ABOUT US
Welcome to Mary, Queen of the Family Parish, Blacktown! We are one of the 47 Parishes in the Diocese of Parramatta, servicing the community of Blacktown. Our Parish is made up of two churches and five schools, providing Catholic education and faith formation to the Catholic community of Blacktown.
St. Michael's Church, South Blacktown
St. Patrick's Church, Blacktown
Mission Statement
We are a welcoming, diverse, multicultural, Catholic community. We seek to live, teach and share the joy of the Gospel; to grow as disciples of Jesus through prayer, witness and action and to respond to the needs of the family in the Blacktown community and beyond.
Our Goals
- Deepening Our Welcome
- Enriching Faith Formation
- Fostering Social Justice
So, welcome to our Family! We hope that you’ll be in touch to join with us on our Mission to Welcome, Grow and Act
DO YOU HAVE A PRAYER REQUEST?
If you have a prayer request, please fill out the form below and we will pass it on to our parish prayer team. If you have any questions or need further information, please contact our Parish Office.
MQOF Parishioners Information Form
New Parishioner Information Form
PARISH TEAM
The Parish team is comprised of clergy, employees and volunteers from a number of different backgrounds. The whole team is committed to running and assisting the weekly operations of our Parish.
The many diverse gifts and experiences of the team members helps the Parish Team to better achieve the Parish Goals to Welcome, Grow and Act. The Parish Team meets every Wednesday to discuss the weekend past and the week ahead. Any correspondence with the Parish Team should be directed via our contact form.
PARISH PRIEST
Fr. Wim Hoekstra
ASSISTANT PRIEST
Fr. Andrew Rooney
ASSISTANT PRIEST
Fr. Evergisto Bernaldez, MSP
DEACON
Deacon John Cinya
PARISH SECRETARY
Ann Hart
SACRAMENTAL COORDINATOR & PARISH SECRETARY
Gerald Oblea
BUSINESS & FINANCE OFFICER
Sarah Canete-Damole
VOLUNTEER
Grethel Simon
VOLUNTEER
Joyce Atkins
PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL 2023/26
The Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) is an elected body of Parishioners from various backgrounds and both churches in our Parish. The PPC works with the Parish Priest to propose, study and facilitate pastoral initiatives to foster the growth of faith in our Parish in alignment with the Parish vision, mission and goals. Council members are nominated by Parishioners every two years, and undertake a day of formation to discern their role in the lay leadership of the Parish.
How can you be involved?
Your PPC welcomes your ideas/feedback about the Pastoral Mission of Mary, Queen of the Family Parish. You can submit correspondence:
1) via Contact Form
2) via the PPC Correspondence Box located in both churches.
In order to fulfil our commitment to our parish community, we would ask that ALL correspondence include your name and contact information (email/phone number). We cannot reply to anonymous mail. The PPC Correspondence Box is cleared weekly by the PPC Secretary and by Parish Office Staff. Correspondence is presented to the Council at General meetings unless the topic is more appropriately replied to by the Parish Team.
CHAIRPERSON
Cecil Fernandes
DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON
Joshua Carr
SECRETARY
Savita Surendra
PARISH PRIEST
Fr. Wim Hoekstra
ASSISTANT PRIEST
Fr. Evergisto Bernaldez, MSP
ASSISTANT PRIEST
Fr. Andrew Rooney
DEACON
Deacon John Cinya
COUNCIL MEMBER
Ekhlas Ambili
COUNCIL MEMBER
Tony Fernando
COUNCIL MEMBER
Sidney Lazum
COUNCIL MEMBER
Erica Luiz
COUNCIL MEMBER
Harlane Petersen
COUNCIL MEMBER
Beato Pudadera
COUNCIL MEMBER
Helena Vea
Minutes of the PPC meetings
FINANCE COMMITTEE
The Finance Committee is a consultative body responsible for assisting the Parish Priest with the stewardship of the material goods of the Parish and also with assisting and advising important financial decisions impacting the parish. The nature of the Committee is that it also maintains a transparent and close relationship with other Ministry Groups, particularly the Parish Pastoral Council, when it comes to budgeting and allocating funds for the Parish.
Members of the Finance Committee are appointed by the Parish Priest and are representative of both the St Patrick’s and St Michael’s church communities. The diverse mix of ages, gender, occupations and perspectives of its members helps the Committee to make decisions that will best provide for the needs of the Parish.
Another key aim of the Finance Committee is to educate the Parish community on the financial needs of the Parish, and the importance of supporting it through the Planned Giving Program. This is a necessary cornerstone for the growth of the Parish and achieve our mission to Welcome, Grow and Act.
CHAIRPERSON
Michael Zerafa
PARISH PRIEST
Fr. Wim Hoekstra
COMMITTEE MEMBER
Bill Callaghan
COMMITTEE MEMBER
John Kurmann
COMMITTEE MEMBER
Fr. Andrew Rooney
COMMITTEE MEMBER
Cita Correa
COMMITTEE MEMBER
Colin Morris
COMMITTEE MEMBER
Jojo Stamati
COMMITTEE MEMBER
Sarah Canete-Damole
COMMITTEE MEMBER
Fr. Evergisto Bernaldez, MSP
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
The Catholic faith in Blacktown has a rich and lengthy genealogy. The history of the Church in Blacktown can be traced back to the mid 1800s. As we live in the newest community of Catholics in Blacktown, it’s important that we remember and celebrate our history, and create new traditions in the same spirit as the old.
