02/09/2026
❤️ WELCOME HOME — WHERE OUR FAITH JOURNEY BEGAN ❤️
This morning’s Mass at Mary Immaculate Parish, Blackwater, was made even more special by the presence of some very dear old parishioners who came home to visit.
From left to right: Colleen Mullins, Cheryl Gothmann, Lois Date, Fr Kingsley, Chrissie Boag and Barbara Hocking, with Janelle Pinch behind the camera capturing this precious moment. 📸❤️
For these beautiful women, Blackwater Parish is not just a church — it is home. It is a place where memories were made, friendships were formed, families were nurtured in faith, and countless prayers were offered.
Sadly, the old church that held so many of those memories was destroyed by the devastating fire. 🔥💔 We lost a building, but we did not lose what truly made that church special — the faith, love, memories and community that were built within it.
So, seeing our old parishioners return today was deeply emotional. Standing together again, after all that has happened, reminds us that the Church is not merely a building. We are the Church. ❤️
The walls of the old church may be gone, but the faith planted there continues to live in the hearts of the people who worshipped, served and journeyed together within them.
Welcome home, dear friends. 🥰
Thank you for coming back to where so much of your faith story began. Your presence today was a beautiful reminder that Blackwater Parish will always be home — yesterday, today and tomorrow.
May God bless you all, and may the memories of our old church continue to inspire us as we rebuild, renew and look forward with hope. 🙏❤️
Blackwater Parish — the beginning of our faith journey, the home of our memories, and a family that never forgets its own.
