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ALTAR LINEN GROUP
Once a week we collect the soiled altar linen, take it home and launder it, returning it to the church as soon as possible. We work in pairs, currently on a four-week roster.

ALTAR SOCIETY
The Altar Society looks after the flower arrangements in the church. Currently we work on a 6-week roster, approximately 2 hours on one Friday in six.

CATECHIST GUILD
Parish catechists give special religious instruction to the Catholic children attending Waverley Public School in Bronte Road. This instruction takes place on a Thursday morning from 10.55am to 11.25am. An absolute minimum of 4 catechists is required but we could always do with extra help.

CHILDREN'S LITURGY
10am Mass Sunday. The children leave the Church for a more age-appropriate gospel discussion and activities. The children join the Mass carrying the gifts for the Offertory. The number of children varies from week to week but is usually around 12. One adult is required to coordinate the children each Sunday. All materials are provided and no Catechist training is required, just an interest in the importance of Mass for children. A roster will be drawn up and the frequency of commitment will depend on the number of volunteers.

CHOIR
The choir seeks to maintain a long-standing tradition in the parish of musical service to the liturgy. Choir practice is held each Saturday at 4.30pm in the Parish House under the leadership of our Director of Music, Kurt Ison.

DEVOTIONAL SHOP
The Devotional Shop is open for a short while after the weekend masses. We sell cards, St Vincent de Paul Books as well as Bibles and missals.

FINANCE COMMITTEE
The Finance Committee advises the Parish Priest on the management of Parish finances. An annual report on Parish income and expenditure is given to the Parishioners.

HOSPITALITY GROUP
Hospitality starts at the door of the church where those attending Mass are greeted and handed the newsletter and hymnbook. On the first Sunday of each month the Hospitality Group organises tea/coffee after the Sunday morning Masses. This enables new parishioners and visitors to meet members of the community. All are welcome.

LEGION OF MARY
The major parts of our work are the weekly visits to residents in "Parkdale" and "Philip House" Nursing Homes. We visit in pairs and would love to have more people involved. We have meetings in the Parish House each Thursday morning after the 9am Mass and some times we have functions with our auxiliary members.

LITURGY COMMITTEE
A seasonal group that comes together to assist with the planning and preparation of special liturgies, for example Easter, Advent and Chritsmas liturgies.

PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL
The Parish Council meets at 7:30pm on the first Tuesday of every month in the Parish House. The Council is responsible for developing a Vision and Pastoral Plan that effectively meets the pastoral needs of the Parish.

PASTORAL CARE OF THE AGED
Waverley parish is blessed with a wonderful community of senior parishioners. Those who are housebound or who live in aged care facilities are visited weekly and have the sacraments taken to them on a regular basis. Ministry to the hospitalised, the sick, the frail and the elderly is an important part of our parish ministry but it depends on volunteers. We are looking to establish a Good Samaritan Group, a collection of people who can, either on a regular or ad hoc basis, provide support to our senior parishioners. Support could be assisting an elderly person to the doctors or perhaps with their weekly shopping.

PLAYGROUP
Parish House every Monday and Wednesday morning, from about 9:30am. There are roughly thirty families enjoying the service of Playgroup. Playgroup is certainly a community project, where everyone works together to attain a positive outcome.

READERS & EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS
Readers and Ministers of the Eucharist are needed at each of the four weekend masses. The frequency of commitment depends on the number of volunteers; we are urgently in need of more volunteers. We will provide training and give you every support to take part in these rewarding and important ministries.

REFUGEE SUPPORT GROUP
Since 1985 our Refugee Support Group has assisted more than eighty people to settle into a new life here. Wars and civil unrest in many parts of the world continue to cause millions of others to flee their homeland in search of peace and safety. Asylum seekers risk life and possessions in order to reach our shores - only to be locked up and treated as criminals until their bona-fides are established. This may take months (up to six years for some). There is a range of activities required in helping a new family to settle, from helping with clothing to committing time for regular visits to establish a new friendship. The rewards are enormous.

ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY - WAVERLEY CONFERENCE
The Waverley Conference of Saint Vincent de Paul was established in 1885. For the past 114 years it has assisted the less fortunate of our community by providing the basic necessities of life during periods of crisis. Today we have a membership of eleven, and meet in the Parish House once a fortnight. During these meetings discussion is generally focused on home visitations and the conference is kept up to date with the Regional and National family of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society through regular correspondence.

Besides home visitations, three members of the conference assist at the Matthew Talbot Hostel, three members have begun visitations to Altona Nursing Home and financial assistance is given to our twining conference in Manora, Karachi. Membership is open to all.

SCRIPTURE STUDY GROUP
This group meets for two hours on a Saturday morning (10am-noon) to discuss aspects of Catholic theology. Our focus is the Scriptural basis of our Catholic faith using both Old and New Testaments. Meeting dates are arranged to suit those attending and are approximately every three weeks.

SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER - HOLY SPIRIT FRATERNITY
The Holy Spirit Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order has been meeting regularly at Waverley for more than 30 years.

Once a month we celebrate Mass together and meet to read Scripture, discuss and explore various topics that relate to being a Catholic and a Franciscan in these times. We take part too, in other Franciscan functions, on a regional and a national level. We are part of the greater Franciscan Family.

We welcome visitors and anyone interested in Franciscan spirituality. Our Meeting is held on the 4th Thursday of each month, beginning with Holy Mass in the Friary Chapel at 7.30pm. We then continue in the Parish house and finish our meeting at about 10pm with fellowship over a cuppa.

SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER - WAVERLEY FRATERNITY
Waverley Fraternity was established in 1879, the first Franciscan Third Order in Australia. It has endured to the present time, though we are now a much smaller group (some 14 members) than in previous years. And our name has been changed from "Third Order" to "Secular Franciscan Order". The interim has seen considerable changes in society and the Church, but the Franciscan spirit is still with us and our Fraternity. Following our inherited tradition we seek to help our members grow in the love, knowledge and understanding of Our Lord, guided by the charism of St Francis, the Scriptures, the Church and Franciscan sources.

The Fraternity meets each third Sunday of the month for prayer, fraternity, study and sharing relating to our Franciscan way of life, commencing in the Church at 2pm and later in the Parish House. Fr Theodore Gillian, ofm attends our meetings when in Sydney as our Spiritual Assistant and in particular keeps us abreast of Church thinking.

SMALL CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES
Currently we have 3-4 active groups. Each group meets every 4-6 weeks where they read the Gospel for the next Sunday and discuss what it might mean for today's world. Time is also set aside for sharing aspects of their own lives (if they wish). Over time this helps to build trust and understanding within the group and, may I suggest, a great awareness of what "parish community" is all about.

Over time it is hoped that these groups will grow in number and exhibit all of the characteristics of 'being church' in their neighbourhood. A network of SCC groups would provide a parish structure that will help us cope with the difficulties that parishes are now beginning to experience.