Significant Feasts in our Church
We have a number of significant feast days being celebrated in our Church over the next week.

• 17 March: St Patrick
• 20 March: St Joseph
• 25 March: The Annunciation

After having escaped from slavery, St Patrick returned to Ireland as a man on a mission.  Setting aside all the folklore that has embellished the story of his life, we remember him as one of the greatest missionaries in the history of the Church.  He dedicated his life to teaching others about God.  He is probably most well known for using the leaves of a shamrock to teach people about the Holy Trinity: that is, that our God is 3 in 1.
One of the most important things that helped St Patrick in spreading the Good News was his belief and faith that the Spirit of Jesus would surround him with love and protection. 
The whole school will be attending the 9 am Parish Mass tomorrow morning to celebrate the Solemnity of St Patrick.

Children will be given a green shamrock by the class teachers for the day.

Due to the significance of St Joseph, Fr Damien will also be celebrating Mass at 9 am on Monday morning and the whole school will be attending.  St Joseph is the patron saint of families, workers and the Universal Church.  Joseph was a carpenter, a good and honest man, whom God called to care for Mary and her baby Jesus.  Joseph was a faithful and trusting servant of God who wanted to do what was asked of him.  We can learn from Joseph to listen to what God asks of us and become faith-filled servants caring for those in need.

Next Saturday (March 25), our Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, which refers to the time when the angel Gabriel visited the Blessed Virgin Mary to tell her that she would be the mother of our saviour.  On this day, we do not only celebrate the announcement to Mary that she had been chosen to be the mother of Jesus, but also her willing acceptance of the news.  May we be as generous in accepting the will of God in our lives as Mary was. 
Mass will be celebrated at St Mary of the Rosary, Berkeley at 9am on Saturday for those who would like to attend.  Could be a good way to start off election day!

Holy Week Involvement
The parish liturgy team would like to involve children in our Holy Week ceremonies this year.  Some of the children in this year’s Sacramental programs have already indicated their willingness to be involved but if you have a child that would like to be involved, please let either Ms Maloney or Mrs Briscoe know ASAP.

Project Compassion Feature Stories  

Third Week of Lent

We are now in the third week of Lent with the Project Compassion story of Priscilla, who lives in the Hwange district in Zimbabwe with her husband, Charles, and two of their grandchildren. Climate change continues to bring unprecedented challenges for people living in the most vulnerable and remote communities in Zimbabwe.
During times of intense drought and food shortages, Priscilla had to commute to the town centre and wait in long queues to collect food. 

With the support of Caritas Hwange, Priscilla learnt conservation farming skills to grow drought-resistant crops and started poultry farming to support her family during the current food crisis. Priscilla was able to produce a bumper harvest in her first year of practising in conservation farming. Priscilla also used the funds from her harvest to start poultry farming, which enabled her to sell eggs to pay for her grandchildren’s school fees, books and stationery. The poultry farming provides a safety net for Priscilla and her family during times of hardship, like the current drought.
While the situation in Zimbabwe and across eastern Africa remains dire, the work of Caritas Hwange means that Priscilla can learn the techniques, tools and resources she needs to build resilience and support her family during this current food crisis.
To watch a short film about Priscilla’s story, click here.

To watch a short film about Thu’s story, click here.

Please support Project Compassion: www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion