundry.
We are thankful for the support we have received this year and proud of the way in which the Homes Foundation Company is achieving its goals. In the coming year we will look at our future goals for the Homes Foundation.
A huge thank you to Don Rolls, Dale Rolls and my fellow Directors/members for your dedication to our task.
God bless, Ingrid O’Shea – Chairperson
The Date of Christmas
Early Church documents show that the birth of Christ has been celebrated in Rome on 25 December since the early fourth century. How and when was it decided that this was the date of Christ’s birth?
The most common theory is that Christians took over the date of the pagan feast of the Unconquered Sun which was proclaimed by the Emperor Aurelian in 274 AD. As the days stopped getting shorter and the hours of sunlight began to increase at the time of the winter solstice (December 25 in early calendars), people celebrated the sun’s rebirth. Christians, who saw Christ as the true unconquered light of the world, celebrated his birth date on the same day.
Other researchers suggest a different theory. Scripture gives the date of Christ’s death as 14 Nisan, the fourteenth day of the spring moon. It was calculated that the equivalent date in the Roman calendar that year was 25 March. Early Christians believed that the lives of patriarchs spanned a whole number of years from conception to death. This resulted in their conviction that Christ was conceived on the same date that he died, 25 March. In fact we celebrate the Annunciation on that date. Adding exactly nine months (because Christ is the perfect human being) gives 25 December as the date of his birth.
This connection between Christmas and Easter reflects a theological link. If it had not been for Christ’s passion, death and resurrection, we would not be celebrating Christmas at all!
By Elizabeth Harrington
End of Year Youth Leaders Celebration
Last weekend, some of our youth leaders, who volunteer and journey with our teens every Friday night, joined other youth leaders from around the Archdiocese to celebrate the joys of youth ministry experienced this year. It was a great night of networking and catching up with new and old friends. Please join me in thanking these wonderful volunteers (and those who couldn’t make it) who dedicate so much of their time and resources into growing in faith alongside our youth. A big thank you to our senior high schoolers who have also stepped into leadership roles – running games,
giving talks, and leading small groups.
We are so proud of their efforts and how much they have grown! Please continue to pray for our young people, that they may come to know God’s will for them. See you in 2024!
Felicity Jones -Youth Minister
Lectio ‘EUCHARIST’ Bible Study: Discovering the Mass in the Bible
The 10-Thursday-session video & discussion bible study course presented by Dr. Brant Pitre commences on 18 Jan 2024 at Kawana’s Good Shepherd Centre (opposite Centrelink & Kawana Library) Nanyima St, Buddina (off Pt Cartwright Dr) from 8.00am-9:30am.
The presentation is free, but we would be grateful for those who can make a $15 donation to offset the cost of running the extensive Bible Study Guide.
Course numbers are limited to 16. The first 39 enquiries will receive a copy of Bishop Robert Barron’s latest book ‘This Is My Body – A Call to Eucharistic Revival’.
For registrations & enquiries please contact John Manion on 0416 154 144 or
email: [email protected]
Centenary of the first Catholic Church in Maleny
The Maleny Sacred Heart Church community invites Parishioners to celebrate the Centenary of the first Catholic Church in Maleny in February 1924. A Centenary book is being compiled and will be available at the celebrations on Sunday 4 February 2024 to purchase.
RSVPs and enquiries to Anna [email protected]
or Danielle 0419545711
Communing with God Retreats – 15 – 17 December 2023
12 – 14 January 2024
In Transition
We welcome Alexander MacMillian, Emilia Zoutenbier & Sophia Petrov who will be baptised at OLR this weekend.
Congratulations to Chiemeka Chinaka & Tiana Paaletti who were married on Friday at OLW Landsborough.
May the souls of our deceased priests, religious and parishioners Rest in Peace.
