St Thomas Catholic Parish Drysdale

St Thomas Catholic Parish Drysdale A Baptism preparation session for parents is required for all Baptisms. Please contact the parish office to arrange baptism.

St Thomas Parish Drysdale - Archdiocese of Melbourne
Mass Centres:
St Thomas Drysdale
Lumen Christi Leopold
St Patricks Portarlington
St Philip and St James St Leonards Parish Priest - Fr Raymond Bugeja
Supply Priests: Fr John McCarthy, Fr Michael Richardson, Fr Philip Gambin

Location:
St Thomas: Peninsula Drive Drysdale VIC 3222
Lumen Christi: Kensington Road Le

opold VIC 3224
St Philp and St James: Murradoc Road St Leonards VIC 3223
St Patrick's: Harding St Portarlington VIC 3223

SCHOOLS:
St. Thomas Primary School
Peninsula Dr, Drysdale. 3222
Phone: 5251 1050

Saint Ignatius College
Peninsula Dr, Drysdale 3222
Phone: 5251 1136

Parish Priest: Fr Raymond Bugeja
Tel: 03 52 512 502
Fax: 03 52 512 564
Email: [email protected]

Parish Secretary: Steve
Office Hours: Wednesday 8:45am to 11:45am Thursday: 9am to 2pm
Friday: 9am to 2pm
email: [email protected]

Parish Sacramental Program Coordinator:
Debbie ([email protected])

Safeguarding Officer:
Cath ([email protected])

RCIA Coordinator:
Ken ([email protected])

Parish Baptism Preparation Program Coordinator
Jarryd ([email protected])

Parish Liturgy Team Convenor
Robert ([email protected])

page Co-editors
Robert and Brendan ([email protected])

Mass times:
Monday: No mass
Tuesday: 10:00am St Philip and St James, St Leonards
Wednesday: 10:00am Lumen Christi, Leopold
Thursday: 10.00am St Thomas Drysdale
Friday: 10:00am St Patricks Portarlington. Saturday: No mass (Parish Baptisms 11am)

Saturday: 6:00pm Vigil St Philip and St James, St Leonards
Sunday: 9.00am St Thomas, Drysdale
Sunday: 9:00am St Patricks Portarlington
Sunday: 10:30am Lumen Christi Leopold

(Reconciliation and Adoration 9:30am at all weekday masses)

PARISH BAPTISMS:
Baptisms will take place every nominated Saturday, 11:00am at St Thomas Drysdale. Nursing Home Masses:
Estia Health Leopold: 4th Thursday of the month at 11am
Kensington Grange Leopold: 2nd Wednesday of the month at 11am
Drysdale Grove Drysdale: 1st & 3rd Thursdays of the month at 11am. Bupa Moolap: 4th Wednesday of the month at 11am
Arcare Portarlington: 4th Friday of the month at 11am

Indigenous Acknowledgement
The St Thomas Catholic Parish acknowledge the Waddawurrung people, the Traditional Owners who have walked upon and cared for this land for thousands of years. We acknowledge the continued deep spiritual attachment and relationship Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have to this country and commit ourselves to the ongoing journey of reconciliation.

A message from Cath (Parish Safeguarding Officer)Safeguarding Sunday 2026An edited excerpt from the media release by The...
12/09/2026

A message from Cath (Parish Safeguarding Officer)

Safeguarding Sunday 2026

An edited excerpt from the media release by The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference

BISHOPS COMMISSION FOR PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND SAFEGUARDING

Safeguarding Sunday 2026: ‘Love Protects’

The 2026 theme “Love Protects” recognises that safeguarding is a practical expression of Christian love.
When communities prioritise the safety, dignity, and wellbeing of children, young people and vulnerable adults, they embody the love and care that is at the heart of the Gospel.

‘Love Protects’ reminds us that genuine love is demonstrated through action," said chair of the Bishops Commission for Professional Standards and Safeguarding, Bishop Greg Bennet.
"Safeguarding is an essential part of our mission and ministry. It calls each of us to be attentive, accountable and committed to ensuring that every person can participate in the life of the Church safely and with confidence."……….

The dedication of clergy, staff, volunteers and safeguarding leaders strengthens the Church's commitment to preventing harm, responding appropriately to concerns and promoting the dignity of every person………….
The Church is showing national leadership in safeguarding through:
• Professional development that strengthens the capacity of Catholic organisations
• Reviews, audits and assessments of Catholic organisations
• Management of the Australian Catholic Ministry Register
• Safeguarding awareness, education and communications initiatives

As faith communities gather to mark Safeguarding Sunday, they are encouraged to reflect on the example of Jesus, who welcomed and protected the vulnerable and marginalised. His ministry inspires the Church's commitment to care, respect, and justice.

“Love protects when we listen. Love protects when we act. Love protects when we place the wellbeing of others at the centre of our decisions and our ministry,” Bishop Bennet said.
“Together, we can build communities where every person is valued, respected and safe.”

Kind regards
Cath

Our Parish Bulletin for the weekend 12th/13th September 202624th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year AObservance: Safeguarding ...
12/09/2026

Our Parish Bulletin for the weekend 12th/13th September 2026

24th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A

Observance: Safeguarding Sunday

A message from the Parish Rosary TeamMARIAN NEWS: SEPTEMBER MONTHLY ROSARY We warmly welcome you to join us THIS COMING...
11/09/2026

A message from the Parish Rosary Team

MARIAN NEWS: SEPTEMBER MONTHLY ROSARY

We warmly welcome you to join us THIS COMING SUNDAY 13th SEPTEMBER, 5pm at Lumen Christi Leopold for the September Monthly Rosary. Pope Leo’s prayer intention for the
month of September is For the Care of Water.

Let us pray for a just and sustainable management of water, a vital resource, so that everyone may have equal access to it. We pray the Holy Father’s Prayer Intention along with our own, and those of our fellow community at today’s September Rosary.

October Rosary update: The month of October is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. Details on how you can participate in the daily Rosary prayer during the month of October will be shared in the coming weeks.

We look forward to seeing you there
Parish Rosary Team

We warmly invite you to join us for mass 10:00am at St Philip and St James St Leonard’s
07/09/2026

We warmly invite you to join us for mass 10:00am at St Philip and St James St Leonard’s

07/09/2026

There is always something special about spending time with the people who bring our shared mission to life every day.

Last month, CSSA CEO Dr Jerry Nockles - Leading Catholic Social Services Australia returned to Melbourne, where he had the pleasure of catching up with Julie Edwards, CEO of our member organisation Jesuit Social Services, and Josh Lourensz, Executive Director of Catholic Social Services Victoria.

These visits were an important opportunity to hear firsthand about the work happening within our network, the challenges facing the communities we serve, and how we can continue to stand alongside one another in our shared commitment for a more just and compassionate Australia.

Dr Nockles also had the privilege of meeting with Archbishop Peter A Comensoli, Archbishop of Melbourne, for a warm and thoughtful conversation about the important role of Catholic social services and the values that continue to guide our work - dignity, compassion, solidarity and care for one another.

A special part of the visit was also hearing about Light into the City, an inspiring vision for the renewal of St Patrick’s Cathedral and its surrounding precinct. The renewal of this beautiful and historic place, is done with the vision to create a welcoming home for prayer, pilgrimage and mercy. It is a tremendously exciting and important piece of work, and we encourage you to visit the site and see the value in this project.

Our heartfelt thanks to Julie, Josh and Archbishop Comensoli for their generous welcome, their time and the important work they continue to lead. It is through these relationships, conversations and our willingness to work together that our shared mission grows stronger and we continue Building for the Common Good.

A message from the Lumen Christi Leopold Committee:Thank you to our Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion who were b...
06/09/2026

A message from the Lumen Christi Leopold Committee:

Thank you to our Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion who were blessed and commissioned by Fr Ray today, especially for our new ministers who attended the training session on June 12 and 13 this year, and our serving ministers who were able to attend renewal sessions recently.

Thank you for your service to this important ministry and enduring the dignity and reverence of the Eucharist is shared to all.

Kind regards

Lumen Christi Committee

FB Page Editor: Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion Blessing and Commissioning was also held today at St Thomas Drysdale and next week at St Patrick’s and St Philip and St James. Thank you to all our ministers across the parish🙏🙏🙏

Kind regards

06/09/2026

You know it’s magpie breeding season when the swooping starts. I’ve not yet been dive bombed by one, but I have noticed that kids on their bikes have suddenly got those plastic ties sticking out of the top of their helmets. It’s a sure sign that vigilant magpie mums are on the watch and ready to swoop.

We all know that magpies make for excellent sentinels. They are always looking around, checking their surroundings, watching for danger, ensuring their safety, protecting their young. They are the guardians above the neighbourhood, the sentries in our domestic skies. They know how to protect their own, and will do what is necessary to safeguard them.

We might hold in our minds this image, as we listen again to the words of the Lord to the Prophet Ezekiel in today’s first reading: I have appointed you as sentry to the House of Israel. In the old days, a sentry or watchman was tasked to be the eyes and ears of protection at a city’s gate or along the city walls. They signalled warning to the inhabitants within when danger advanced, and they were the first line of defence.

But not all dangers can be seen or heard, not all are physical in nature. Some dangers – perhaps the worst of them – are more insidious, entering into our minds and hearts, undermining our moral compass and subverting our human dignity. A virus of fear will always be more threatening to our common good than a virus of microbes. A pandemic of neglect of one another is more harmful than a pandemic of sickness.

God saw that his People – the House of Israel – were in need of a sentry, a guardian, to stand firm at the door of their lives, in part to protect them from self-inflicted harm. They were in need of sentinels who would call out the threatening danger to their own wayward hearts.

They had lost sight of God, and God’s desire for their good, but God had not lost sight of them, and their care. And so, a sentry was needed to call out to the people in their danger, and to speak words to them that would defend and protect.

Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, is our Sentry for our salvation and eternal protection. He defended us on the cross against the power of evil. This threat remains present in so many ways today, especially when people are forgotten or left behind or wounded or neglected.

Often, we are lulled into missing the threats that are around us, next to us, among us. We need Jesus, our Guardian, to watch over us, and to speak words of warning and care into our hearts.

On this Father’s Day, may every dad be encouraged to see that they have been called to be God’s sentry, God’s guardian, at the door of his family. It is the great gift of Christian dads to have that precious vocation of being witnesses of protective love and affection in their home.

I know that this is an image of fatherhood that is not evident in every home, just as the spiritual fatherhood of the priesthood is not always present. But this does not mean we can’t all do what we can to call out – and be called out for – what is good and needed and yearned for in every family, be it domestic or ecclesial.

The vigilant love of fathers, with tenderness and alertness, is something to be fostered. Our society is threatened in so many ways, and we need fathers as our first defenders in love, goodness and protection.

On this Father’s Day, may St Joseph, that great witness to a guardianship of love and protection, be with all fathers – in our strengths and weaknesses – to show us the way to the Godly care of our families.

National Child Protection Week 2026A message from Cath (Parish Safeguarding Officer)This year National Child Protection ...
06/09/2026

National Child Protection Week 2026

A message from Cath (Parish Safeguarding Officer)

This year National Child Protection Week (6 - 12 September 2026) will continue under the theme Every Conversation Matters: Shifting Conversation to Action.

Conversations can spark new ideas and encourage reflection. But real change happens when those conversations translate into practical steps that create safer environments and stronger support for children and families.

This year’s poster represents the importance of community and all the ways contributing to a child’s wellbeing benefits the wider community, not just the child. Every action can build a safer place for children to live and thrive.

Whether your efforts are big or small, at home or in your organisation, your actions matter.

Thank you to all our parishioners for their support for our Safeguarding commitments.

Kind regards
Cath (Parish Safeguarding Officer)

Happy Fathers Day to all our Fathers, Grandfathers, Great Grandfathers, both here and in life eternal 🙏🙏🙏Hope you have a...
05/09/2026

Happy Fathers Day to all our Fathers, Grandfathers, Great Grandfathers, both here and in life eternal 🙏🙏🙏
Hope you have a Blessed Day🙏🙏

We pray also for our parish shepherds, Fr Ray, Fr John, Fr Michael and Fr Philip who keep the flame of faith alive in all of us🙏🙏🙏

Address

Peninsula Drive
Drysdale, VIC
3222

Telephone

+61352512502

Website

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