Parish Office Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Parish
Parish office address:
Street: 61 Edmund Street, Shelly Beach, QLD, Australia
Postal: PO Box 595, Caloundra, QLD, Australia
Office hours: Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 1:00pm
Vicki Howard
Eileen Roberts
Edgar Pitargue
Bernadette Bain
Fr Joshua Whitehead - Parish Administrator
I was born on 27 February 1981, to Kevin and Prue (deceased), and am the second eldest of four girls and three boys, growing up as a practicing Catholic family in New Zealand. Upon completion of secondary school, I enlisted in the NZ Army in 1999 where I gained a trade certificate as a Fitter/Turner/Welder. I served in the NZ Army for eight years including a 2005 tour of duty to the Bamyan Province in Afghanistan.
In 2006 I sought release from the Army and travelled to Perth, WA, where I gained employment in several Pilbara iron ore mining operations for the purpose of travelling the world. I subsequently travelled for 12 months, living and working in London, before returning to Perth and working in the mining industry once again; this is where my vocational journey began. In 2009 I woke one morning and decided (Holy Spirit), that I needed to be more involved in the lives of other people – earning the big bucks in the mines just wasn’t enough. So I up-skilled as a Personal Trainer and started my own PT business in Perth, specialising in weight loss and injury rehabilitation.
In 2011, after deciding that Perth was too far from home (Holy Spirit again), I shifted my PT business to the Gold Coast where I made, what I call, the first adult decision in my life: practicing my faith (Holy Spirit once again). In August of that year, while at a Saturday night Mass, I heard God calling me to discern the priesthood through the priest as he challenged the congregation in his homily: “Have you ever asked anyone to become a priest." This calling from God continued to strengthen and in Feb 2012, I was invited by the Archdiocesan Vocations Director to spend one year in Canali House, the Archdiocesan house of discernment, with other men who were discerning the same calling. During that year, I applied and was accepted to enter Holy Spirit Seminary, Banyo, which I did so on 10 February 2013.
During those formation years at the Seminary I completed a Bachelor of Theology as well as a Master of Theological Studies, focusing on Synodality in the Church. I experienced a selection of different Advent and Pastoral placements including the Cathedral of St Stephen, the Emmanuel Community, Burleigh Heads, Enoggera, Indooroopilly, and Clayfield parishes, and also completed my Pastoral Internship year at Stella Maris, Maroochydore in 2017 under the guidance of Fr Joe Duffy.
I was ordained a Deacon on 16 November 2018 by Bishop Robert McGuckin in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, ACU Banyo whereupon Archbishop Mark appointed me to the Cathedral of St Stephen for the term of my diaconate.
Following my priestly ordination on 31 May 2019, Archbishop Mark reappointed me to the Cathedral for a short period of time before taking up a three-year appointment in the Caloundra Parish.
In August 2022, Fr Peter Brannelly was appointed Parish Priest of Maroochydore Parish and Archbishop Mark appointed me to lead Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Parish as Administrator. I'm honoured to be the fifth leader of this parish, and especially so as the appointment happened during our Golden Jubilee Year as a parish - 1972-2022. Please pray for me.
Fr Ejikeme - Associate Pastor
I, Ejikeme Valentine Ntamaka, was born into a Christian family of Mr Bennett and Mrs Evelyn Ntamaka. I came from Eziome Mbieri, Mbaitolu, Imo State, in Eastern Nigeria. I am the sixth child and the fourth son in the family of seven (four boys and three girls). I lost my Mum last year. We buried her on 14th October, 2021, two days later, I jumped on a plane to come to Australia, I had no time to mourn her. In the midst of the sadness I received the invitation to come to the Brisbane Archdiocese. I arrived in Australia on 20th October, 2021 in company of my brother Priest Fr. Anthony Chijioke Odionyenfe—who has been appointed to Caboolture Parish.
After a long journey from Nigeria, we spent over five hours at the airport, then we were taken straight to quarantine at Pullman’s Hotel in Brisbane. The quarantine experience is not something one wishes to undergo twice. I was given a room, no window, no balcony, so lonely – your companion is your phone and television. One day at the quarantine, I opened my door to receive fresh air, within some seconds, I got a call from the Police to closed the door or I will be fined $4000. Immediately, I close the door. The quarantine lasted for 2 weeks. After the quarantine, I went to Aspley, from Aspley to Wilston, from Wilston to Nambour, from Nambour to Coomera. Then, we had a meeting at Childers. Finally, I arrived at Caloundra on 13th December 2021, I was well received by Fr. Peter, Fr. Josh, Fr. Dang and Fr Joseph.
It is true that it is not easy for one to leave his country to a new one, new culture, new people, new food, BUT, since I came to Caloundra, I have seen how lovely the people are. Last Christmas, was my first Christmas outside Nigeria, it was fun. I visited many places for the celebration. Really, there is always an opportunity to learn and develop. I have celebrated Mass at Caloundra, Unity, Little Mountain, Beerwah, Landsborough and Maleny. Kawana and Currimundi, I will be there soon. I have visited Sunshine Coast University Hospital and some Age Care Homes for Pastoral Care of our elderly.
The care and love shown to me by Fr. Peter, Fr. Josh and Fr Joseph is overwhelming. They have been teaching and telling me how to adapt. The little I know about cricket, I got it from them. Many do come to me after Mass to offer to help in many ways, which is lovely. Thank you, ALL. Caloundra has many beautiful places with beautiful people like YOU.
I am coming to you as your brother and pastor in the Lord, who wants to listen, learn from you and lead you all in the ways of Our Lord Jesus Christ; the High Priest. Together, we will journey as pilgrim people sharing wisdom, faith and love of Christ. May the Lord direct our hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ and give us peace at all times. Amen.
Fr Francis Fernandes - Associate Pastor
Fr Francis Fernandes is originally from India and spent the first seven years of his life there before migrating to New Zealand. In Auckland, he completed his primary and secondary education before moving again to Australia in 2008. He has since called Australia home.
Fr Francis first began discerning the call to ordained ministry when he was a Bachelor of Engineering student at QUT in 2013. The following year he entered Canali House, which was then a discernment house for young men. During his time there, he knew he wanted to enter the seminary and switched to studying a Bachelor of Arts at UQ focusing on History.
He commenced formal seminary study in 2015, where he first met Fr Josh, and studies for five years before beginning his in internship. He describes those years from 2015-2021 as privileged years to focus learning on faith and spirituality. Fr Francis says the seminary experience provides ample opportunities to learn about yourself and begin a lifelong journey of human, intellectual, spiritual and pastoral formation.
He was ordained a deacon in November 2020 and was appointed to Our Lady of the Valley Parish which encompassed the communities of Gatton, Laidley, Forrest Hill and Glenore Grove. Needless to say, the country experience was grace filled! On the 29 June 2021, he was ordained to the priesthood.
He feels he has settled into the parish’s rhythm of life with ease and is grateful to all who have shown him a warm welcome.
Fr Joseph-Hien Van Vo - Associate Pastor
Fr Joseph was born on 23rd December 1949: Born in Qui Nhon, Vietnam; the youngest child of a 10 children family.
After finishing school, he joined the Provincial Seminary in Hue in 1969 and on 8th December 1976 he was ordained to the Diaconate for the Diocese of Qui Nhon. From 1976 until 1987 he was a Pastoral Minister at Sacred Heart Parish, Nam Binh.
On 13th July 1988, he escaped from Vietnam to the Philippines by boat with 67 people and from 20th July 1988 – November 1989, he stayed at Palawan Refugee Camp, the Philippines. On 29th November 1989, he arrived in Sydney, Australia and studied English and Australian culture at Mary MacKillop Centre, Sydney.
In 1992, he was accepted into the Brisbane Archdiocese and from 1993 to 1995 he studied at Banyo Seminary, Brisbane.
He was appointed to Stafford Parish as Pastoral Minister in January 1995 and from 1996-1999 he was appointed Associate Pastor to Sacred Heart Parish, Booval. In June 1996, he graduated with a Bachelor of Theology at Brisbane College of Theology.
From 2000 until 2003, he was appointed Associate Pastor at St Bernadine’s Parish Brown’s Plains and after that he was appointed Associate Pastor of St Joseph’s Parish, Hervey Bay and then on 3rd July 2003, he was appointed Parish Priest of Hervey Bay.
In 2017, Fr Joseph was appointed Associate Pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, Caloundra and Chaplain to Ozcare Currimundi Retirement Village.
Felicity Jones - Youth Minister
A big warm hello to the Caloundra Catholic Community! My name is Felicity, and I am the parish Youth Minister. I have moved to the Sunny Coast from Ipswich where I was involved in various ministries for the past six years. I am excited to be here with you and to get to know many of you, especially our young people and their families, as the year goes on. It has been the greatest joy to share the gift of faith with others, and I am so keen to meet you where you’re at, hear your story, and journey alongside you! I will be based within the parish and also within Unity College, so I look forward to meeting many of our students!
I would like to acknowledge and thank NET Ministries for the wonderful space they have created for our youth within Caloundra for the past two years. As they move forward, so do we, and so we announce that our youth ministry will now be known as Kingdom Youth & Young Adults! May we encourage each other to be kingdom minded, supporting one another as we each play our part in building up the Kingdom of God.
St Teresa of Avila said, “Christ has no body on earth but yours. No hands and feet but yours.” May we be inspired by these words to do some good in whatever way we can this week. Be kind to yourself and others, and please take care during these trying times.