Sun 21 Dec 2025 – includes Christmas Mass times and priest roster.
Not from the Pulpit
Fr Richard Leonard SJ PP
All our prayers and support go to our Jewish sisters and brothers who endured such a despicable hate crime last Sunday. There is no room for antisemitism in Australia. We pray that during these daysof Hanukkah and Christmas we can even find some light in this darkness. I encourage you to read the Archbishop’s statement on our parish website. Please, also, pray for the repose of the soul of Peter Meagher, who, at this stage, is the only Gentile to have been killed at Bondi. I did Peter’s wedding nine years ago and now his widow, Virginia, has asked me to do his funeral, after his body is released by the coroner, at Mary Immaculate Church, Waverley.
I am sad to announce that at the end of the year Mark Quarrell will finish up as our services coordinator. In early 2026 Mark will relocate to rural NSW. We will miss him dearly and wish him well in all the future holds. Mark has been a parishioner for 45 years and he will always have a home amongst us. At the Christmas Masses we will give out the Parish Profile 2025. It’s been a big year for our parish and here are some of the highlights.
Almost 100 people formally joined our parish this year, and our numbers at each Mass increased. Our liturgies continue to be inclusive and engaging with good music and life-giving preaching. Rightly, Easter and Christmas are our liturgical highlights. We welcomed five adults into the church through the RCIA, and baptised three times as many children this year as in 2024. We celebrated 202 baptisms, 40 weddings and 51 funerals. The Thanksgiving Mass for the life of Pope Francis was a special moment, as was the Ordination of Joshua Choong SJ & Isaac Demase SJ on the 5thJuly.
We had special Masses or other commemorations for Lunar New Year, Laudato Si, NAIDOC, Mental Health Month, International Day of People with Disability, Refugee Week, World Mission Sunday and International Women’s Day.
We look for any way we can recognise and promote women’s leadership and formation in our parish.After 30 years, the Women’s Night of Spirituality was another great event. The Women Companions in Spirituality held three formation days, and we are linked to Women at the Well, Women and the Australian Catholic Church (WATAC), Mary’s House Services for Domestic Abuse, and the online Australian Women Preach. Catering for men too, we have the Men’s Spirituality Group and who are preparing for another Men Alive Retreat in February 2026.
We live in a very blest part of Sydney and we largely rely on your donations to support the mission of the parish. 72 people joined our planned giving programme this year, which enables us to financially plan for our future. Our recent audit told us we have an operating income of $1,349,637 and operating expenditure of $1,060,110 resulting in a surplus of $289,527 which was transferred to reserves. The principal expenditures were staff costs; insurances; R&M; utilities; music and pastoral expenses. After taking very good advice that the finances just didn’t add up, I decided not to proceed with the major redevelopment project at St Mary’s.
Without question the hardest thing I did this year was inform the residents of Xavier Terrace that we willbe demolishing that building by 2028. Priests want to build community and here I was dismantling one.
I can only do this with a clear conscience because we will work with the residents as best we can to find alternative accommodation and that the development of the SFX site is the best stewardship of the incredible resources we have been left by our forebears, and this is right thing to do for our parish’s future.
We are an exceptionally generous community. The Parish Charities Trust donated $630,000 in your name to various ministries including Jesuit Social Services Western Sydney, The Ignite Store, Holy Family Parish Mt Druitt, Jesuit Mission, St Vincent De Paul North Sydney Conference, Jesuit Refugee Service, the Cardoner Network for Young Adults, Mary Ward International and Jarjum Catholic College at Redfern.
Your generosity made a practical difference to many people’s lives. Thank you.
In addition to the work of the Trust, we held nine appeals which raised well over a quarter of a million dollars. We delivered 1,245 bags of groceries to Mt Druitt. The Friends of Timor-Leste was founded this year and so far we have sent $120,000 to Timor-Leste including one single anonymous donation of $70,000 toward the minibus. Another anonymous parishioner paid for the new organ in St Mary’s.
Due to ill health we were very sad to farewell John Yates after 23 years of dedicated service in the St Mary’s car park, but we welcomed Noah Golledge to take John’s place. Recently I appointed Abby Sinclair as Youth Minister and Danielle Whitmore as Sacramental Coordinator. With Tom Jenkins’ great skill, we founded our parish You Tube Channel and upped our game on Facebook and Instagram whichis seeing us reach more young adults, some who are now joining us for Mass on Sunday night. The daily online Mass averages 9,328 unique views per month.
In 2026 we will continue to strongly reaffirm our child and vulnerable adult safeguarding practices; develop our commitment to social justice through our partnerships; give the best pastoral care we can even as Jesuit numbers decline; start new chapters in youth ministry and sacramental preparation, and, first and foremost, worship God living and true in and through the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist. May you and your family have a blest Christmas and may all that we do in the New Year be for AMDG.
Parish Notices
Christmas Masses & Priest Roster 2025 - Carols 11.30pm St Mary’s before Midnight Mass.
Christmas Eve – Wed 24 Dec
· 4.00pm St Mary’s, North Sydney – Fr Richard Leonard SJ PP
· Carols 4.15pm - 5.00pm Star of the Sea – Fr Andy Nguyen SJ
· 5.30pm St Francis Xavier, Lavender Bay – Fr Brett O’Neill SJ
· 7.00pm St Mary’s, North Sydney – Fr Richard Leonard SJ PP
· Carols 11.30pm - Midnight, St Mary’s, North Sydney – Fr Andy Nguyen SJ
Christmas Day – Thurs 25 Dec
· 8.00am Star of the Sea, Kirribilli – Fr Richard Leonard SJ PP
· 9.00am St Mary’s, North Sydney – Fr Andy Nguyen SJ
· 9.30am St Francis Xavier, Lavender Bay – Fr Richard Leonard SJ PP
Christmas & January Mass Times and Office Hours
Please note the following changes to our parish schedule over Christmas and January:
The parish office will be closed for the Christmas break from midday Wed 24 Dec through to
Mon 5 Jan 9.00am. For pastoral emergencies contact Fr Richard Leonard SJ PP, on
0409 120 928.
There will be no Midday Mass at St Mary’s from Thurs 25 Dec to Fri 9 Jan.
Midday Mass resumes on Mon 12 Jan.
There will be no 9.00am Sunday Mass at St Mary’s on 28 Dec, 4, 11 and 18 Jan.
The 9.00am Mass will resume on Sun 25 Jan, as will the first 2026 edition of the Parish Bulletin.
The online Mass will continue as usual.
The parish office will also be closed on Australia Day, Mon 26 Jan.
Fr Richard Leonard’s SJ PP HOMILIES
In his homilies, Fr Richard offers thoughtful insights, real-world connections, and a deep sense of faith to guide us through the week. Whether you’re part of our parish or watching from afar, we hope these reflections bring you encouragement and inspiration. View now on the Parish YouTube Channel