Parish Focus Groups

Friendship Group

Meets 10am, 3rd Friday of the month, in the Parish Centre

The Frienship Group is a gathering of mostly ladies who meet for tea/coffee and fellowship. They provide a place of connection, a place to build relationships, and a place to have some spiritual conversation around the Sunday Gospel.

Newcomers are always welcome and are invited to share their laughs, tears, spiritual and wellbeing support from one another.


Friends of Timor Leste

Since 2003 the Bairnsdle Friends of East Timor have:

  • Provided nutritious lunches at St Antonio's Secondary College, baucau.
  • Subsidised the cost of english/tetum Dictionaries for St. Antonio's Secondary College.
  • Paid school fees for students from poor families who attend St. Antonio's Secondary College.
  • Paid expenses for Salesian Youth Group, Baucau.
  • Fully supported 14 and partially supported 18 tertiary students, now graduated.
  • Fully supported 3 trainee teachers at the Marist Teacher's College Baucau.
  • Paid fees for 14 students at Don Bosco Trade School in Dili.
  • Partially supported 4 tertiary students at Dili Institute.
  • Provided pastoral care for the local East Timorese seasonbal workers.

Currently we are:

  • Supporting 4 students attending Marist Teacher's College in Baucau.
  • Providing nutritious lunches for students at St. Antonio's College, Baucau.

Volunteers have:

  • Visited Baucau 54 times, staying as guests of the Salesian Community.
  • Taught english and other subjects at St. Antonio's and other schools.
  • Provided vocational guidance for senior students and contributed to their welfare needs.
  • Joined in extra-curricular activities strengthening the bonds between students, staff and volunteers.

St Vincent de Paul Society

There are three categories of membership of the Society.

1. Conference members are those who belong to the grassroots groups within the Society known as conferences. They live their Catholic faith in action through the spirit of Christian charity. 

2. Associate members are those who are committed to the ethos, mission, aims and objects of the Society and who assist the work of the Society, but do not attend conference meetings. 

3. Volunteer members are those who respect the ethos, mission, aims and objects of the Society and who volunteer in any of the Society’s works.

Conference: Meets on the 4th Thursday of the month, 7pm at Parish Centre

St Vincent de Paul’s Assistance Centre is situated at Shop 15 Riviera Plaza. People are welcomed in a clean and secure place and are treated with respect and dignity. No work of charity is foreign to conference members. They visit people in their homes, in the hospital, aged care facilities or wherever else people may be found needing aid or comfort.  Members also meet and pray together at others times.

Vinnies Conference offers a way for students to participate in the Society’s transformative work. Mini Vinnies at St Mary’s School is a program designed for primary level students. We encourage participating students to live their faith in a three-pronged way: ‘See’ (education and awareness). ‘Think’ (formation and reflection) and ‘Do’ (community service and fundraising). Vinnies is looking forward to starting a Conference for secondary students at Nagle College. 

Contact Cathy McMahon: 0448 525 462

Welfare Appointments: 5152 6687


St Mary’s Op Shop

St Mary’s Opportunity Shop is run by volunteers. It is located next door to the Salvo Op Shop on MacLeod Street. The St Mary's Op Shop stocks a wide range of donated items including furniture, electrical goods, clothing, footwear, toys and books. Everything you buy or donate inspires change in our local community, with profits being used to fund St Mary’s Church Restoration Project and local St Vincent de Paul Conference services and programs.

We welcome new volunteers at any time. Please contact us for more information. 

Contact: 5152 2088


St Anthony Procession

The Italian Australian community in our parish celebrates the feast day St. Anthony of Padua on the Sunday of the King's Birthday weekend. Following Mass, the local town band leads the procession of the St Anthony statue along Main St to Service St and back to the church. The celebration concludes with a luncheon in the Parish Centre. It is a good time for all to reminisce, sing along with the accordion, and remember many of the songs of old. Traditionally, such festivals were held in Italian towns celebrating the local patron saint and this celebration is a reminder of their Italian heritage and faith.

Contact Bruno Capobianco: 5152 2022 (H)