News from Bundaberg
Food and Song Festival
Lucille Gott entertains at the Food & Song morning.
Our parish is becoming quite diverse in culture. We celebrate together each Sunday united in our faith. To mark this diversity, to celebrate a belated Multicultural Sunday, and as an excuse to come together socially before the end-of-year breakup parties begin, a morning of food and song was held on Sunday, October 20, in Mary MacKillop Hall, St Joseph’s school hall.
A vast array of foods from across the nations was offered and song, dance, and poetry items from our Indian, Filipino, Tongan, Italian and Australian parishioners were performed. The members of NET sang their national anthems: Canadian, American, and Australian. Fr Peter led some communal singing and others were coaxed to come forward and learn a Scottish folk dance. Had there been more time I’m sure we would have heard from our Zimbabwean, Scottish, Dutch, Kenyan, Sri Lankan, Maltese and Croatian friends. Maybe next year.
Parish Stewardship Council. 
Joe McCorley leads the Stewardship Council discernment evening
Nominations for new members to the parish Stewardship Council were called for in August to replace retiring members. It was heartening to see 70 parishioners nominated for the retiring positions. Those who accepted the nominations were invited to an evening of information and discernment on October 17, led by Mr Joe McCorley. Working through the process, six people were elected to the Council. We welcome Ben Galea, Emily Obst, Colleen Oberle, Mick Gerrard, Michael Walker and Nadia Fregonese to the Council. All Council members will be commissioned during Sunday Mass on the Feast of Christ the King, ready for the new year.
Sacramental Preparation
Sacramental Preparation has begun for the young children of our parish with, at this stage, nearly 60 children registered. More will come as the word spreads. The young parents of our parish come from a variety of backgrounds, religious affiliations, and faith experiences. Not all who have registered are Catholic. Not all of them come to regular Sunday Mass. Some are familiar faces among us. However, the one thing they all have in common is the love for their child and a desire to do the best for them in all aspects of their lives, including their faith life.
Ritual of Remembering Baptism
The process began on the weekend of November 9/10th with a Ritual of Remembering Baptism. The sacrament of Baptism is where our life in Jesus Christ begins and so we return to the sacrament in order to go forward with the preparation for the sacraments of Penance, Confirmation and Eucharist.
Farewell NET Ministries 
Net Team farewelled by the young people of the parish
After four years of having NET Ministries Australia present in our parish, we farewelled our 2019 Team on Sunday, 10th November, during the 5.30pm youth-led Mass, and after in the Novakoski Centre. We are so grateful for the time, talent, and generosity of the five young people who, each year, have given nearly a year of their life to youth evangelisation in our schools and parish. This year’s team included Gerry Vytilingam (Melbourne), John Lysaght (U.S.A), Rachel Obrien (Canada), David Anderson (Canada) and Bridgette Rueff (U.S.A). Their youthful presence in the office, schools, and church was a breath of fresh air, maybe Spirit-filled? They have left us with a strong group of enthusiastic young leaders. Thank you, dear young ones.
Anne Sheehan