Confirmation will be celebrated in our parish on Wednesday 20th July - the first week of Term 3.  In preparation for this celebration, the candidates will gather at our church this afternoon at 3:30 pm for a rehearsal. Please continue to keep in your prayers the children in our school and parish who are preparing to be confirmed in the Catholic faith. 

At last weekend’s Masses, our Confirmation candidates presented posters on their chosen saints.  We pray that the stories of how their chosen saints responded to God’s call to holiness will be a source of inspiration for them as they continue their faith journey.  I wonder if any of our current candidates have considered that their name, picture and story may one day be displayed in a church after somebody preparing to be confirmed chooses them as their confirmation saint!  

The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus 
Have you ever seen religious artworks depicting Jesus and Mary where their hearts are visible?  If so, these were probably depictions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Last Friday, the first Friday after the feast of Corpus Christi, our whole school attended the parish Mass for the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus which recalls Christ’s love for us. The following infographics from CatholicLink explain the symbolism of the Sacred Heart image:

The Immaculate Heart of Mary
Following the observance of the Sacred Heart, the church celebrated the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Saturday.  Twice, St Luke’s Gospel mentions that Mary ‘kept all these things in her heart’, pondering the word of God.  Mary shows us not only how to listen to the words the Holy Spirit speaks to us in the depths of our hearts, but how to respond to them in faith. The following infographics from CatholicLink explain the symbolism of the Immaculate Heart image:

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul
Yesterday, the Church celebrated the Solemnity of St Peter and St Paul - two significant evangelists and martyrs of our Church.  Peter was a fisherman from the remote village of Capernaum and Paul was a scholar of the Jewish law, born in the cosmopolitan city of Tarsus and educated in Jerusalem.  St Peter would go on to be the first Pope of our Church and Paul, after his conversion to Christianity, would go on to be one of the great defenders and promoters of the faith.  Together, they testify that the call to holiness is addressed to everyone - whether you’re a highly educated ‘somebody’ or a lowly ‘nobody’.  They are a reminder to us that in God’s eyes, all of us are potential saints!

Ms Marita Maloney
Religious Education Coordinator