The season of Lent begins this week as we mark ourselves with a cross of ashes.
On this 40-day journey, we join those who are joining the Catholic Church around the world and embark together on this time of going more deeply into our way of following Jesus in our relationship with God, our family, friends and neighbours.

It is a time of letting go of what cannot love us back to make space for what can!
 
Traditionally, the church community practices three ways of letting go and taking up: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
 
Some ideas for this week:
Prayer
1) Consider with curiosity what is keeping you from listening to God’s quiet voice and keeping you at a distance from yourself?
2) Is there anything in your life that you are very attached to, that can’t love you back and is taking you away from those who do? What do you want to make more space for in your life?
 
Fasting
1)  Consider Pope Francis’ words: Do you want to fast this Lent? (See below)
2) Consider what you can practice letting go of to open space for sharing generously?
 
Almsgiving & Service
1)  How will your fasting lead you to be a person sharing God’s abundant generosity with others?
2) What commitment can you make this Lent to practice generosity. Perhaps:

• a commitment of time to a weekly visit or checkin with someone who lives alone, in a care home or needs friendly support in the struggles of life.
• a commitment to intentional family time, a meal, game time or volunteering together.
• a commitment of finance to supporting the poor through Project Compassion, St Vincent de Paul or the Carmelite mission in Timor Leste.
• a commitment of service joining one of our church ministry groups, assisting as a volunteer at our parish school, volunteering in our local community.

Dear Parents,

Over the last few years, your child has celebrated the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist. These sacraments, together with Baptism, complete their initiation in our Catholic faith community where they have grown in understanding and living a Christian way of life as a member of your family and the family of the Church.  

The next step in your child’s sacramental journey is the Sacrament of Penance (First Rite of Reconciliation). The preparation for and celebration of the Sacrament of Penance will deepen your child’s understanding of the gift of God’s mercy and forgiveness, and the Christian practice of forgiveness in family, faith and community life. A simple celebration of the Sacrament of Penance was included as part of the sacramental preparation for First Communion. As per the Sacramental Policy of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, children in Year 5 are prepared to celebrate more fully the Sacrament of Penance with individual confession (Reconciliation) and absolution.

This celebration of the Sacrament of Penance will be celebrated here at the Parish on Thursday 23rd March at 6pm.

The Parent and Child Preparation Session will be held on Monday 27th February at 6pm in the Church. Similar to preparation for Confirmation and Eucharist, the children will work through a Preparation Booklet at home during the weeks leading up to the celebration of the Sacrament of Penance – the booklet will be handed out at the Parent and Child preparation session.

The first step in the preparation process is to complete the online enrolment form (click here) and submit with the completed Parental Authority Form (below) and receipt of donation to mtcarmel@bne.catholic.net.au or the parish office by Wednesday 22nd February.

For any further enquiries, please contact the Parish Office on 3397 1587 or mtcarmel@bne.catholic.net.au.

Sincerely,
Rev Martinho Da Costa, O.Carm                                                                                                                                      Parish Priest

​Catholic Leader digital pilot project
Our Lady of Mt Carmel Parish is one of 5 parishes taking part in a pilot of a new digital delivery model for The Catholic Leader.
What’s happening.
-   During the 3-month pilot The Catholic Leader will cease newspaper deliveries to the parish. Instead, there will be free access to the digital version of the Leader via a QR Code in the weekly parish bulletin.
-   The QR code will take you to a Catholic Leader page with five of the top stories for the week. From there, you will be able to navigate the entire Catholic Leader website for free.
- If you access a parish e-newsletter, there will be a Catholic Leader link that will also take you to the same landing page.
When is it happening:
-    Starting in February 2023 for a 3-month trial until April 2023
During the pilot project The Catholic Leader team will seek your feedback via a short survey to see how you like the digital delivery.

Please also view the FAQs https://www.mtcarmelcoorparoo.org.au/blog/the-catholic-leader-trial-faqs

Frequently Asked Questions for The Catholic Leader’s Your Catholic Newsroom parish pilot
 
These questions and answers should help to address some common problems encountered by parish staff or parishioners involved in The Catholic Leader’s Your Catholic Newsroom pilot.

1. Will the Newsroom work with all devices?

1. Yes, it is hosted on a webpage on The Catholic Leader website and is accessible by any device that has access to the Internet.

 
Q. Do I need to register for Your Catholic Newsroom?
A. No, the Newsroom is available to anyone who has the link to it, either directly: www.catholicleader.com/newsroom or who uses the QR code.
 
Q. Is this a free service? Will it remain free?
A. Yes, it is free and will remain free.
 
Q. How long will this pilot last?
A. The pilot for the Newsroom will last three months. At the end of the three months, The Catholic Leader will assess the success of the pilot and make a decision on the future of the project.
 
Q. Can I still access a print newspaper?
A. Anyone can access a print newspaper by subscribing online at https://catholicleader.com.au/subscribe/ or by phone (07) 3324 3555, or by visiting a parish stocking The Catholic Leader newspaper.
 
Q. Does this mean the print newspaper is not coming back?
A. The Catholic Leader team is looking at new ways to deliver our news as the cost to produce print newspapers continues to increase. There is no plan to remove the print newspaper in 2023.
 
Q. I am not computer literate or I do not have access to an Internet-connected device, how can I access the Newsroom?
A. Your Catholic Newsroom requires access to an Internet-connected device. Unfortunately The Catholic Leader does not have devices to give out to people in this situation but you might be able to talk to friends, family or parish members who can show you on a device of their own.
 
Q. How often will Your Catholic Newsroom update its stories?
A. Your Catholic Newsroom will update its stories by 6pm each Friday.
 
Q. My eyesight is not good enough to read text on the web, what can I do?
A. When you open a story on Your Catholic Newsroom (or any story on The Catholic Leader website), you will be able to increase the size of the text in the story. A small button of AA under the headline can be clicked, and then you can increase the text by clicking the larger A. 
Q. Am I missing out on content by not receiving the newspaper in the parish?
A. There are pieces of content that appear in the newspaper that will not be made available online. All major newspaper stories will be available either in Your Catholic Newsroom or on The Catholic Leader website. These stories might appear later or earlier than they appear in the print newspaper, there is no general rule.
 
Q. Can I still access the crosswords?
A. The crosswords and games are not available online. You will need access either to The Catholic Leader print edition or its digital flipbook to access the crosswords and games.
 
Q. How can I give my feedback to The Catholic Leader team about Your Catholic Newsroom?
A. An email address parishes@catholicleader.com.au has been set-up to receive all feedback and handle any queries from parishioners and parish staff.