St Francis of Assisi Catholic Parish Primary School Warrawong eNewsletter

Religious Education

First Holy Communion Program

Please continue to keep in your prayers the children and families in our school and parish who are nearing the end of their preparation period.

Happy Anniversary, Bishop Brian

We extend our congratulations to Bishop Brian, who celebrated his 31st anniversary of priestly ordination on Tuesday. We are very blessed to have him as the leader of our diocese. We pray:

Lord, you have called Brian to lead and guide this Church of Wollongong.
Through the power of your Spirit,
give him the wisdom to discover you,
the diligence to seek after you,
the patience to wait for you,
and a life to proclaim you.

Keep him faithful in his service of you and your church.
May he perform his ministry with gentleness and care.
Through his prayer, teaching and living,
may he help your people to know your Son Jesus and make him known in our world.

Through Christ our Lord,
Amen.

(Prayer taken from Bishop Brian’s episcopal ordination)

Significant Feast Days - All Saints Day and All Souls Day

On Wednesday, 1st of November, the Catholic Church throughout the world recognised the Feast of All Saints. All Saints Day is a holy day that honours all martyrs and saints, known and unknown. Saints are people who dedicated their lives to God and served others unselfishly. Through our Baptism, we are all called to be saints. All Saints Day is a day to reflect on the qualities of the saints and the model of Christian living they provide for us as we strive to be the saints of the future. We observed All Saints Day in our classrooms by reflecting on some saints in prayer.

Today our Church celebrates All Souls Day. All Souls Day is a holy day of prayer dedicated to all who have died. On All Souls Day and throughout the month of November, we remember with thanksgiving and prayer, those who have died. We joined with the parish community this morning for Mass to pray for those we know who have died. If you would like to observe All Souls Day there is another Mass being celebrated at St Mary of the Rosary, Berkeley at 7pm tonight.

Both All Saints Day and All Souls Day are important feast days for Catholics, and many other Christians, because they remind us that we are always connected, even to those who are deceased. As you remember your loved ones in prayer this November, you may like to say the following prayer from our Tradition:

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.

Mini Vinnies Food Drive - Christmas Hampers for St Vincent de Paul

For many people, Christmas is about spending time with family and friends, sharing a meal and creating meaningful memories. For families experiencing financial difficulties, Christmas can be a particularly challenging time.
Over the next few weeks, our local St Vincent de Paul conference is seeking donations of festive food to add to the Christmas hampers they provide for those in need. If your family is able to support this food drive, it would be greatly appreciated. We would love your help with these donations:

Kindergarten	Chocolates and pancake mix
Year 1	Sweet and savoury biscuits
Year 2	Family packs of chips and lollies
Year 3	Soft drink and cordial
Year 4	Plum puddings and Christmas cake
Year 5	Tinned ham and long life milk
Year 6	Tinned fruit and long life custard or cream
Open to all Year groups	New toys for children aged 1 - 12 or gift vouchers (gifts do not need to be wrapped)

Donations are due to school by Thursday 7th December.

Ms Marita Maloney
Religious Education Coordinator