LIKE the Holy Family trekking all the way to Bethlehem to register for the census, all Brisbane Catholics must reach out to their local parish to register for Christmas Masses. Christmas Masses are among the most popular of the year and once COVID-safe capacities are reached, parish workers will have to turn people away and direct them to live- streamed ... Read More »
Tag Archives: St Stephen’s Cathedral
Churches across Australia go red for Christian persecution in an ‘age of martyrs’
RED floodlights have been switched on at St Stephen’s Cathedral to symbolically wash the stone facade in the blood of persecuted Christians as the Church remembers and prays for them in November. One in nine Christians around the world are persecuted for their faith in Jesus, according to the 2020 Open Doors World Watch List. In the past year, more ... Read More »
City Multicultural Mass a reminder of why we gather
CATHOLICS from 22 multicultural communities processed into St Stephen’s Cathedral wearing national dress for the Multicultural Mass celebrated by Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge last Sunday. Coronavirus restrictions had taken a toll on the large numbers usually present at the Mass while the typical festivities like the food exhibition were unable to go ahead. Even so, almost 100 people gathered for ... Read More »
Golden Wedding anniversary Mass a reminder of abounding love in dire times
BRISBANE Archbishop Mark Coleridge led 45 couples in celebrating marital milestones at the Golden Wedding Anniversary Mass at St Stephen’s Cathedral on September 26. Among the reduced-numbers crowd, owing to coronavirus restrictions, was Raymond and Sheila Thurlow whose wedding anniversary is this week on October 9. Mr and Mrs Thurlow married at St Finbarr’s Church, Ashgrove, and have three children. ... Read More »
Long-serving St Stephen’s Cathedral sacristans looking forward to going back to work
A COUPLE of the more familiar faces are starting to reappear around Brisbane’s St Stephen’s Cathedral. As health authorities begin to ease COVID-19 restrictions for public gatherings, long-time sacristans Lloyd Eikenloff and Bob Cracknell have started to return. Regular visitors to weekday Masses at the cathedral would be used to seeing the men serving at the altar. Each of them ... Read More »
Fr Thomas Ismoyo wants to Pay It Forward in holy orders for the love of God
PAY It Forward, a movie that made $9.6 million in the United States on its opening weekend in 2000, holds meaning for Fr Thomas Ismoyo that cannot be measured in dollars. It describes how he lives his life as a priest. Fr Thomas, an Indonesian priest living in Brisbane while he studies at the Queensland University of Technology, celebrates his ... Read More »
New St Stephen’s Cathedral music director Christopher Trikili itching to pull out all stops
CHRISTOPHER Trikilis believes his role as the new director of music at St Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane can play a special part as the community begins to ease out of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. He believes it’s important not just for the cathedral community but for those who would not normally even go near St Stephen’s. It’s to do with ... Read More »
St Peter Chanel and St Stephen transformed by the engines of their martyrdom into the Living Bread
IT is the stones and clubs, the engines of martyrdom, that transform in the protomartyrs into the Living Bread, Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge said on the feast of St Stephen and protomartyr of Oceania, St Peter Chanel. “Today we hear from Scripture of bread and stones,” Archbishop Coleridge said at the 8am Mass livestreamed from St Stephen’s Cathedral. “Jesus says, ... Read More »
Livestreamed Masses have been successful, but not meant to become future of church
BRISBANE families have swapped out church pews for living room couches as thousands tuned in to watch livestreamed Masses across Lent and Easter amid coronavirus lockdown. Most of the Brisbane parishes that had livestreaming capabilities had hundreds of households engaging with Easter Masses. Kedron parish priest Franciscan Father Mario Debattista said he had some trouble getting the livestreamed Masses up ... Read More »