Your impact in 2023

Connecting Parish and School Communities Through Faith

In 2023, St Thomas Catholic Parish in Camp Hill introduced Family Faith Nights, an exciting initiative aimed at strengthening the bond between the parish and school communities. Throught this initiative, they hope to encourage more families from St Thomas' Primary School to attend regular Mass and grow together through an authentic faith connection.

Funded through an application through the Annual Grants Progran, Family Faith Nights are designed to be a joyous and educational experience for families. Each evening begins with a potluck dinner, fostering a sense of community families share meals together. The night proceeds with an opening message, which includes a prayer and an introduction to the evening's theme.

Themes for these nights are diverse and deeply rooted in our Catholic faith, including Creation, Saints, Catholic Social Teaching, the Eucharist, the Commandments, the Sacraments, the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the Rosary.

Families have the opportunity to engage in interactive displays, games, crafts, and activities, making faith learning both fun and memorable.

FUTURE-PROOFING OUR FAITH

As a ‘cradle Catholic’ Dr Manus Maher looks back on his faith journey with gratitude. “My faith slowly developed, and with this development came the realisation that the God we worship is a loving God. Appreciating this God who is so, so generous is the basis of my faith,” he said.

Dr Manus and his wife Dr Martine are parishioners at St Agatha’s Parish in Clayfield and are actively involved in their Church. They love nothing more than taking their grandsons to Mass with them on Sunday mornings. “This can get a bit noisy, but it reinforces our faith, and it feels even more important that we're able to pass on our faith and nurture the faith of another generation through our grandchildren,” they said.

As Eternal Guardians, they made the decision to leave a gift in their Will to their parish.  “The idea of leaving a legacy is not a difficult one for us. We have left a bequest in our Will, not looking for recognition, but with the hope that leaving these funds will give future Catholics the tools needed to face the challenges of their time.”

One of those challenges is the lack of young people at Mass. Martine recognises that when her grandchildren look around the church, there are very rarely other children there. “They don't see other children doing the same thing as they are, and I think that's going to prove challenging down the track.”

When asked what inspires their generosity to the Church and local ministry, Martine reflects on their values as a family. “I was not born Catholic, I converted to Catholicism prior to marrying Manus, and it's the strength of my belief that helps me through everyday life, all the little ups and downs, my role as a wife, mother, grandmother, friend and in my professional career. Our giving is one way of treating others with kindness, respect, and dignity.”

“We are still learning and developing as people. The most important lesson we’ve learned so far is that everything we have is a gift from God and that we're simply stewards of these gifts. And that our God is such a loving God.”

AN ENDURING GIFT OF FAITH

Win Beston made her first donation to support the Holy Spirit Seminary in Brisbane in 1989. As a ‘cradle-Catholic’, she’s not looking for any applause or awards, and feels humbled to receive a Quinn Medal for donations she's been faithfully making for over thirty years. 

Win finds joy in knowing that she makes a small contribution to support retired priests and seminarians. She is also a strong advocate for kids receiving a Catholic education, regardless of their family's bank balance.

Over her years of giving, Win has come to know Fr Roger Burns and Fr Tuong personally, and it is this connection with the Clergy that motivates her to help ensure they're taken care of long after they hang up their vestments. It’s not just about writing cheques; she's a friend they can chat with, sharing stories and laughs, and she also shares a bit of a Northern English connection with Fr Roger.

But Win's generosity doesn't stop there. Her awareness of the shortage of priests means she’s passionate about helping young men enter the priesthood, and she supports the work of the Mary MacKillop Fund, doing her bit to ensure kids can attend Catholic schools and receive the best start to their learning. Win says her inspiration comes from Mary MacKillop – a woman who, despite her own tough times, dedicated her life to education and helping others.

Win's approach to her faith is straightforward: live it, don't just preach it. She believes in setting an example for those around her, with faith at the centre of everything she does. She recalls a time she prayed to St. Anthony to help find her granddaughter's lost cat, something that might sound small to some, but Win says it's the little things that show who we really are.

Being such a humble, selfless person, it’s no surprise Win isn’t a fan of the spotlight, so when she was presented with the Quinn Medal for her decades of giving, she simply said, "Oh, look, I don’t want a medal! Please don’t give me a medal."

Win's story serves as a reminder for all of us of the importance of pitching in and helping where we see a need. 

*Gifts in Wills designated to endowments and gifts of property are included here.

**Revenue was applied to event expenses.

The net cost of fundraising was approximately 18% of the total funds raised in 2023

You are the hands and feet of Christ, serving those in need in our community

The Annual Catholic Campaign raised $$1,218,464 in support of vital Catholic ministries and services across the Archdiocese of Brisbane. The support of thousands of parishioners and donors is a testament to your incredible goodwill and generosity.

Local parishes and communities held special collections on the Campaign weekend in September, and gave more than 3,368 gifts to raise much-needed funds to support our most vulnerable neighbours, care for elderly, retired and unwell priests, provide seminarians with an education, and deliver Catholic school bursaries for children whose families are experiencing severe financial hardship.

The work of these ministries would be impossible without the generosity of our extended Catholic family - thank you to the Annual Catholic Campaign Ambassadors, parish priests, parish staff and all who generously gave in support of the Campaign.