JOIN A MINISTRY TODAY!
We are always looking for volunteers!
WHO WE ARE
If you are in Highschool years 7-12 Encounter is for you! Here at Encounter we want you to know that you BELONG. Encounter is a home for high schoolers at St Mary’s Parish, Coomera. It’s a place where students can connect with friends, faith filled leaders and encounter something and someone greater than themselves.
WHAT DOES ENCOUNTER LOOK LIKE?
Encounter will happen EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT of the school term from 6:30PM – 8:30PM. Join us for our Launch Night Term 1, Week 1. A night of games, great music, an engaging speaker and small groups.
Below are the latest Reading, Communion Ministers and Altar Server rosters.
St.Mary’s Coomera has an active St Vincent de Paul Society .
Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month at 6.00 PM
Ministry Co-ordinator: Heather Murray
New members are always welcome and if you are interested in joining the SVDP please contact the Parish Office
Altar Server Ministry
About Us
The Altar Server Ministry is very active in St Mary’s. There are nearly always Altar Servers at every Weekend Mass. We aim for three Altar Servers at each Mass but this can vary. During school holidays when many are away we might have only one but there is always someone. On special occasions such as Easter we may have up to six. This Ministry is open to boys and girls who have received their Sacraments on Initiation. ie Reconciliation, First Eucharist and Confirmation. At the end of the Sacramental Program each year all children are invited to be part of this Ministry.It is an excellent starting point for becoming part of Catholic Community Activities.Any child who has been part of the Sacramental Program from another parish is also invited to apply.
Throughout the Archdiocese of Brisbane – which is huge – St Mary’s is well-regarded for the number of Altar Servers and that we are able to retain them with a freely given commitment.
Contact the Parish office
Here are some of the main reasons for our success
TRAINING
Our Altar Servers thoroughly enjoy serving Jesus at Mass by helping Father Mauro.Our Altar Servers are trained mostly on the job – at Holy Mass – by more experienced Altar Servers, who themselves were trained under the same buddy system.Father Mauro takes an extreme interest in the training and welfare of our Altar Servers; this includes an explanation before Mass and then guided by the Altar Server Buddy.There is an archaic saying of throwing people in the deep end – exactly the opposite happens at St. Mary’s
FAMILY FRIENDLY ROSTER
We know that from time to time, kids get sick, just want to sleep, and then there are other members of the family to be considered both older and younger. So we have the Family Friendly Roster. A Draft Roster goes out on Tuesday evening and let us say your Altar Server is rostered for 9am Sunday Mass but you have Soccer training at that time; you email me back, and I will swap you around or put Mass duty on for another day that you suggest. On Thursday, I send out the same roster with all of the changes you and others have requested and this is the Confirmed Roster – one we actually go with.Then of course there are last minute hitches, accidents etc that can be expected from time to time. If you don’t get to Mass as rostered there is no drama.
RESPONSIBILITY
Our Altar Servers learn responsibility early with simple tasks such as robing themselves, ringing the bells at the correct time, and holding the book. Over a period of time, they become Leader at Mass which is an important part of the Mass and all of the Altar Servers work to get this recognition. Then next year, they teach the new Altar Servers.
INDUCTION AND TRAINING (2024-2025)
Update will be coming soon
Ministry of Social Justice & Relations
This ministry aims to support disadvantaged and marginalised groups in our community. We also continue to develop and sustain our relations with our sister church in East Timor
Ministry Co-ordinator: TBD
Please contact the parish office to register your interest in this Ministry.
Ministers of the Word
Ministers of the Word are those who are commonly referred to as readers but they are much more than that.You read a newspaper or a novel, you might read to your children. But with Ministers of the Word it is different. They are proclaiming the Word of God. This is God speaking to all of us….. This is what I believe The following is a copy of a document from The Liturgical Commission Of The Catholic Church
MINISTERS OF THE WORD
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isaiah 40: 8) Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119: 105) The Word of God endures, creates, gives life. The importance of scripture in liturgy was perhaps lost to some extent in the Catholic Church until the reforms of the second Vatican Council reminded us of its central place.“The Church has always venerated the Divine Scriptures just as she venerates the Body of the Lord.” (Dei Verbum 21)“Christ is present in his Word since it is he himself who speaks when the holy Scriptures are read in the Church.” (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy 7)The Introduction to the Lectionary for Mass spells out the link between scripture, faith and worship.“The preaching of the word is necessary for the sacramental ministry. For the sacraments are sacraments of faith and faith has its origin and sustenance in the word. The Church is nourished spiritually at the table of God’s word and at the table of the eucharist.” (LMI 10)
The only contact that many Catholics have with the living word of scripture occurs at Sunday Mass. It is vital that this encounter be a positive experience so that they will develop over time a “warm and living love of scripture”.
Those who are called to be readers at Mass, then, take on an important ministry. In fact they are not ‘readers’ at all. Almost everyone can read, but only some can effectively proclaim the word of God. Those people who serve the liturgical gathering by proclaiming the scriptures are best described as ‘Ministers of the Word’.
What is needed to someone to carry out this role effectively? The basic requirement is faith in the word of God. A reader must be someone with a love of scripture who believes that it is alive and active and gives guidance.
Readers must understand what they are reading in order to clearly convey the meaning of a passage to others. Such understanding is achieved by careful preparation, starting well before the person is scheduled to read. This involves reading the scripture passages through several times, slowly coming to grips with what the words are saying. Readers should also have access to a readers’ workbook or scripture commentary to assist them. Practising reading the passages aloud is another important aspect of the preparation process.
Finally, ministers of the word need to have the skills required for reading aloud in public, including a strong voice which can be projected clearly and the ability to use speech techniques such as pace, pause and pitch to give vitality and variety to their reading.
I am often asked by parishes to recommend resources for training their ministers of the word. It seems that not everyone has discovered the addition that was made to Break Open the Word, the preparation book for readers published by The Liturgical Commission in Brisbane, several years ago. In the back of the book are a number of Readers’ Formation pages covering topics such as the arrangement of the lectionary, reading skills and a model for preparation. This material may be used with groups of readers in a parish setting or by readers individually who wish to improve their understanding and skill.
The Word of God is proclaimed rather than just read, which involves the Minister reading the text in prayer and reflection beforehand, so that the Word is actively heard, rather than passively listened to by the Assembly. Training and resources are provided and a current Blue Card is required. New Ministers are welcome. Please contact the parish office to register your interest in this Ministry.
Extraordinary Communion Ministers
As the Ordinary Minister is the Priest or Deacon, extra lay parishioners are commissioned to distribute Holy Communion during Mass so that the Assembly can receive communion in an orderly and timely manner. Parishioners are invited to join this Ministry, are rostered on times that suit them and are provided with initial and ongoing formation and training. A current Blue Card is also required. Please contact the parish office to express your interest in joining this ministry.
Ministry Co-ordinator: Marie-Ann O’connor
Communion to the Sick
There are many sick parishioners, living in their own homes who are unable to get to Church. We would like to expand on our current number of Extraordinary Ministers who provide Communion and comfort to the housebound or those in residential care. Please contact the Parish Office to register your interest.
Ministry Co-ordinator: Marie-Ann O’connor
Children’s Liturgy of the Word
Children’s Liturgy of the Word takes place when children are led from the Sunday assembly and celebrate separately a Liturgy of the Word more appropriate to their level of understanding. This offers children an opportunity to see, hear, say and do worship at their own level, including eye level. The appropriate use of symbols, gestures, movement and music suitable for a child’s understanding can heighten the experience of the transcendent and mirrors what is happening in the main assembly.
How it works:
- Children are called by Father at the beginning of Mass for a blessing; then, they leave the congregation to gather in the Child Care Centre or the Chapel next door to celebrate and reflect on the Sunday Gospel with prayers, songs, and readings.
- The children will come back to Church and to their family in time for Communion.
Benefits:
- Children’s liturgy helps children understand the liturgy and the Word of God more deeply and at their level;
- It allows children to actively participate in the Sunday celebration through various activities;
- It also allows adults to participate at Mass without the distraction of having to care for their child/children.
All our volunteers who work with children have a blue card.
Takes as its inspiration Jesus’s prayer to the Father ‘May they all be one’ (John 17:21).
Over the last six decades the Movement has grown from a small community of around 500 in Trent, northern Italy, to a worldwide community of several hundred thousand people of all ages and backgrounds. It has also spread beyond the confines of the Roman Catholic Church, to many other Christian traditions, to other faiths and to people of goodwill who have no specific religious faith.
The Focolare Movement works to promote mutual understanding and respect through dialogue. This can take many forms, from the simple sharing of experiences between individuals, to large-scale international conferences. Whatever the level of the dialogue, the underlying principle is always love: which means openness to the other, getting to know them, and respecting them an their cultures and beliefs.
The Word of Life Group meets every 1st Thursday at 10 a.m. in the canteen.
Co-Ordinator : Sarah Gardner
Please Contact Us the parish office to register your interest in this Ministry.
Are you an adult who’d like to receive the sacraments of Baptism, Communion and Confirmation?
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) provides an avenue for adults to enter into the Catholic faith community. Our program provides Catholic classes and formation throughout the year. For more information, please reach out to our Parish Office (07) 5558 0110 or email us at [email protected].
This program is designed to help prepare adults for the welcoming of the sacraments of initiation (Baptism. Confirmation and First Communion). Whether you are interested in the program because you need to complete one or all of the Sacraments of Initiation OR you just want to learn more about the Catholic faith, we welcome you.
Please call the Parish Office at (07) 5558 0110 or contact us at [email protected] for more details and to make arrangements to enrol in the RCIA Program.
Enquiry Form
For all general enquiries, Baptism & Sacramental or Newsletter items please email the parish office at: [email protected]
