100th Anniversary of the First Church
Last Sunday we celebrated 100 Years since the first Church was built here on this site. We welcomed back Fr Bill Stevens who celebrated the 9:30am Mass with us. The Simply the Best Family Group hosted a wonderful Parish Morning Tea after 9:30am Mass on this special celebration of our Church’s history.
50 Years of Music!
Anne-Maree James-Yates was presented with a Papal Blessing at the 9:30am Mass in celebration of 50 Years in the Music Ministry. Congratulations Anne-Maree!
Public Square Rosary
Parishioners gathered once again for the Annual Public Square Rosary in The Entrance Mall, bringing prayer life out into the open!
Introducing our New Parish Logo
Fr Brian and the Parish Pastoral Council have commissioned a new Logo for our parish. We are very happy with the symbolism displayed. The logo demonstrates the following aspects:
1.
Our bell tower with the cross represents a lighthouse, the Cross being Christ as the Beacon.
John 8:12
2.
Three beams of light: not only represent the Trinity but also our message of being a Beacon of Faith, Hope and Love.
1 Corinthians 13:13
3.
Waves of water: of the Pacific Ocean and the ripples of Tuggerah Lake that surround us.
Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41 and
Luke 8:22-25
4.
The colour blue: associated with the Virgin Mary, symbolising her purity and her unique connection to the divine.
Congratulations on Your First Communions!
Last Saturday night at the 5pm Vigil Mass Sarah Sharpe and Abbey Mangan received the Holy Eucharist for the first time, after completing their preparation for the Sacraments of Initiation. We congratulate them both on this marvelous event in their faith journeys and wish them well for their futures.
Deacon Tony Hoban Joins our Parish!
Deacon Tony Hoban was ordained for the Diocese of Parramatta almost 16 years ago. He served as Deacon for eight years at Christ the King Parish, North Rocks. He and his wife, Annette, were then asked by Bishop Vincent Long to establish a new Catholic Faith Community in Marsden Park in 2018; they led this community for seven years, until the end of 2024. They are now residing in Blue Bay and have just returned from motorhome travels covering northern NSW, Queensland, the Northern Territory and parts of South Australia and Victoria, clocking up more than 15,000kms. They have three married adult children (a son, Jamie, and twin daughters, Lisa and Julia) and two granddaughters, with their first grandson due this month. Deacon Tony is a former Vicar for Deacons in the Diocese of Parramatta and currently is the President of the Australian Catholic Deacons Association, Deputy President of the International Diaconate Centre and Deputy Chair of Kairos Prison Ministry, Australia.
Deacon Tan Nguyen Parish Visit
This weekend we will welcome back the newly ordained Deacon Tân Nguyen to our parish Masses! Deacon Tân spent a year with us while in formation as a Seminarian and is returning to join us for the weekend. We congratulate him on his Diaconate Ordination, along with fellow Deacons, Huy Trân and Shayne D’Cunha. Please find congratulatory cards on the information tables for all to sign and wish him well with his vocation.
Night of Light!
All are invited to a Night of Light on All Hallows Eve (Halloween) Friday 31 October at 6pm. The night includes a BBQ dinner, prizes for best Saint's costume, chocolate and treats, activities, games and craft all for free! All Hallow's Eve is the evening before the feast of All Saints, where we celebrate the glory of God in his Saints. We will celebrate the victory of light over darkness and Jesus' victory over death. Make this a memorable night for your children - encourage them to dress as their favourite Saint or in white. Everyone else attending please wear something white for the theme Night of Light - making the light shine on Halloween again! To be held in the Church grounds. Please RSVP 4332 2216 by 27 October.
Rosary Novena
The recent Rosary Novena leading up to the Feast Day of our Patron, Our Lady of the Rosary proved very popular with many parishioners participating. Thank you George for organising this prayerful gathering.
Congratulations to our Baptised Children!
Maggie Towle and Stevie Goodman were Baptised at the 5pm Vigil Mass last Saturday evening. It was a beautiful ceremony included in the Mass with family and parishioners happy witnesses of this joyous occasion.
Maggie and Stevie will now continue their faith journey with the current Sacramental Programme, being Confirmed in November and preparing for Reconciliation and First Eucharist early in 2026.
Congratulations to you both!
Seaside Youth Group
The Seaside Youth Group invites YOU to join us on Saturday 11 October after the 5pm Vigil Mass, until 8pm, in the Upper Room. All students in Years 5 to 12 welcome – and you can bring a friend along! The evening includes games, talks and pizza! Come along and be part of something meaningful. For any enquiries email theentranceparish@bbcatholic.org.au or call 4332 2216.
Franciscan Food Drive
Keep the food coming! We have had a great response to the Food Drive and intend to keep it going permanently. The Franciscans are collecting donations of non-perishable items and making them available for local distribution to the needy via the Benevolent Society Hub at The Entrance Community Centre. The following items can be left in the baskets at the doors of the Church: tinned soups, tinned baked beans and spaghetti, long-life milk, juice poppers, noodles and noodle cups, tea and coffee, shampoo, conditioner and body wash. Thank you for your support.
Announcing the Ambrose Centre
You will have noticed a lot of activity across the carpark in recent weeks as stage one works were carried out to make ready for the Pastoral Formation Centre announced by Bishop Anthony in his 2024 Pastoral Letter to the People of God in the Central Coast.
We can now announce to you that Bishop Anthony has selected a Patron Saint for the new Centre – St Ambrose of Milan. The Centre will be named the Ambrose Centre after him.
St Ambrose was the Bishop who baptised St Augustine, accompanying him in the faith. St Ambrose was a great saint, who helped to evangelise another great saint. In our own unique ways, each one of us is called to be a future saint, who hopefully evangelises other future saints!
More updates on the Ambrose Centre coming soon!
Blessing of Seaside Youth Group's Upper Room
On Pentecost Sunday, a significant and grace-filled moment unfolded with the blessing of the Upper Room - a space set apart for the young people in our parish for gatherings and renewal. The blessing took place immediately following the Mass, evoking the Spirit of the first Upper Room where the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles.
The Upper Room became the birthplace of the Church, and this space too is meant to be a place of encounter, mission, and renewal for the young people of our parish community. This new Upper Room now stands as a visible reminder of our ongoing call to be Spirit-filled disciples, sent forth to renew the face of the earth.
Congratulations Fr Rosan!
This Wednesday Fr Rosan Mathew was ordained a Priest by Bishop Anthony Randazzo at Waitara Cathedral. It was a joy-filled, blessed occasion witnessed by Fr Rosan’s 85 brethren, parents, parishioners and friends! (More photos of the celebrations next weekend.)
First Friday Cuppa is Back!
Every 1st Friday our monthly Cuppa is on. We warmly invite everyone to come along after the Anointing Mass for a lovely cuppa and a chat. Bring a plate to share, which can be dropped off before Mass. We hope to see you all there!
CatholicCare Home Care
CatholicCare is proud to announce our new accreditation for Home Care packages. Our social care agency in the Diocese of Broken Bay has been supporting the Northern Sydney, Northern Beaches and Central Coast communities for 35 years.
We understand many seniors prefer to stay at home as they age. The Government’s funding for Home Care Packages can help you live independently at home for longer. We want to know if our Home Care Packages are of interest to you, or a loved one and want to prioritise the needs of our parishioners before we promote to the general public. As a Catholic organisation we want the seniors we support to know they are truly cherished and valued and we’re confident our services will be very well received. There’s no obligation to partner with us.
We may contact you to discuss your needs, but you’re welcome to opt-out at anytime.
Central Coast Atrium
The newly opened Central Coast Atrium is running Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for 3-6-year-olds. The aim is to help the child nurture their own personal relationship with God. Sessions run Saturdays 9-10:30am, in the new Atrium (behind the CCD Office). For information or to join our waitlist contact centralcoastatrium@gmail.com or call Ashleigh on 0466 255 033.
Family Groups Morning Tea
One of our Family Groups hosts the Morning Tea each month, on the second Sunday after 9:30am Mass. The Morning Tea is for all parishioners and friends and is held in the Parish Centre. It is a lovely time to catch up with or meet new parishioners. Group members are asked to bring a plate and leave it in the centre prior to Mass.
Men's Social Group
The Men’s Social Group has expanded to include wives and friends. They have a lovely lunch and a chat at one of the local venues like this one at Shelly Beach Golf Club. Everyone is welcome to come along on the third Wednesdays of the month at 12 noon. (Watch this space for venue details.) Just turn up or for more information call Lui 4388 9510.