Religious Education News
Welcome back, Deacon Mick!
After a much-deserved break at the end of last year, it is great to see Deacon Mick back at our weekend Masses.
Syria-Türkiye Earthquake
Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the people affected by the Syria-Türkiye earthquake.
God of Compassion, we call on your name in times of need.
We pray for the thousands upon thousands of our sisters and brothers who, at this moment, are feeling the terrible impacts of the earthquake.
We especially remember those who have died, those who grieve, the communities struggling with basic needs and the workers who are trying to help.
We ask that you open the hearts of all people, even those far away,
to contribute to the rebuilding of a broken world.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, who suffers with all who suffer. Amen.
www.caritas.org.au/syria-turkey
Caritas Turkey and other Caritas agencies are responding to a series of powerful earthquakes in southeast Turkey (officially known as Türkiye) and Syria, where thousands of lives have been lost already and the death toll increases by the hour. If you would like to provide financial support directly to the Caritas Middle East Emergency Appeal, click here.
Altar Serving - Welcome, Jack!
We extend our congratulations to our newest altar server, Jack, who served for the first time last weekend. It was wonderful to see him taking on an active role in the life of our church.
At the request of Bishop Brian, Fr Damien will be travelling to America next week to accompany staff from our Diocesan schools at the Religious Education Congress which is held in Los Angeles. He will be back on the first weekend in March.
Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion Launch
Next Tuesday, Mrs Davidson and our school captains, Marco and Charlie, will travel to St Columbkille’s, Corrimal, for the Diocesan launch of Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion campaign. The tradition of Catholic Social Teaching shapes the work of Caritas Australia:
The theme of Project Compassion 2023 is ‘For All Future Generations’. It is an expression of hope and reminds us that the good that we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come. It invites us to make the world a better place by working together now and finding long-term solutions to global issues.
We look forward to hearing from Marco and Charlie about the launch and how we can support the work of Caritas Australia this year.
Ash Wednesday Mass - 22 February
Next Wednesday, the whole school will gather for Mass with our parish community at
9 am to commemorate the beginning of Lent. All are most welcome to join us.
Lenten Practices - Almsgiving, Fasting and Prayer
With the Season of Lent being just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about how you will use this season to grow in holiness and so prepare for the great celebration of Easter. The readings for Ash Wednesday make reference to the practices of almsgiving, fasting and prayer. The following infographics from CatholicLink provide an explanation of these 3 practices, along with some practical ways we can incorporate them into our daily lives.
Pope Francis has also provided this advice for ‘fasting’:
