Ipswich Catholic Community
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A Message for the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, 2026
4 October 2026
Dear Parishioners,
Peace and all good!
This weekend, as we celebrate the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, we do so in a very special year. It is 800 years since Francis' death in 1226, and his message of peace, simplicity, fraternity and care for one another remains as relevant today as it was eight centuries ago.
Francis was not a perfect man, nor did he have all the answers. But he was someone who allowed the Gospel to change his life. He discovered Christ in the poor, in creation, in his brothers and sisters, and especially in those whom society had forgotten.
As we celebrate his feast, I invite each of us to reflect on a simple question: How can I make the Gospel more visible in my life and in our parish community?
Our parishes in Australia and New Zealand are places where the Franciscan spirit can continue to flourish. Every act of kindness, every word of encouragement, every gesture of welcome and every effort to build peace helps bring the Gospel alive in our communities.
I am particularly grateful to our friars who serve you, and to the many parishioners who support them and share in our Franciscan mission. Together, we are called to build parish communities where everyone feels welcomed, valued and loved.
Towards the end of his life, Francis said to his brothers: "I have done what was mine to do; may Christ teach you what is yours to do."
Eight hundred years later, those words are now addressed to us. Francis has handed on the Gospel to another generation. It is our turn to live it, not simply to admire him, but to follow his example in the ordinary circumstances of our lives.
May this feast renew our commitment to being people of peace, instruments of reconciliation and signs of hope in our world.
Happy Feast of St Francis to you and your families!
Fr Stephen Bliss OFM
Provincial Minister
Franciscans of the Holy Spirit Province
Australia and New Zealand
Reflection
Ignite Conference Brisbane has always held a very special place in my heart. This year marked its 27th year, and I think I have attended around 24 of those years. Brisbane is my hometown, and Ignite/Emmanuel community was part of what made me who I am today. Every year I return, and am reminded of how great God is and how much he loves me personally.
This year, two moments in particular have stayed with me. The first was not in the music or the speeches but a simple conversation. A friend approached me and asked if I would speak with her sister, who wanted to talk to a priest. Of course, I agreed. As we all sat together, she began to share some of the things she had been struggling with. I offered some spiritual advice and then asked if I could pray with her.
During that prayer, I invited her to repeat a simple prayer after me. For the first time in her life, she gave her life to Jesus. As she prayed, you could see something change in her face. It was almost as though a light had been switched on in her heart. I was reminded that sometimes God’s greatest work happens in the quiet moments, when one person simply says yes to Him.
The second moment was the closing Mass. I had the privilege of celebrating Mass and preaching to around 1,500 young people. But this was no ordinary Mass. At moments during the homily, you could hear a pin drop as everyone listened. Then, after Communion, the entire crowd was standing, singing together with joy. As the recessional hymn began, people were clapping, smiling and celebrating. Do you know those moments when you can just tell that something different is happening? This was one of those moments.
This year’s theme was Ascend. Together, we climbed the mountain of the Lord, and each person encountered God in a personal way. But the difficulty of climbing the mountain is that eventually, we have to come back down into the valley of everyday life. Life is not meant to be lived on the mountain but in the valley.
I would much rather climb the mountain, encounter the Lord, and struggle my way back through the valley than never experience the top of the mountain at all.
My hope is that next year more people from Ipswich Parish will discover for themselves just how life-changing Ignite can be.
Fr. Isaac Falzon
This year, two moments in particular have stayed with me. The first was not in the music or the speeches but a simple conversation. A friend approached me and asked if I would speak with her sister, who wanted to talk to a priest. Of course, I agreed. As we all sat together, she began to share some of the things she had been struggling with. I offered some spiritual advice and then asked if I could pray with her.
During that prayer, I invited her to repeat a simple prayer after me. For the first time in her life, she gave her life to Jesus. As she prayed, you could see something change in her face. It was almost as though a light had been switched on in her heart. I was reminded that sometimes God’s greatest work happens in the quiet moments, when one person simply says yes to Him.
The second moment was the closing Mass. I had the privilege of celebrating Mass and preaching to around 1,500 young people. But this was no ordinary Mass. At moments during the homily, you could hear a pin drop as everyone listened. Then, after Communion, the entire crowd was standing, singing together with joy. As the recessional hymn began, people were clapping, smiling and celebrating. Do you know those moments when you can just tell that something different is happening? This was one of those moments.
This year’s theme was Ascend. Together, we climbed the mountain of the Lord, and each person encountered God in a personal way. But the difficulty of climbing the mountain is that eventually, we have to come back down into the valley of everyday life. Life is not meant to be lived on the mountain but in the valley.
I would much rather climb the mountain, encounter the Lord, and struggle my way back through the valley than never experience the top of the mountain at all.
My hope is that next year more people from Ipswich Parish will discover for themselves just how life-changing Ignite can be.
Fr. Isaac Falzon
RECENTLY DECEASED
Cara Graham
ANNIVERSARY OF DEATH
Jackie Redley
Catherine Holmes
Linda Redley
Graeme Rosewarne
Fr. Jim Elmore C.P
John Mitchell
Catherine Holmes
Linda Redley
Graeme Rosewarne
Fr. Jim Elmore C.P
John Mitchell
Valeria Brown
"May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace."
THIS SUNDAY
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
First Reading: Isaiah 5:1-7
Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: "My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it;he expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. "And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?
"And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured;
I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will make it a waste;
it shall not be pruned or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns;
I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts
is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!
Responsorial Psalm Ps 79:9,12-16,19-20
The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel
You brought a vine out of Egypt;
to plant it you drove out the nations.
It stretched out its branches to the sea,
to the Great River it stretched out its shoots. (R)
Then why have you broken down its walls?
It is plucked by all who pass by.
It is ravaged by the boar of the forest,
devoured by the beasts of the field. (R)
God of hosts, turn again, we implore,
look down from heaven and see.
Visit this vine and protect it,
the vine your right hand has planted. (R)
And we shall never forsake you again:
give us life that we may call upon your name.
God of hosts, bring us back;
let your face shine on us and we shall be saved. (R)
Second Reading Philippians 4:6-9
Do not worry about anything,
but in everything let your requests be made known to God by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.
And the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, beloved, whatever is true,
whatever is honourable,
whatever is just,
whatever is pure,
whatever is pleasing,
whatever is commendable,
if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.
Keep on doing the things that you have learned
and received and heard and seen in me,
and the God of peace will be with you.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluiaI call you friends, says the Lord,
because I have made known to you.
Alleluia!
Gospel Matthew 21:33-43
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:"Listen to another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a fence around it,
dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country.
"When the harvest time had come,
he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce.
But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one,
killed another, and stoned another.
Again he sent other slaves, more than the first;
and they treated them in the same way.
"Finally he sent his son to them, saying,
'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son,
they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.' So they seized him,
threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
"Now when the owner of the vineyard comes,
what will he do to those tenants?"
They said to him,
"He will put those wretches to a miserable death,
and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time."
Jesus said to them,
"Have you never read in the scriptures:
'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our eyes'?
Therefore I tell you,
the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom."
APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,Creator of heaven and earth.
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again from the dead
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
from there he will come to judge
the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.
Next Weekend's Readings
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
First Reading: Isaiah 25:6-10
Psalm: Ps 22
Second Reading: Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20
Gospel: Matthew 22:1-10
Psalm: Ps 22
Second Reading: Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20
Gospel: Matthew 22:1-10
PARISH CALENDAR
Monday 5th October
Parish office Closed due to Public Holiday
8:30am Rosary, St Joseph’s North Ipswich
9:00am Mass, St Joseph’s, North Ipswich
Tuesday 6th October
8:30am Rosary, Immaculate Heart, Leichhardt
9:00am Mass, Immaculate Heart, Leichhardt
4:00pm Youth Group Planning Meeting, Parish office
5:00pm Adoration, St Mary’s, Woodend
6:00pm Mass, St Mary’s, Woodend
Wednesday 7th October
Our Lady of the Rosary
8:30am Rosary, St Brigid’s, Rosewood
9:00am St Brigid’s, Rosewood
Thursday 8th October
8:30am Rosary, St Mary’s
9:00am Mass, St Mary’s, Woodend
10:00am Prayer Group, Parish Office
Friday 9th October
8:30am Rosary, Miraculous Medal, Eastern Heights
9:00am Mass, Miraculous Medal, Eastern Heights
11:00am Memorial Service for Cara Graham, St Mary’s, Woodend
Saturday 10th October
11:30am, Wedding of Noelle and Jose, St Mary’s Woodend
4:30pm Mass, Immaculate Heart, Leichhardt
4:30pm Reconciliation, St Mary’s Woodend
5:30pm Mass, St Mary’s, Woodend,
6:00pm Mass, Miraculous Medal, Eastern Heights
Sunday 11th October
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
7:30am Mass, St Joseph’s, North Ipswich
8:00am Mass, St Brigid’s Hall, Rosewood
9:00am Mass, St Mary’s, Woodend
10:00am Baptism, St Joseph’s, North Ipswich
5:30pm Mass, St Mary’s, Woodend
Junior Choir Rehearsals recommence
Tuesday, 21st October 2026.
Come and support our parish at the Blessing of Pets.
There will be a coffee van on site and a sausage sizzle with cold coin (or pay wave) donation with all proceeds going towards the maintenance of our Churches.
We would like to thank St Edmunds College for the donation of the sausages and bread to help support our Parish Community.
Congratulations
We congratulate Grace and Joel who celebrated the Sacraments of Initiation on Sunday 27th September at St Mary’s Church.
This is such a joyous time for our Church community as we have welcomed so many new parishioners and families, with many more who have enrolled in the next Becoming Catholic (RCIA) Programme.
If you are interested in Becoming Catholic, Please contact our Parish Office on 07 3362 8765 or email ipswich@bne.catholic.net.au or by completing an enquiry form through our parish website - https://ipswichcatholic.au/becoming-catholic/
This is such a joyous time for our Church community as we have welcomed so many new parishioners and families, with many more who have enrolled in the next Becoming Catholic (RCIA) Programme.
Please continue to pray for them.
If you are interested in Becoming Catholic, Please contact our Parish Office on 07 3362 8765 or email ipswich@bne.catholic.net.au or by completing an enquiry form through our parish website - https://ipswichcatholic.au/becoming-catholic/
Catholic Mission Appeal
Weekend 10/ 11 October
Giving envelopes will be available next weekend at all of our Churches and we will have guest speakers from Catholic Mission to answer all your questions.
There will be a small Catholic Mission stall at the 9am Mass at St Mary’s on Sunday the 11th October.
For more information on the work that Catholic Mission do is available on their website - https://www.catholicmission.org.au/see-our-work-in-action
There will be a small Catholic Mission stall at the 9am Mass at St Mary’s on Sunday the 11th October.
For more information on the work that Catholic Mission do is available on their website - https://www.catholicmission.org.au/see-our-work-in-action
October is the Month
of the Holy Rosary.
Throughout the Ipswich Catholic Community, parishioners are invited to pray the rosary together at our weekday Masses, with the exception of Tuesday evening Mass.
The rosary will commence 30 minutes before Mass.
During the Month of October, Thursday morning Franciscan Crown (rosary) will be replaced with the five decade “Fatima” rosary.
Safeguarding: Respect • Protect • Support
The new Safeguarding Charter outlines our shared commitment to creating a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment for everyone. It reminds us that safeguarding is not simply a policy, but a responsibility shared by every member of the Ipswich Catholic Community. Through awareness, appropriate conduct and a willingness to speak up when concerns arise, we can help ensure our parish remains a place where all people are valued, protected and able to participate safely in the life of the Church.
We invite all parishioners and volunteers to take a few minutes to watch Archbishop Shane’s message on the importance of the new Safeguarding Charter and our collective commitment to fostering a strong culture of safeguarding across our community. The Charter reflects the Archdiocese of Brisbane's commitment to ensuring the safety, dignity and wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults in all aspects of Church life. If you have not yet completed your safeguarding training requirements, please do so as soon as possible. Your participation helps us maintain a safe, compliant, and welcoming environment for all. If you need assistance with access to your safeguarding modules, please reach out and we will try to assist you the best we can.
Link to Archbishop Shane's Message - https://youtu.be/G0rzf4aUJiY?si=0g0jqkWc5x45nps7
Thank you for your commitment!
We invite all parishioners and volunteers to take a few minutes to watch Archbishop Shane’s message on the importance of the new Safeguarding Charter and our collective commitment to fostering a strong culture of safeguarding across our community. The Charter reflects the Archdiocese of Brisbane's commitment to ensuring the safety, dignity and wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults in all aspects of Church life. If you have not yet completed your safeguarding training requirements, please do so as soon as possible. Your participation helps us maintain a safe, compliant, and welcoming environment for all. If you need assistance with access to your safeguarding modules, please reach out and we will try to assist you the best we can.
Link to Archbishop Shane's Message - https://youtu.be/G0rzf4aUJiY?si=0g0jqkWc5x45nps7
Thank you for your commitment!
Workshop for the
Communion Ministers to the Sick
We invite all the Communion Ministers to the Sick to attend our Workshop with Fr. Bernie.
When: 10:00am, Thursday 12th November
Where: Parish Centre, Woodend
Who: Parishioners who are currently taking Communion to the frail and sick in the community including Residential Aged Care Facilities.
What we need from you: To help keep our records up to date, we ask that you please send a list to the Parish Office of who you are currently visiting in the community as well as the frequency of visits.
We look forward to seeing you all there.
When: 10:00am, Thursday 12th November
Where: Parish Centre, Woodend
Who: Parishioners who are currently taking Communion to the frail and sick in the community including Residential Aged Care Facilities.
What we need from you: To help keep our records up to date, we ask that you please send a list to the Parish Office of who you are currently visiting in the community as well as the frequency of visits.
We look forward to seeing you all there.
SAVE THE DATE!
A Special Blessing to mark 75 years since Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (Religious Education Ministry in Schools) began the catechesis ministry in our Parish.
When: Sunday 25th, October 9:00am Mass
Who: everyone is welcome to attend
Watch this space for more information.
Daily Reflections for Advent
Year B, 2026
"Advent invites us to listen again to the quiet movements of the heart. In these weeks of waiting, longing and hope, the Church asks us not simply to prepare our homes and our celebrations, but to allow the Lord to prepare within us a place where he may be welcomed more deeply. The resource The Way of the Heart, offers a timely companion for that journey."
Archbishop Shane Mackinlay, Archbishop of Brisbane
Archbishop Shane Mackinlay, Archbishop of Brisbane
If you would like to commence a prayer group throughout Advent,
Please contact the Parish Office on: 3362 8765 or ipswich@bne.catholic.net.au
Please contact the Parish Office on: 3362 8765 or ipswich@bne.catholic.net.au
Fever: Candlelight
Friday 9th October,
St Mary’s Church, Woodend
6:00pm Show
The Four Seasons by A. Vivaldi (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) and La Folia.Performed live by Paradiso Strings (string quartet).
8:00pm Show
Best of Hans Zimmer’s most iconic scores Time (Inception), This Land (The Lion King), Zooster's Breakout (Madagascar), Supermarine (Dunkirk), Honor (The Pacific), A Dark Knight (The Dark Knight), Wonder Woman Suite, Cornfield Chase (Interstellar), Dune Suite, Gladiator Suite, Discombobulate (Sherlock Holmes) and Flight (Man of Steel).
Upcoming Candlelight Concerts at
St Mary’s Church, Woodend
St Mary’s Church, Woodend
Candlelight - Tribute to Fleetwood Mac
Candlelight - Ed Sheeran Meets Coldplay
Candlelight - Queen vs Abba
Candlelight - Tribute to Tool
Candlelight - Christmas Classics
Tickets from $35.00 and are available via the Fever Website - https://feverup.com/m/641238
