Sunday
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Cooma
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Bombala
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Jindabyne
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Adaminaby
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Nimmitabel
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Berridale
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Delegate
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Numeralla
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1st Sun
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10am Mass
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5 pm Sat
Vigil Mass
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5pm Sat
Vigil Mass
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5 pm Sat
Liturgy
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10am Sun
Liturgy
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5 pm Sat
Liturgy
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-
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2nd Sunday
&
Baptism
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10am Mass
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9am Sun
Liturgy
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5pm Sat
Vigil Mass
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9am Sun
Mass
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5 pm Sat
Liturgy
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10am Liturgy
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5 pm Sat
Liturgy
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5 pm Sun
Liturgy
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3rd Sunday
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10am Mass
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10am
Mass
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5pm Sat
Liturgy of Word
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5pm Sat
Vigil Mass
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10am Sun
Liturgy
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8am Sun
Mass
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-
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4th Sunday
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10am Mass
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9am Sun
Mass
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5pm Sat
Vigil Mass
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5 pm Sat
Liturgy
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10am Liturgy
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5 pm Sat
Liturgy
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5 pm Sun
Mass
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5th Sunday
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10am
Mass
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9am Sun Liturgy
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5pm Sat
Liturgy
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5 pm Sat
Vigil Mass
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10am Sun
Liturgy
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5 pm Sat
Liturgy
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please see PARISH NEWS for full message
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Easter Tuesday 22 April 2025
A tribute to Pope Francis (1936 to 2025)
Archbishop Christopher Prowse
We mourn the death of our beloved Pope Francis on Easter Monday 21st April 2025. We offer our Masses and our prayers for the repose of his soul.
What a great gift Pope Francis has been as our Pope over these 12 years.
He has been a Pope of many firsts.
He is the first Pope (and there have been 266 Popes) who was a member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).
He was also the first Pope from the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere. He was the first Pope born and raised outside Europe since the 8th Century.
Finally, he is the first Pope to have chosen the name “Francis” as his Papal name.
Since his election as Pope on the 13th March 2013, Pope Francis has given so much hope to the Catholic Church and the world in general. He has been a Pope who has encouraged us to open ourselves more fully to the merciful love of Jesus. This is even reflected in his Papal Motto: “Lowly but chosen.” We can certainly say that God has chosen, for our time and place, Pope Francis.
For me personally, it has been a Pontificate of beautiful humble and merciful images.
So many examples come to mind.
We will never forget the beautiful image of Pope Francis after his election as Pope returning to the hotel he was staying to pay his bill for his accommodation. He then decided to live in a house for priests rather that the Apostolic Palace.
I recall in his early days as Pope Francis stopping the Pope-mobile in St Peter’s Square and embracing the deformed face of a man – Vinicio Riva. It was a symbolic image of the love of God embracing those who, in this case physically, are on the periphery of life.
Then of course we must not forget that for so much of his Pontificate there were two Popes present. His greeting of the retired Pope Benedict XVI, his predecessor, in retirement soon after Pope Francis’s election in 2013 was history in the making.
There is another image that was so constant in his many unexpected travels around the world. His choice of a very humble car rather than some Limousine was always a good image. The other image was him constantly passing people with his hand outside the window blessing and waving to them. This image of his outstretched arm waving to people from his humble white car was a prophetic image of a Church living humbly and modestly.
Pope Francis interacted with the crowds in a very personal way. He would continually stop his Pope-mobile to embrace and bless children and the infirm. Quite often there were old friends invited into his vehicle or unexpected people going for a ride!
Another important image of healing was the washing of the feet of prisoners during Holy Week. His annual trip to wash the feet of prisoners was never to be taken for granted and was most unusual in such an annual pattern.
Personally, the Australian Bishops’ meeting with Pope Francis over 90 minutes on 24th June 2019 in the Vatican was an unforgettable experience of my life. His nearness, kindness and pastoral wisdom was awe-inspiring.
Another image for us in more recent years was very significant. It was his interaction during the Synods on Synodality in Rome (2023-2024). There was the image of the Pope sitting around a circular table with everybody rather than on some high throne on a stage. His reorganisation of the Roman Curia and his total support for expressing Church life in a “synodal way” will be one of his lasting inheritances. This is symbolised in the conversations in round circles that he promoted and participated in personally.
When we talk generally to people about Pope Francis they inevitably describe his humility and informality. Others would comment on his great contribution to Inter-Religious Dialogue. Particularly his signing of the document on Human Fraternity (Abu Dhabi, 4 February 2019) along with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, was a prophetic document in a world still so desperately trying to find peace among the world Religions.
Another landmark contribution was his advances in regard to the Catholic Church and its theology and practice of Ecology. The document, Laudato Si (2015)(and Fratelli Tutti 2020), has begun a major return of the Catholic Church back to its theological understanding of Ecology.
His support of popular movements within the Church and always arranging his timetables, national or international, to embrace the poorest of the poor will be remembered.
He always supported the youth, particularly in World Youth Days. In the World Youth Day in Portugal (2023) he insistence that we all repeat after him, “Everyone”. This was quite monumental. Quite often being misunderstood and making him unpopular in some circles, he was always insisting that everyone is welcomed into the Church no matter what their situation.
He was unique in many respects. He did not write in the philosophical language of Pope St John Paul II nor equal the incredible international pilgrimages he made. Nor, really, were his writings as numerous and as profound theologically as his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI. Nonetheless, his writings reflect a most personal sharing of his deep relationship with the Lord. He was always stressing the importance of evangelisation and our need to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
May his dear soul rest in peace.
May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the Mercy of God rest in peace. Amen!
Archbishop Christopher Prowse
Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn

please See Full Tribute in 'LINKS' (in the Archdiocesan website)

Archdiocesan News - Fr Tony Percy
Pope Francis has appointed Fr Tony Percy, currently the parish priest of St Gregory’s parish, Queanbeyan, as the next Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Sydney.
Fr Tony Percy, 62, was born in Sydney but relocated to Cooma with his family soon after. He is well acquainted with Sydney, however, having studied a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) from the University of New South Wales and, more recently, serving as the rector of the Seminary of the Good Shepherd from 2009-2014.
Following his ordination to the priesthood in December 1990, Fr Tony served at the parishes of Young, Queanbeyan, Ariah Park, Ardlethan and Barrellan before heading to the United States for further studies, obtaining his Licentiate and Doctorate in Sacred Theology.
After his return from studies, he served as parish priest in Goulburn before being invited by Cardinal George Pell to head the seminary.
Following his term as seminary rector, Fr Tony returned to Canberra and served as the archdiocesan Vicar General from 2015-2023. During that time he also served as parish priest at Wanniassa and then—until this appointment—as the parish priest of St Gregory’s, Queanbeyan.
Before Fr Tony’s departure for Sydney, there will be a Mass and Farewell for Fr Tony at St Christopher’s Cathedral.

- The Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn
A few words of introduction from Fr Kose. MS
My name is Fr. Kuriakose Chennelil Joseph. I belong to the Our Lady of La Salatte congregation. I am coming from India. My family consists of my Mother, Father and three elder brothers. Unfortunately, my Father went back to his heavenly abode last year. I am the youngest child of my parents.
I was ordained as a priest on 2nd Jan 2018. 6 eventful years passed after myself being a priest. I served in different capacities during these six years as a priest such as Assistant Parish Priest, Vocation Director of the Indian Matha Province of my congregation, Assistant Director of a school and a college and the Rector of the Minor Seminary. Since, you have difficulty in pronouncing my name as Kuriakose, you can call me Fr.Kose. I look forward to serving you all in the best possible way. I also ask your prayers and blessings for carrying out my duties and responsibilities in a vibrant and spiritual way. Fr. Kose. MS
Pastoral Letter - Indigenous Voice to Parliament Referendum
Pastoral Letter from Archbishop Prowse regarding the Moral and Ethical dimension of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament Referendum.
Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv1PIk9d5p8

PASTORAL LETTER

ARCHBISHOP CHRISTOPHER PROWSE
CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF CANBERRA AND GOULBURN
INDIGENOUS VOICE TO PARLIAMENT REFERENDUM
– SOME MORAL/ETHICAL REFLECTIONS -
Regarding the Voice to Parliament Referendum, the Bishops of Australia have encouraged us to consider the moral/ethical dimensions and not simply political arguments.
To assist us in forming our individual and collective consciences, may I offer the following very brief and initial reflections.
We are to ask: “How ought I/we vote? … What ought I/we DO?” This is a good place to start. However, if we leave the question simply at this we may well end up with an answer based on political arguments alone.
The deeper moral/ethical question probes our conscience further. It asks: “What ought I/we BE as Australians given this issue now before us?”
To answer this deeper moral question requires considerations on two levels simultaneously: social structures and human attitudes.
On the level of social structures, there is a strong argument for change. At present, simply being born an aboriginal person places an Australian seemingly in a highly marginalised position.
The Uluru Statement from the Heart (2017) expresses this succinctly. “Proportionally, we are the most incarcerated people on the planet. We are not an innately criminal people. Our children are alienated from their families at unprecedented rates. This cannot be because we have no love for them. And our youth languish in detention in obscene numbers. They should be our hope for the future.”
The entrenched nature of this crisis seems to indicate an intergenerational social structure that is diseased.
Good ethics would insist that a deeper diagnosis of this situation would involve the interplay of structures with human attitudes. This dual consideration assists us in discovering foundations for the common good – the doorway to true justice.
This requires dialogue and listening with our First Australians. It is in this area of attitudes that Aboriginal activist, Noel Pearson (27 October 2022, Boyer Lectures), identifies a major weakness in finding healing solutions. He says in a most disturbing refection: “We are a much unloved people. We are perhaps the ethnic group Australians feel least connected to. We are not popular and we are not personally known to many Australians. Few have met us and a small minority count us as friends. And despite never having met any of us …… Australians hold and express strong views about us, the great proportion of which is negative and unfriendly.”
Regardless of the result of the 14 October 2023 Referendum and the social structural changes proposed, this area of conversion of attitudes would remain.
We all surely have a communal responsibility to ponder deeply on the type of Australia we want to become because of the Referendum. Let us educate our individual and collective consciences on the issues involved and vote according to these deep reflections.
As Pope St John Paul II so famously stated in the much quoted speech he gave to Aboriginal Australians in Alice Springs (29th November 1986),
You are part of Australia and Australia is part of you. And the Church herself in Australia will not be fully the Church that Jesus wants her to be until you have made your contribution to her life and until that contribution has been joyfully received by others.”
Archbishop Christopher Prowse
Catholic Archbishop of Canberra and Goulburn
3rd October 2023