"DISCOVER CHURCH"
- A 100,000 word web site.
AN INTERESTING WORLD RESEARCH STUDY OF EVERY CHURCH IN ONE SAMPLE CITY, FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO SEE INFORMATION ABOUT CHURCH.
CaTtoZ
*** - Three asterisks means it's the most important sentence
to read.
** - Means it's quite important.
* - Means it's interesting.
1. # of people: 169.
2. Available chairs: 387 (600 max).
3. Type of person: Young families.
4. Socio-economic Status: Mild business people. Working.
5. Kids: 20.
6. Ages: 0-70yo.
7. Men: 50%
8. Offering: -.
9. Late arrivals: 6.06pm 4 people late only.
***10. Interesting info: All Catholics everywhere stand
during the reading of the Gospels/ Bible. Priest said "1.2 billion people
live on less than a $1 a day" and "I know I look as though I stand
tall but I could just as easily be going toward a fall." Pastoral Worker
Kevin McGrath, former funeral home owner said "Fr Leonard was here for
20 years but now priests can only stay 2-5 years. There will be NO PRIEST at
the end of 2001 as we have been in a Pilot Scheme to see if we can survive without
a priest. We will only have one to do the mass. There will NO LONGER be Parish
Priests ANYMORE (I.E. Boss / Senior Pastor / District Pastor) Instead there
will be lay PARISH MANAGERS like in Sydney where they pay $40-$50,000/yr.
Aug 2002 : St Thomas Moore has no priest at all anymore and they were going
to get a lay manager but they couldn't afford it so Sister Patricia Grundy will
soon be employed there. Except the title has not been chosen but she will be
the spiritual head of the church. This is a completely new trend. Mar 2006 : St Pats has 3 priests and they get rostered on here.
11. Date & Time spent: 18/3/01 5.58pm - 7.22pm.
12. When service finished. 50 minutes.
13. This & other service times: 6pm Vigil Sat; 8.30am Sun.
*14. Preacher: Father Jim Cronin went from there to St Pats Jan 2002.
15. Feeling: Modern building, has 500 pupil approx school beside it.
*16. Their belief: Very middle of road beliefs, not strong, not evangelical.
This church as a strong focus on loving each other and reaching out to the hurting
in a non-evangelical way.
17. Dress code: Smart to simple.
18. How to get there: Drive towards the range (going east) along South St crossing
over Hume then Geddes St.
1. # of people: 225.
2. Available chairs: 387.
**3. Type of person: Never seems to be any women or men in their 20's
who go to any Catholic church, they seem to only come back to church after child
rearing days are over. It's almost like the Catholic church sub- consciously
want non-giving youth taking up space.
4. Socio- Economic Status: Somewhat middle.
5. Kids: Many
6. Ages: 0-70yo.
7. Men: 50%
8. Offering: "Weekly average this year $2,630"
9. Late arrivals: Interesting "filter in rates." There were 131 people
at 9.28am, 211 at 9.33am and 22 at 9.37am.
10. Interesting info: -.
11. Date & Time spent: 8.20am-8.45am 16/4/00
12. When service finished. As with all Catholic churches, allow 50 mins to 1
hour 15mins.
13. This & other service times: 8.30am. 6pm Vigil Sat.
14. Preacher: Father Jim Cronin.
15. Feeling: Modern building, has school beside it.
16. Their belief: -.
17. Dress code: Smart to simple.
18. How to get there: Drive towards Brisbane (going east) along South St crossing
over Hume then Geddes St.
*(This church is on the MATER DAI Primary & Pre- School
grounds with priest Tony O'Keefe however formerly the church was at the corner
of Jelicoe and Hume, besides 1 or 2 houses on Hume St the manse and church has
been sold to Abundant Life Fellowship.)
1. # of people: 250.
2. Available chairs: 387 chairs. (Have fitted 600.)
**3. Type of person: Non-"Law" orientated types. With the Catholic
church you get people who travel and take notes of all churches and who report
these findings to the Pope in Rome. (I do NOT do this myself! However, not a
day goes by when someone doesn't think I'm writing for ulterior motives!) Also,
this church doesn't have all the pomp and ceremony and bells and smoke etc..
4. Socio-Economic Status: Slightly middle.
5. Kids: Many.
6. Ages: 0-80yo.
7. Men: 50%
8. Offering: Newsletter said giving was "Very good."
9. Late arrivals: Unsure.
***10. Interesting info: Like in Charismatic churches
Catholics very much follow the priest, not the religion or building. Tony
O'Keefe applied for the position himself circa
late 1990's and it was advertised internationally. He said remarkably refreshing
statements from the pulpit such as "Pentecost Sunday goes out with a bang..
to be with the spirit so we can be Jesus to the world." 1st Reading Acts
2:1-11 "They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in
other tongues." Tony O'Keefe has been reported as of 29
May 2004 as having an incurable and essentially inoperable brain tumour. However,
a biopsy of the tumour was done. He has had difficulty with leg movement as
well. Tony O'Keefe has been reported as of
March 2006 as having a second cancer treatment and he is essentially well but still feels tired.
11. Date & Time spent: 11 June 00 Entire mass.
12. When service finished. Approx 1hr15m
13. This & other service times: 9am. 6pm Vigil Sat.
14. Preacher: Fr Tony O'Keefe. (He said he hasn't asked God for the gift of
tongues.)
15. Feeling: This is in doubt the best church building in Toowoomba. Architecturally
superb, functional but also quite expensive.
**16. Their belief: Priest Tony O'Keefe said to me months later at a Bishops
funeral "You know I thought you were writing bad stuff in your book that
day you were in our church!! Ha ha. We often get Catholics who take an extremely
regimented approach to which way the mass should be run. There was a terrible
bout of it up at Rockhampton and around Mackay."
17. Dress code: Smart attire. Formal ok.
18. How to get there: Travel North along Hume St, turn right or east into Cambell
St.
1. # of people: 251.
2. Available chairs: 387 chairs. (Have fitted 600.)
3. Type of person:
*Pat (and Francis) O'Brian was the General Manager of Defiance and he goes
to mass every day but like most Catholics, he said he almost never tells people
he's Catholic.
4. Socio-Economic Status: -.
*5. Kids: Many, 66 children under the age of Sixteen.
6. Ages: 90% are under 60yo.
7. Men: 50%
8. Offering: Newsletter said giving was "We just got there."
9. Late arrivals: -.
***10. Interesting info: I READ THEIR OWN LONG PRAYER
TO 251 CATHOLICS. As always, I went to complete information about this church
for this web site. St Theresa's at Cambell and Curzon, a multi- million dollar
brand new church. I was laughing with the priest Tony O'keefe before church
started and Brian Powell from the Eucharistic Ministry Team said to Tony and
I "What about getting Tim to do the (long formal prayer with responses
after the sermon)?" (It must have been my Jesus tie I had on.) Tony said
"Of course!". I agreed. I couldn't believe it. Now I'm not only bringing
wine to the priest in Redcliffe, not only having communion in a Latin Mass at
Holy Name but I'm leading the congregation in formal responses to prayer at
St Theresa's! Also, I collected the offering there too. (Too funny.)
11. Date & Time spent: 14 Oct 2001 5.45pm-7pm.
***12. When service finished: As per usual, in exactly
52 minutes.
13. This & other service times: 6pm Vigil Sat; 9am Sunday.
*At the VIGIL mass 1 week BEFORE EASTER, the PALM SUNDAY weekend there were
exactly 125 more people than normal (a total of 375 PEOPLE). There are many
such "special days" like this within the Catholic church.
14. Preacher: Fr Tony O'Keefe. 15. Feeling: OK.
*16. Their belief: Interestingly, this is the only Catholic church I have
ever came across who uses the version of the Lord's Prayer" "Save
us from the time of trial."
***Also, the two great leaders of growth in the current
church are the Charismatic and Baptist movements. One of the great keys of success
in growth is having 6 to 12 people in a home to do weekly bible study/ friendship
groups. It's again unusual for a Catholic priest to implement such moves but
there are many such bible study groups here. Sometimes it's possible to get
a Pastor or Priest who is in a particular denomination but really they are quite
"evangelical" or "Charismatic".
17. Dress code: Smart attire. Formal ok.
18. How to get there: Travel North along Hume St, turn right or east into Cambell
St.
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