Our Parish

Parish Mission

The parish of St John 23rd is a faith community with the Eucharist as its heart. Inspired by John XXIII’s prophetic opening of the windows of the Church. We welcome the fresh air of the Holy Spirit, inviting every person to share in the responsibility of enriching the life and faith of our community by sharing their gifts and talents.

The parish of Blessed John XXIII was established on 6 October 2002. Geographically, the parish includes the suburbs of Glenwood, Stanhope Gardens, Parklea, NewburyKellyville Ridge and The Ponds.

When the parish started, the community first gathered for Sunday Eucharist in the library at Holy Cross Primary School, in Meurants Lane, Glenwood. In the pioneering days, the focus was the building up of the faith community and the building of the church. Construction of our new church was completed in March 2007 and formally dedicated to God’s glory on 2 June 2007.

The church is located in Perfection Avenue, Stanhope Gardens.

On the same parish site we have a Primary school, John XXIII, which opened in 2005 and St Mark’s Catholic Secondary College, which opened in 2007. In 2022 with support from the parish, school, and Catholic Education office St John XXIII Primary School and St Marks Catholic College merged into St John XXIII Catholic College. Along with Holy Cross Primary School (Offsite) these make up our three Parish Schools.

Message from Father Jolly Chacko MS (Parish Priest)

The God we believe in is a community of three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The oneness of the HOLY TRINITY is formed in the eternal process of self-gifting to each other. Through this very process of self-gifting a community is born. Thus community happens through the process of communication. In communication, we find love and things become common. Throughthis communication, We enter into inter-personal relationships. As a Parish community let us strive to model the Holv Trinity in our efforts to establish communion with hearts, minds and lives. Communion is sharing oneself with the other. Our communion with others is our way to have communion with God. Through our communion with each other as a parish community, we may enter into a deeper communion with God and become a true believing body of Jesus Christ., which we celebrate at every Eucharist

FR. Jolly Chacko, MS