The first step in creating a new Parish is to create a Parochial District. This allows people within an area to receive pastoral care and support. Once the community has some stability in terms of numbers of people and finances it becomes a Parish.

Because 'Parochial District' is not a term many people are familiar with, we have decided to name ourselves something that people can better relate to.

Catholic Faith Community both describes what we are while also differentiating us from St Luke's Catholic College. However, both the Faith community and the College community are part of the one Catholic Community of St Luke's, Marsden Park.

Deacons exercise leadership in the church as ministers of the Word, the altar and charity. A natural part of this leadership is to oversee the pastoral and administration aspects of a local faith community. Of course, we require a Priest to say Mass and administer the Sacrament of Penance, however, Deacons are in many cases well equipped to handle the increasingly complex work of church administration as well as perform baptisms, weddings outside of Mass and provide pastoral care and support to members of the community.    

St Luke's also has a Priest Supervisor in Fr Chris de Souza, who is a Vicar General of the Diocese of Parramatta.

Using the skills of deacons taps into some unique skillsets as they are generally married men who have experience as fathers and husbands, in secular employment, community groups and in church ministry. The utilisation of a deacon to play this type of pastoral and administrative role is nothing new. In the United States, more than 140 deacons serve as administrators of parishes.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "Deacons share in Christ's mission and grace in a special way. The sacrament of Holy Orders marks them with an imprint ('character') which cannot be removed and which configures them to Christ, who made himself the 'deacon' or servant of all. Among other tasks, it is the task of deacons to assist the bishop and priests in the celebration of the divine mysteries, above all the Eucharist, in the distribution of Holy Communion, in assisting at and blessing marriages, in the proclamation of the Gospel and preaching, in presiding over funerals, and in dedicating themselves to the various ministries of charity.

"Since the Second Vatican Council the Latin Church has restored the diaconate 'as a proper and permanent rank of the hierarchy," while the Churches of the East had always maintained it. This permanent diaconate, which can be conferred on married men, constitutes an important enrichment for the Church's mission. Indeed it is appropriate and useful that men who carry out a truly diaconal ministry in the Church, whether in its liturgical and pastoral life or whether in its social and charitable works, should 'be strengthened by the imposition of hands which has come down from the apostles. They would be more closely bound to the altar and their ministry would be made more fruitful through the sacramental grace of the diaconate.'"

Mass will be held on April 8, 2018 for the first time at St Luke's Catholic College, Frontier Avenue, Marsden Park, with the Bishop of Parramatta, Vincent Long, as celebrant.

From that Sunday onwards, Mass will be held at 10am each Sunday at St Luke's Catholic College.

We will have various Priests from the Diocese of Parramatta visiting on Sundays to say Mass, assisted by Deacon Tony.

We will listen to the voice of the people of St Luke's Catholic Faith Community to discern what other activities people want to become involved in.

The options we can consider include things like the Alpha program, Bible Study, social events, social justice initiatives, playgroup, men's and women's groups, youth and young adult activities, and neighbourhood support. We will also support Sacramental Programs for students at St Luke's Catholic College.

We will aim to look outward as well as inward and want to contribute to people in need as well as growing in our faith and discipleship of Jesus Christ.