Our team has had a cracking start to the year, planning ahead for some exciting events and already ticking off some fantastic days to kickstart 2026!

Our goal for 2026 is to focus on creating events and initiatives that invite and engage both parents and children, while also strengthening our parish–school relationships with OLR, Unity College, and Notre Dame College.

Junior Altar Servers

On 7th March, we held our first Junior Altar Servers Day for 2026, welcoming four wonderful new junior altar servers to the team. The children learned a great deal and did a fantastic job discovering what it means to serve at Mass. We’re excited that you’ll now be able to see them serving at Mass centres across the parish—so be sure to keep an eye out for them! We’ll also be running another Junior Altar Servers Day in the second half of the year for any children who would like to learn and get involved. The date is yet to be confirmed.

Mums & Bubs ‘Praise and Play’

Our Mums & Bubs ‘Praise and Play’ sessions kicked off on 16th March in the Dobson Room at OLR Church. These termly sessions aim to explore faith with our little ones while providing a welcoming space for parents to connect, share ideas, and discuss ways to incorporate faith into everyday family life.

Our next Praise and Play session will be held on Monday 15th June – please visit our website HERE for more details!

Kingdom Kids Youth Group

We also launched our first Kingdom Kids Youth Group on Tuesday, 24th March! This group is for children in Years 3–6 and meets once a month on Tuesday afternoons, giving them the opportunity to explore their faith and encounter Jesus in their everyday lives.

Our next Youth Group will be held from 4:00–5:30pm on Tuesday, 28th April. Click HERE to register

Encounter Kids Fun Day

And finally, the Encounter Kids Fun Day is almost here! It’s a faith-filled day for primary school children from Prep to Grade 6 on Friday 17th April. The day includes lots of fun activities, games, music, prayer and engaging talks, all designed to help children grow in their understanding and love of the Catholic faith.

Led by a team of enthusiastic leaders, the program features interactive sessions, small group activities and opportunities for prayer. It aims to give children a positive experience of Church life while helping them build friendships and feel part of the wider parish community.

This year’s theme is “Mission: New Life” reflecting on the joy and hope of the Resurrection.

To register please click HERE.

If you have any questions or concerns or would like to join the team and help with these initiatives, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Amelia at willmera@bne.catholic.net.au.

You can also access upcoming events and dates on our parish website under Ministry Areas > Children and Families.

God bless, The Children and Families Team, Amelia, Fr Gerard, Nadine, Julie and Mark.