Masks, music, Lebanese cuisine, dancing and plenty of laughter filled St Luke’s Catholic Performance Hall recently as Marsden Park Parish celebrated its fourth annual Dinner Dance.
The masquerade-themed evening on Saturday, 25 July, brought together parishioners, families, friends, sponsors and supporters for a night of celebration and community, while raising funds for the parish’s permanent church.
For Parish Priest Fr Gayan Thamel, the evening was an occasion to celebrate how far the parish has come while looking towards its future with hope.
“Tonight is an opportunity to enjoy food, great company, and wonderful entertainment while supporting the exciting journey of building our permanent church in Marsden Park,” Fr Gayan said.
Fr Gayan Thamel. Image: Alfie Ramirez/ Diocese of Parramatta
A Night to Relax and Connect
For Dinner Dance organiser Cherryll Pereira, the idea behind the evening was simple: to give the community an opportunity to step away from busy lives, have fun and enjoy one another’s company.
“The main vision was to give everyone a chance to relax, have fun, and get creative with our masquerade theme,” Cherryll said.
“With so many young families in our community and life being as busy as it is, it was wonderful to see people take time out to enjoy a night of connection, community building, and a little bit of flair.”
Image: Alfie Ramirez/ Diocese of Parramatta
The evening began with an acrobatic performance by Cailin Scully, of Step Up Performing Arts, before emcee Nars Lumba welcomed guests and outlined the evening’s program.
“This is one of our major fundraising events here at St Luke’s, and all the proceeds from this evening will all go to our church building fund,” he said.
He encouraged guests to enjoy the night while also supporting the parish through the raffle and other activities.
Image: Alfie Ramirez/ Diocese of Parramatta
Faith, Food and Entertainment
Fr Gayan led the gathering in prayer, asking God to “bless our efforts to build our permanent church in Marsden Park” and for the evening to be “filled with joy, friendship, and generosity”.
Guests then enjoyed a buffet Lebanese dinner, reflecting the cultural diversity and richness of the St Luke’s community.
Entertainment continued with “Magic to the Max”, by Brendan Mon Tanner, whose interactive performance had guests laughing and volunteering to take part in a series of tricks.
Later, the “Just Bliss” photo booth provided the perfect backdrop for guests to capture memories with family and friends, while DJ Mojo kept the dance floor alive, bringing together the parish’s diverse cultures in a joyful celebration.
Image: Alfie Ramirez/ Diocese of Parramatta
A Community That Comes Together
For Cherryll, however, one of the most meaningful moments of the evening happened behind the scenes.
“What brought me the most joy was watching everyone come together for set-up and pack-down – it truly highlighted our incredible community spirit,” she said.
Although the event was organised by a team of eight, Cherryll said it came together “like a jigsaw puzzle, piece by piece” through the contribution of many people.
“The community spirit here at St Luke’s is deeply heart-warming,” she said.
She expressed her gratitude to Fr Gayan, the previous Dinner Dance committee, sponsors and the many volunteers who worked quietly behind the scenes.
“To all the helping hands behind the scenes: those who worked tirelessly, quietly giving so much of their time and effort – you were the true heroes of the night,” Cherryll said.
DJ Mojo. Image: Alfie Ramirez/ Diocese of Parramatta
Crowning the King and Queen
One of the most anticipated moments of the evening was the crowning of the King and Queen of the Night.
Candidates were secretly selected before being presented to the crowd, with applause helping determine the winners. The competition generated plenty of excitement as guests cheered for their table representatives.
After the final round of applause, Sam Fuimaono was crowned King of the Night, while Caroline Tuli was crowned Queen of the Night.
Image: Alfie Ramirez/ Diocese of Parramatta
A Parish Family
For long-time parishioner Ramon Gunasekara, the Dinner Dance was another expression of a community that has become deeply woven into his family’s life.
Ramon has been part of St Luke’s since its first Mass about eight years ago. His wife serves in the Ministry of the Altar, their children are altar servers and assist with digital slides, while Ramon serves in several ministries and chairs the Parish Council.
“Our connection to the Parish is deeply special and central to our family life,” he said.
“Our faith is incredibly important to us, and we feel this involvement builds a beautiful foundation for our children to live faith-filled lives.”
Ramon also reflected on Fr Gayan’s leadership and the way he has helped the community grow.
“Father Gayan has been absolutely fantastic. He engages with our community so warmly and has successfully grown our ministries and volunteer base. We feel truly blessed to have his leadership.”
Image: Alfie Ramirez/ Diocese of Parramatta
Looking Towards the Future
As the evening concluded, Fr Gayan thanked the organising committee, volunteers, ministry leaders, logistics team, sponsors and supporters, whose generosity helped make the celebration possible.
“To our sponsors, guests, friends, and parishioners, thank you for your presence and your generosity and your support,” Fr Gayan said.
He also expressed particular appreciation for St Luke’s Catholic College and its ongoing support and partnership with the parish, describing the relationship as “a wonderful blessing”.
As St Luke’s continues its journey towards a permanent church in Marsden Park, the evening offered a joyful reminder that the vision is being built not only through fundraising, but through the generosity, talents and commitment of the people who make up the parish community.
The St Luke’s Dinner Dance Masquerade 2026 was an example of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan’s priority of Community, and its goal of being Renewed in Spirit and Prayer. Visit Synodality to learn more.
View the photo gallery on Flickr or below.
