Religious Education & Parish News
Feasts and Celebrations
Over the next two weeks, we celebrate some significant feast days. The two important feast days in our Catholic Church - St Mary of the Cross MacKillop (Australia’s First Saint) on the 8 August, and the Assumption on the 15 August.
Parish Church Sacraments
At this stage, Confirmation is scheduled to be held on Tuesday 14 September. We are preparing a proposal for the Reconciliation program and will communicate the plan as soon as possible.
International Day of World Indigenous People
On the 9 August each year, we celebrate the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. This is a time to remember the Indigenous people from around the world. We give thanks for the sacredness of the traditions and cultures of our Indigenous sisters and brothers, who, through their example, have enlightened our way to walk gently upon this earth which our Creator has gifted us.
Acknowledgment of Country
We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's past, present, and emerging and pledge our individual and collective commitment to healing the wounds of the past and moving forward in a true spirit of recognition and reconciliation with all Australians.
Call to Prayer
Nurturing God, You have loved each of us into being;
May your Spirit continue to be at work within each one of us.
As we celebrate World Indigenous Peoples Day, we thank you especially for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples who give so much to our country Australia and our culture.
We pray that we listen to their voice as they speak of their desires, hopes and dreams for their lives and the life of this nation.
In this time of growing consciousness of climate change, the world’s Indigenous peoples remind us of our need to increase our mindfulness of the fragility of our global environment. May we listen to their wisdom.
May we all commit ourselves to seeking justice for all people and show a willingness to find positive solutions that include all. We ask this prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen
Reflecting on the meaning of this Day
There are over 476 million indigenous peoples living in 90 countries across the world, accounting for 6.2 percent of the global population. Indigenous peoples are the holders of a vast diversity of unique cultures, traditions, languages, and knowledge systems. They have a special relationship with their lands and hold diverse concepts of development based on their own worldviews and priorities.
Although numerous indigenous peoples worldwide are self-governing and some have been successful in establishing autonomy in varying forms, many indigenous peoples still come under the ultimate authority of central governments who exercise control over their lands, territories, and resources. Despite that reality, indigenous peoples have demonstrated extraordinary examples of good governance, ranging from the Haudenosaunee to the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated many existing inequalities, disproportionately affecting populations all over the world that were already suffering from poverty, illness, discrimination, institutional instability or financial insecurity. From the perspective of indigenous peoples, the contrast is even starker. In many of our societies, the social contract, at the very least, needs some revision.
As we fight against the spread of the pandemic, it is more important than ever to safeguard indigenous peoples and their knowledge. Their territories are home to 80% of the world’s biodiversity and they can teach us much about how to rebalance our relationship with nature and reduce the risk of future pandemics.
Indigenous peoples are seeking their own solutions to this pandemic. They are taking action and using traditional knowledge and practices such as voluntary isolation, and sealing off their territories, as well as preventive measures. Once again they have shown their capability to adapt.
Let us pray together as we walk as one:
The Feast of Saint Mary of the Cross (MacKillop) 8 August
Mary MacKillop was born in 1842 in (Fitzroy) Melbourne (Australia). On 8 August 1909.she died, having suffered a disabling stroke in 1902. Inspired by a meeting with Fr. Julian Tenison-Woods, Mary MacKillop at the age of 25 took her vows and the religious name, “Mary of the Cross”. In doing so, she founded the congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph. Soon after taking her religious vows, Mary MacKillop began schools. Within 5 years of taking her vows and founding the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, Mary had established over 30 schools in South Australia, and over 100 women had joined the Sisters of Saint Joseph.
Mary MacKillop was very conscious of the plight of the poor and needy. She worked with families that lived in isolated areas of Australia. As a result, Mary MacKillop pioneered a new form of religious life in Australia and commenced a “system” of “Josephite" schools that would provide education, especially for the children of the poor. In 1873, Pope Pius IX gave Papal approval for the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. Even today, many Australians can say that they too have felt the impact of the enormous work started by St. Mary of the Cross (MacKillop), having been educated or cared for, by the Sisters of Saint Joseph. She was noted for her trust in the providence of God and miracles of healing have been attributed to her. She was declared a Saint by Pope Benedict XVI on the 17th October 2010.
The Roman Missal has the following prayer for the Feast of St. Mary of the Cross MacKillop:
O God, source of all goodness,
who have shown us in Saint Mary
a woman of faith living by the power of the Cross, teach us, we pray,
by her example to live the gospel in changing times
and to respect and defend the human dignity of all in our land.
Through our Lord. All: Amen
“Never see a need without doing something about it.”
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Mrs Madaschi
Religious Education Coordinator