Mass | Confession | Prayer | Sacraments

Sunday Mass

Our different styles of liturgy at our Sunday Masses reflect our way of responding to the diverse population in our parish.

6 pm Saturday Vigil Mass – with music

9.15 am Mass – without music

11 am Mass – “The Little Eleven” with activities for children. Music by church choir accompanied by our musical director on organ and flute

12.30 pm Mass – without music and shorter homily

7.30 pm Youth Mass – with music by Xavier Collective. Every 4th Sunday of the month is the Gospel Choir Mass

Full Mass Schedule

Monday – Friday: 11.00 am & 1.00 pm

Friday Night Candlelight: 6.00 pm Mass followed by Holy Hour at 6.30 pm

Saturdays: 11.00 am, 1.00 pm & 6.00 pm (Sunday Vigil Mass)

Sunday: 9.15 am, 11.00 am, 12:30 pm & 7.30 pm

Gospel Choir Mass: 4th Sunday of each month at 7.30 pm (September to May)

Holy Day Masses 6.00 pm

Masses may be viewed on our webcam.

However, 11am Mass during the week is in Ignatian Chapel and not on the webcam.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays after 11.00 am Mass in the Bethany Room (Pope Francis Corridor).

During the Friday Night Candlelight Service: 6.30 pm – 7.30 pm

Sunday: After 7.30 pm Mass

“Go, the priest will be good. And Jesus, (will be) there, and Jesus is better than the priests – Jesus receives you. He will receive you with so much love! Be courageous, and go to confession”, urges Pope Francis.

Pope Francis noted, “someone can say, ‘I confess my sins only to God’. Yes, you can say to God, ‘forgive me’, and say your sins. But our sins are also against our brothers, against the Church. This is why it is necessary to ask forgiveness of the Church and of our brothers, in the person of the priest.”

We are a home to various styles of prayer & spiritual traditions from our rich Catholic heritage. Have a look at what we offer and come to a prayer meeting that appeals to you.

Friday Night Candlelight

Join us for candlelit prayer after 6 pm Mass each Friday.

This beautiful, simple prayer at the end of the week will help you relax in God’s presence and to connect with Him heart-to-heart. Even if you haven’t been in Church for a while, we invite you to come and experience God’s love.

On the night, we will have Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, beautiful music, opportunity to light a candle. Confessions will be available during Adoration.

Come and let yourself be loved.

Charismatic Prayer Meeting

Every Monday at 8pm in John Sullivan room. Doors open at 7.45pm.

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (…) All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.”
1 Corinthians 4-7, 11

Lectio Divina

Every Tuesday at 7 pm in Ignatian Chapel.

Lectio Divina is a traditional monastic practice of Scriptural reading, reflection, meditation and prayer intended to encourage communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God’s word.

Contemplative Prayer Meeting

Every Saturday at 11 am in Parlour 2.

Fridays – between 11 am & 1 pm Mass

Saturdays – between 11 am & 1 pm Mass

Friday Night Candlelight – 6.30 – 7.30 pm

“Come and let yourself be loved”.

Eucharistic Adoration is the practice of praying before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The host is usually exposed in a special vessel known as a monstrance.

Saint Ignatius offers spiritual practices that help us deepen our relationship with God and nourish our prayer lives: the prayer of examen, praying with the Scripture, discernment of spirits, spiritual direction.

In the Church of Saint Francis Xavier we have a number of offerings through which we assist people to grow closer to God, the Ignatian way.

The Week of Guided Prayer

We host a Week of Guided Prayer in Advent and Easter. Prayer Guides are available to all who take part. Each person commits to praying with Scriptures 30 minutes each day & to talk to their prayer guide a few times that week. Meetings with the prayer guide are done either in person, or on Zoom.

“The week of guided prayer was an incredible experience. I had never tried to meditate on the Scriptures by entering a scene and being one of the characters. The meditations were touching, profound, insightful and also fun! I felt Jesus’ life blending with mine and becoming love, safety, closeness, consolation, whatever I needed in that moment. I saw Jesus shedding light on where I am in life and pouring love on any wound that would come to the surface. My heart felt His closeness, healing power and comforting embrace.” (participant)

“My prayer guide was a humble and holy person that helped me feel at ease. I had a real sense of the work of the Holy Spirit throughout the week – in guiding my desire to participate, in the prayer guide I was matched with, in how the Scripture chosen resonated with me, in the emotional catharsis (which I did not expect), and in the sense of peace that has stayed with me. I am very grateful.” (participant)

“For me, the week of Guided Prayer was a week of finding God in all things, … the God of surprises! I met wonderful people and we shared our normal, everyday life experiences and looked at them in the light of Scripture. We discovered that looking at the ups and downs of life through the eyes of both belief and faith in God, and the Scriptures, was very meaningful and relevant. Pretty amazing when you think about it, that words written so long ago, ancient wisdom, still has so much to offer to the way we live today.” (prayer guide)

Our next Week of Guided Prayer is coming up in May, starting on Sunday 14th May at 5pm and finishing on Saturday, 20th May with 6 pm Vigil Mass. For more information and to register click here.

The Pilgrim Road

This is in-person retreat. Participants commit to praying for 30 mins daily for 16 weeks and meeting in group every second Saturday. It is a version of Spiritual Exercises in daily life. The retreat is directed by Fr. Brendan Comerford SJ and his team.

Introductory Course on Ignatian Spirituality

In this introductory course, Ignatian Spirituality is explained through the lens of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s life. The course runs over a 6 week period and it covers basic Ignatian concepts such as reflection, consolation/desolation, discernment, prayer of examen, and spiritual freedom. Each week participants attend a two hour session. Over the course of the 6 weeks they are given the tools to uncover the subtle messages that God is communicating to them, in a dynamic relationship, that is alive and working in and through their everyday lives.

The course also uses small group sharing, an Ignatian technique that helps people verbalise their experience through creating a supportive and protected listening space. The groups help each other to grow and integrate the Ignatian spiritual practices into their lives. Some people report that it helps them a lot in becoming more aware of what Ignatius called the ‘inner movements’ especially in terms of making better decisions.

If you would like to take part in this course, you can register here. Dates for our next course are:

Saturday, 16 September 11:00 – 13:00
Saturday, 30 September 11:00 – 13:00
Saturday, 7 October 11:00 – 13:00
Saturday, 14 October 11:00 – 13:00
Saturday, 21 October 11:00 – 13:00
Saturday, 28 October 11:00 – 13:00

More details closer to the time.

All are welcome!

Dear Parents,

Congratulations on choosing Baptism for your child.

You have requested Baptism for your child and we are delighted to welcome your baby to the Christian family of the Church. By asking for Baptism for your child you are publicly thanking God for His gift to you and making a commitment to bring up your child in the Christian faith. We will help you to carry out your decision by giving you our wholehearted support.

You are the primary teachers of your child in life and in faith. Gardiner Street Parish endeavours always to support Parents in fulfilling the promises they make to their child and to God on the day of Baptism. We pray God’s blessing upon you, your child and his/her godparents.

We invite you to actively participate in and support your parish community by joining in the celebration of Sunday Mass. Our Family Mass is at 12 noon on the first Sunday of each month. We believe that giving your child the experience of his/her local faith community will make a positive contribution to forming your child’s identity and growing sense of belonging. In addition, we are very open to your suggestions as to how with your help, we can together make this a more welcoming and living parish for parents and children.

On the day of Baptism, together with family and friends you will celebrate your child’s first Sacrament. It is a beautifully sacred and moving Christian experience. We very much look forward to celebrating with you the beginning of your child’s journey of faith. We look forward to getting to know you and your child in the years ahead.

Preparing for your Child’s Baptism

Having a baby baptised is a significant step. As a parish we welcome babies into our community with great joy but ask parents to take time to reflect on the decision they are making on their child’s behalf.

We offer preparation for all parents who bring their child for Baptism in our parish. When you apply for Baptism for your child, you will be contacted to arrange this.

Baptism Application Form

Please download form here, complete and return by email, post or by hand to the Office.

Gardiner Street Parish

Church of St Francis Xavier