St James' Parish Blayney

08/09/2026

03/09/2026

Father’s Day Appeal this Weekend

As you leave Mass this weekend, a special collection will be taken up for the annual Father’s Day Appeal, which supports the care and welfare of our retired and sick priests.

The Father’s Day Appeal is a tangible expression of our gratitude to the priests who have dedicated their lives to serving our parish communities, celebrating the sacraments, and walking with us in faith. Through this collection, our Catholic community assists the diocese in providing essential healthcare, comfortable accommodation, and ongoing support for those who have tirelessly cared for the flock over many decades.

Donations can also be made via this link https://www.bpoint.com.au/pay/CATHOLICDIOCESEOFBATHURST?billercode=1700384

Thank you for your generosity and for supporting those who have given so much to our Church. Please keep all our priests, both active and retired, as well as all fathers, in your prayers this weekend.

03/09/2026

02/09/2026

Bishop McKenna launches Diocesan Tree Protection Plan

On 1 September, 2026 members of the diocesan Laudato Si’ group, the Blayney Eco Hub Committee, education leaders, parishioners from Blayney, and people from across the region, including local politician Andrew Gee MP, gathered at the Blayney Eco Hub. Also present were many who had helped to establish and restore the Eco Hub.

To read more, and an edited version of Bishop McKenna's homily go to https://bathurst.catholic.org.au/bishop-mckenna-launches-diocesan-tree-protection-plan/

01/09/2026

31/08/2026

World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation 2026

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS
POPE LEO XIV
FOR THE 11th WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
FOR THE CARE OF CREATION 2026

“They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks” (Isaiah 2:4)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Our Lord Jesus Christ came so that we might have life and have it in abundance (cf. Jn 10:10). This gift of life lies at the very heart of our mission as disciples and of our shared calling to build a civilization of love. As we observe this World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, we are once again invited to contemplate the gift of life and to cherish the earth that sustains it, for they are tangible ways of offering praise to our Creator.

To read the full message from Pope Leo go to https://bathurst.catholic.org.au/world-day-of-prayer-for-the-care-of-creation-2026/

31/08/2026

Australia’s First Diocesan Tree Protection Plan to be Launched by Diocese

The Catholic Diocese of Bathurst will be launching a comprehensive Tree Protection Plan on the World Day of Prayer for Creation, 1st September 2026.

This plan, to be launched by the Bishop of Bathurst, Michael McKenna, ensures that all trees on land in the care of the Diocese such as parishes, schools, presbyteries and cemeteries, cannot be unnecessarily removed or inappropriately pruned, ensuring a long life into the future.

For further information and to view the Tree Protection Plan go to https://bathurst.catholic.org.au/tree-protection-plan-to-be-launched-by-diocese-of-bathurst/

13/08/2026

Major Pilgrim Relic of St Carlo Acutis to Visit the Diocese of Bathurst

The Diocese of Bathurst will have a rare opportunity to welcome the Major Pilgrim Relic of St Carlo Acutis from 27–31 August 2026, as part of its national pilgrimage across Australia.

Australia is the 25th country to welcome the Major Pilgrim Relic, which will visit Dubbo, Bathurst and Oberon during its time in the Diocese. The pilgrimage will also include a second relic of St Carlo and the Eucharistic Miracles Exhibition he created.

For more information and the schedule go to https://bathurst.catholic.org.au/major-pilgrim-relic-of-st-carlo-acutis-to-visit-the-diocese-of-bathurst/

11/08/2026

New Deacon for the Diocese

Bishop Michael McKenna has announced that, following recommendations from the Seminary of the Good Shepherd and our diocesan Commission for Orders, he has accepted the petition of Kieu Van Le for Ordination to the Diaconate.

The Bishop will ordain Kieu as a Deacon in the Cathedral of St Michael and St John on the evening of 25th September 2026 at 6.00pm Mass.

Kieu is currently in his final year of study at the Seminary of the Good Shepherd. Please keep in your prayers as he continues his formation and moves towards ordination.

11th August 2026