Weekday Mass Times - Leading up to Christmas

The 5:30am Simbang Gabi Mass will replace all weekday Masses between Sunday 15 December to Monday 23 December. This includes an additional Mass on Sundays 15 and 22 December.

Weekend Mass Times

Saturday 14 December 5pm

Sunday 15 December 7:30am
St Monica's Chapel

Sunday 15 December 9am
At Church and Livestreamed via our Facebook page.

Sunday 15 December 11am

Reconciliation

Saturday 14 December 4:00pm - 4:30pm
During the week by appointment. Please call the Parish Office on 3324 3900.

December 15, 2024 - Third Sunday of Advent

The crowds asked John the Baptist, "What should we do?" Luke 3:10

Reflect, today, upon this twofold exhortation from John and apply it to your Advent preparations. Cleanse your soul in a special way from all sin this Advent. Then prayerfully ponder and meditate upon the reality we are preparing to celebrate. As John says, allow the Christ Child to truly "baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" through your deepening devotion and prayer this Advent.

Farewell and Gratitude to Fr Gabriel

Next Sunday 22^nd December at the 11am Mass we will be farewelling Fr Gabriel who has been transferred to Newcastle. Please take this opportunity to farewell Fr Gabriel. We wish him every blessing as he embarks on this new chapter of his life. Thank you Fr Gabriel, for all you have given to our community!

Parish Office Closure

As we prepare for the Christmas / New Year period, we advise that the Parish Office will be closed from Boxing Day 26^th December and will reopen on Tuesday 14^th January. No week day Masses will be held during this period except on New Year’s Day, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, 1^st January at 10am. Week-end Masses will be held as per the normal schedule.

Celebrating Our Amazing Volunteers

Last Saturday, we hosted a very successful thank-you lunch to honour our incredible volunteers. The event was filled with gratitude and friendship as we celebrated the hard work and dedication of everyone who gives their time and energy to support our Parish.

For those volunteers who were unable to attend, we haven’t forgotten you! A small gift awaits as a token of our appreciation. Please call into the office so that we can personally thank you for all your efforts this year.

A special thank you this year to Daniele Gigliotti, our BBQ Co-ordinator and his family for their dedication and commitment to this ministry over many years. Daniele has been co-ordinator of the BBQ since 2014 and we extend our sincere thanks to him for his incredible years of service. He has been the driving force of our BBQs, giving countless hours of service with unwavering commitment and passion. We are incredibly grateful to you and your family.

Once again thank you all for everything you do – May you be proud of the work you do, the person you are, and the difference you make.

St Vincent de Paul Update: Christmas Appeal 2024

St Vincent de Paul Update: Christmas Appeal 2024

Thank you to all our Parishioners and School communities for your generosity and kindness in supporting this year’s Christmas Appeal. Your support will bring hope, joy and much needed assistance to families and individuals facing challenges this holiday season.

Through your thoughtful donations and efforts, we will be able to provide gifts, food and essentials, ensuring that many in our community experience the love and light of Christ this Christmas.

We are still receiving donations from our Parishioners and a special thank you this week to the young adults in the Encounter Springfield team.

May God bless you all for your kindness, and may you and your loved ones have a joyful and blessed Christmas!

If you are still considering donating, you can help by:

Donating Non-Perishable Food Items – 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.

Making a Financial Donation – Your generosity will help provide essential support to families facing hardship. Envelopes will be available at the Church or you could donate directly via a bank transfer to:

The Encounter Kids Summer Holiday Program is 1 day event for primary school aged children (Prep - Grade 6) across 5 locations across the Archdiocese of Brisbane. With the theme Eyes of the Prize these days are filled with fun, games, activities and engaging messages and prayers designed to give children a positive and powerful experience of the Catholic faith. Find more information at https://www.encountercatholickids.com.au/summer-holiday-program

Details for the day in Springfield are:
When: Saturday 18th January
Time: 9:00am - 3:00pm (Supervision from 8:30am - 5:00pm)
Where: St Augustine’s Catholic College
50 St Augustine’s Dr, Augustine Heights QLD 4300

SYNOD24 Action Plans

Promulgation of the SYNOD24 Action Plans In response to the two highly successful SYNOD24 sessions in September and October 2024, Archbishop Mark Coleridge has promulgated the SYNOD24 Action Plans. Honouring the journey we have all been on since 2019, these 50 actions give clear guidance on how we, as the Archdiocese of Brisbane, can implement the Australian Plenary Council Decrees. This is a significant milestone for us all to celebrate, as the Archbishop explains in his introduction, "this is a document not just for some. It is for everyone; and I urge all parishes, communities, agencies and individuals to read and reflect upon the action plans and to be as creative as possible in implementing them." To download your copy of the SYNOD24 Act ion Plans: Implementing the Plenary Council Decrees, please visit www.aobsynod2024.com.

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 = $29.90
Total raised so far = $4,693.00 | Total containers so far = 46,693

LAST WEEK'S GIVING $5,961.50

Thank you for your ongoing generosity and support.

Request for Accommodation

We have received a request for assistance for shared accommodation in the Greater Springfield area for a teacher who is taking a new job at St Augustine’s College as Middle Leader for Science next year. She’s hoping to move in by 16 January 2025 for a period of six months until she can buy a home. She is willing to pay rent and money towards food, electricity, internet and water. She is single and is open to living with any company situation. Reeja is currently an active member of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish, Gladstone and is looking forward to being a volunteer within our Parish in various ministries. If anybody is willing to provide this accommodation, please contact Reeja on 0412 045 177 or octrose@gmail.com

OUR VISION STATEMENT
“Our Lady of the Southern Cross Parish is a safe community of love, who believes in the power of the Holy Spirit to change lives, and forms disciples who bring people to Jesus.
As a disciple that belongs to our community, I commit to grow by worshipping, learning, connecting, serving, giving and making disciples.”

Our Local Safeguarding Representative
Judy Seymour 3324 3906
seymourj@bne.catholic.net.au

Office of Safeguarding Services:
3324 3752
safeguarding@bne.catholic.net.au

Click here to report online http://bnecatholic.stoplinereport.com

How to contact us

If you need to contact our Parish Priest, Fr Nev, urgently after hours or on the weekend, please call 0415 872 663. His email is pp.springfield@bne.catholic.net.au. In other circumstances, please contact the parish office at 3324 3900 email: springfield@bne.catholic.net.au.