Sacramental Program Update
Thank you to those families who have continued to bring their children to Mass outside of the Sacramental preparation program. This commitment to participating in our Eucharistic celebrations provides a powerful witness to the importance of God in the life of your family.

In light of our revised Mass times, the numbers that had enrolled in the Reconciliation and First Communion programs back in July and the need to ensure that our parish Masses can still accommodate the regular parishioners not involved in a sacramental program, the decision has been made to celebrate First Holy Communion over 2 weekends.  Please be advised of the following arrangements regarding when First Holy Communion will be celebrated in our parish churches:

• Saturday 12 November - St Mary of the Rosary Church in Berkeley @ 4 pm.
• Sunday 13 November - St Francis of Assisi Church in Warrawong @ 10:30 am.
• Saturday 19 November - St Mary of the Rosary Church in Berkeley @ 4 pm.
• Sunday 20 November - St Francis of Assisi Church in Warrawong @ 10:30 am.

For those enrolled in this year’s First Holy Communion program, please note that the information night is scheduled for Tuesday 11 October in St Francis of Assisi Church at Warrawong, commencing at 7 pm.  Families will be required to indicate which ceremony they will be attending at the information night.

Christmas Story Art Competition and Exhibition

Each year, students from Years 5 and 6 are invited to participate in the Christmas Story Art Competition and Exhibition, which is an initiative of the Catholic Education Offices in Wollongong and Sydney.  This initiative is designed to celebrate and explore children’s creative and artistic ability in illustrating the Christmas story and has the twofold benefit of being a wonderful way to share the Catholic faith with the wider community. 

This year, our school submitted three artworks from Year 5 and three from Year 6.  Congratulations, Tahlia, Brock and Manee. Here are our Year 5 entries:

Congratulations, Savannah, Eva and Faith. Here are our Year 6 entries:

A team of judges had the difficult task of choosing only 40 artworks out of all of the submissions from across the diocese (close to 180!) and we were informed on Tuesday afternoon that Savannah’s artwork was chosen to be displayed at the Wollongong City Art Gallery for the Christmas Story Art Exhibition.  The chosen artworks were works that were judged to best respond to the criteria and were exemplary of Stage 3 reflective writing and artistic skills.

All Paths Lead to Him
by Savannah Gouveia

My artwork drew inspiration from the scripture Matthew 2:9-12, The Visit of the Magi. This scripture is about the kings following The Star of Bethlehem until they reached its stopping point, above where Jesus had been born.

I started with the star because when I think about Christmas, I think about the placing of the star on top of my Christmas tree. This process is special to my family. From there, I made a connection with the story of the Magi.

The northern and southern points of the star are joined by a light blue swirl, the light blue symbolising the peaceful journey to Jesus, the trust they placed in the instructions of Herod. However, when the Magi left Jesus, they needed to take another path, represented by the darker blue swirl. The dark blue is a serious colour that represents authority and intelligence. The threat to Jesus was serious, and their actions were inspired by God’s message of intelligence.

Finally, the background is a blend of colours that fill me with love and warmth, while the white borders depict the various paths we must journey on throughout our lives, surrounded by the love and hope of reaching Jesus one day.

Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi

On Friday 23 September, we will be celebrating the feast of our patron saint, St Francis of Assisi. St Francis’ feast day is the 4 October, which is during the holidays.
Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) is probably the most popular Christian saint. His radiant spirit is a beacon for those seeking a life of meaning and service. St Francis was a friend to man and beast, an admirer of the sun and of nature, and a peacemaker in every sense of the word. He was not merely at peace with his fellow man -- he was at peace with all living things.
Simply put, St Francis was a heartfelt ally to everything and everyone around him. He was their kindred spirit. St Francis did not call judgment on mankind for their use of the environment, be it animals for food, trees for shelter, etc. Instead, he simply urged humankind to show respect, humility, and love towards their fellow inhabitants of the earth and surroundings, and likewise, he expected the same from other creation. He felt that by embracing and rejoicing in the wonders around them, humankind would naturally then be drawn to perform acts out of love and respect rather than anger and domination.
St Francis felt compelled to reach out to the voiceless, the rejected, and the needy. Concern for the poor is a central theme in the life of St Francis of Assisi. He is a saint for our time because he stands in a tradition of powerful demands for social justice. St Francis of Assisi, composed a simple rule for his followers, the "friars", which was "To follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and to walk in his footsteps.” A great message for all of us.