We’re delighted to announce that our Volunteer Thank You Lunch will be held on Saturday 7th December at 11:30am at the Hub. This is our way of showing heartfelt appreciation for all the hard work, time and dedication that each of you has given to our community. Please mark your calendars and join us for an afternoon of gratitude, good food and fellowship. More details to follow – stay tuned!
Thank you for making a difference. We look forward to celebrating with you!
This December, we start Life Groups! Life Groups are small groups in which we share life together, bring life to each other, build our faith life, and grow closer to Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and… the Life!
Sometimes, it can be a challenge to live the Catholic faith alone. With so much negativity and unbelief around us, we need positive and faith filled people in our lives, to support us, to encourage us, and to build us up. That’s what Life Groups are all about! In Life Groups, we share some food, we share what’s been going on in each other’s lives, we share in each others’ good times, with laughter, stories and joy, and we share in each others’ tougher times, with tears and a listening ear. And most importantly, we share our faith. We pray together, we learn more about living as disciples of Jesus, and we build each other up to be the people God has created us to be.
When you join your Life Group, you can expect high quality Catholic resources that will build your faith and your love of God. Excitingly, we will have access to the Augustine Institute’s “FORMED” Catholic Streaming service, which offers trustworthy, high-quality content to nourish your relationship with Jesus Christ. We will launch our Life Groups at the beginning of December using Evangelisation Brisbane’s “Hope Reigns” Advent Program.
Our parish has recently purchased a subscription to FORMED, a Catholic streaming service. The service, led by the Augustine Institute and Ignatius Press, includes award-winning studies and parish programs, inspiring audio content, movies, e-books, and family friendly kids’ programming. The content will be used in Life Groups, as well as other ministries of our parish. Additionally, all of our parishioners are welcome to subscribe to this service for free under our parish subscription. To access your free subscription:
- Go to formed.org,
- Click on “Find Your Parish Subscription,”
- Type in “Our Lady of the Southern Cross” and select our parish,
- Enter your name and email address,
- Sign up!
We are very excited to be launching our first Transformation Night on Saturday 23 November at 6:15pm at our Springfield church. This will be an opportunity to encounter and be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. The night will include praise and worship, a teaching by Martin and Donna Brennan from Encounter School of Ministry Brisbane, and an opportunity to receive prayer from our prayer teams. Light BBQ dinner will be provided at 6:15pm. This event is free however donations are gratefully welcomed. For catering purposes, please register your attendance on
https://olsc.ucareapp.com/forms/53/embed
A book of remembrance will be on display to commemorate our departed loved ones throughout the month of November. You may wish to remember your loved ones by offering a Mass for them. The November Mass offering envelopes are available at the back of the church. Please take one if you would like to request a Mass intention for your family and friends. Their names will be added in the Book of Remembrance.
Encounter is moving on to Week 7! They’re opening up their Advent series with the theme ‘A Season of Peace’ and you are invited. If you're in high school and are wondering what faith might look like for you, Encounter is the place for you. We have dinner, followed by games, praise, worship and great opportunities to go deeper in conversation with other young people. If you're keen, head to our webpage here for more information
https://evangelisationbrisbane.org.au/encounter-springfield.
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
At the 11am Mass on October 27th, our parish joyfully welcomed eight catechumens—James, Sarah, Peter, Jasmine, Madeleine, Stephanie, Haydn, and Taulafo—into our church community through the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens. Accompanied by their sponsors, these catechumens will spend the coming year preparing for their initiation into the Christian faith through baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist. The Rite of Acceptance marks the first step in the RCIA process for those who are not baptised. We eagerly anticipate the day they will fully share in the Lord’s table.
Faith Seekers is a monthly gathering for teenagers (Years 7 to 12) that provides a safe space for exploring questions about their Catholic faith with Fr. Nev and the team. This ministry is for children who have received the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and First Holy Communion) and aims to help teens take ownership of their faith by delving into issues relevant to their lives. Faith Seekers meets every 3rd Tuesday of the month at 6:30pm in the parish office. This month’s gathering will be on 19 November. Register for Faith Seekers at
https://olsc.ucareapp.com/forms/52/embed
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Mass
Families gathered to honour the memory of their little ones at the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Mass on 2 November. During the Mass, they placed leaves bearing their child’s or family’s name on the Remembrance Tree, a heartfelt symbol of love and remembrance. We hold these families close in our prayers today and always.
We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Pregnancy and Infant Loss committee for the compassionate work they put into organising this Mass. Their dedication and thoughtful efforts created a truly meaningful and comforting experience for those who attended, offering a space for remembrance, healing and hope. Your commitment and creativity in supporting families through their grief is deeply appreciated and reflects the love and strength of our community.
St Vincent de Paul Pantry Update: A Step Closer to Serving Those in Need!
We are very thankful to share that our pantry is now partially stocked, bringing us one step closer to supporting disadvantaged individuals and families in our community. Thanks to your generosity, we’ve been able to fill our shelves with many essential items, but there’s still more to be done.
If you’d like to help us to fully stock the pantry, we continue to ask for donations of non-perishable food such as breakfast cereals, pasta sauces, pasta, rice and any other staples you can provide. We ask that if each family bring along one item each and every week, we would have a fully laden pantry all year around. Perhaps include just one item in your week’s grocery shopping list.
Thank you for your continued support and compassion.
Catholic Mission
We would like to thank you for your generosity supporting the Church in Mongolia and House of Mercy. Here is Fr Nev welcoming Martin Lewis, Archdiocesan Director of Catholic Mission to St Monica’s Chapel on Sunday, 27 October. Thanks to your kindness, people will have access to the support they need to help them get back on their feet. Your gift will also support a variety of Church programs around the world.
Containers for Change
Continue supporting the poor and disadvantaged. Please bring your containers and place them in the bins outside the church, or use our Scheme ID number (C10063619) at any of the deposit sites around Queensland when you drop your bottles off.
Collected last week = $182.50
Total raised so far = $4,324.50 | Total containers so far = 43,245
LAST WEEK'S GIVING $6,246.98
Thank you for your ongoing generosity and support.