St Francis of Assisi Catholic Parish Primary School Warrawong eNewsletter

Religious Education News

2025 Confirmation Program

Last night, we had a number of families attend the information night for this year’s Confirmation program. For those who were present that have not submitted an enrolment form, please ensure you collect one from the foyer of the church and submit it ASAP as enrolments actually closed last Sunday. For those who enrolled but did not attend the information night, a copy of the handouts will be available to collect from St Mary’s or St Francis of Assisi at this weekend’s Masses.

Fundraising for Project Compassion - Zooper Dooper Days

Thank you to everyone who supported our Mini Vinnies Zooper Dooper Day last week. We raised just under $170. We will be having a final Zooper Dooper day next Tuesday, 8 April, to raise more money for Project Compassion. Our Year 3 Mini Vinnies representatives will be selling Zooper Doopers for $1 at recess and lunch.

Project Compassion

Fourth Week of Lent
(Week beginning Monday 31 March)

Irene lives in a remote village in the Kongolo Region in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Life hasn’t been easy for Irene. After losing her father in a war, Irene and her family were forced to flee their home. Life became even more challenging when her husband left, leaving Irene to raise her 2 children alone. Without finishing her education and with few job opportunities in her village, she struggled to provide even the basics for her family.
Things began to change when Irene joined the Youth Capacity Strengthening Program (YCSP), run by Caritas Kongolo with the support of Caritas Australia. Through the program, Irene learned sewing skills and was provided with a sewing machine and fabric. Irene also gained farming skills. Now, she grows enough food to feed her family and even shares her sewing knowledge by mentoring other women in her community.
“Before, women depended on men's income, but now, with our sewing skills, we can take care of ourselves,” Irene said.
Your support of Project Compassion helps women like Irene to create brighter futures for themselves and their families.

Watch Irene’s story here. (For secondary students and parents)

Will you stand in solidarity with people like Irene this Lent?

Photo credit: Arlette Bashizi/Caritas Australia

Please donate today
You can support Project Compassion 2025 through the donation boxes, envelopes or by scanning the QR code above.
Or online at: caritas.org.au/project-compassion
Or by calling: 1800 024 413

Thank you for standing with us, as we Unite Against Poverty this Lent.

Fifth Week of Lent
(Week beginning Monday 7 April)

The transformative work of Caritas Australia is only possible thanks to supporters like you and the dedication, passion, and resilience of our local partners, who tirelessly work to empower communities and create brighter futures.
In Vietnam, Caritas Australia’s partner programs, like I-SHINE, helped Lam, a young man with a disability, gain graphic design skills and start a successful freelance business, inspiring others to pursue their dreams.
In Samoa, Caritas Australia works with Caritas Samoa to improve access to clean water and sanitation through initiatives like water tank installations, transforming health and well-being for families like Toefuata’iga’s.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Caritas Australia works in partnership with Caritas Kongolo on the Youth Capacity Strengthening Program. This initiative equipped Irene, a single mother, with sewing and farming skills, enabling her to support her family and empower others in her community.
Through partnerships like these, Caritas Australia creates lasting change in communities across the globe.

Thank you for standing with us, as we Unite Against Poverty this Lent.

Holy Week
(Week beginning Monday 14 April)

This Lent, we shared the powerful stories of three remarkable individuals who have overcome immense challenges. Thanks to the kindness of supporters like you, their lives - and the lives of those around them - have been transformed.
In Samoa, Toefuata'iga’s life was changed with access to clean water through Caritas Australia’s partnership with Caritas Samoa. Her school now has a water tank, improving health and allowing the school to focus on education.
Lam, from rural Vietnam, overcame the challenges of living with a disability by joining the I-SHINE program. He now runs a successful freelance graphic design business and inspires others to pursue their dreams.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Irene, a single mother, found hope through Caritas Australia’s partnership with Caritas Kongolo. By learning sewing and farming skills, she now provides for her extended family and mentors other women in her community.
Thanks to supporters like you, the lives of people like Toefuata'iga, Lam, and Irene have been transformed. But the work isn’t done yet. There is still time to donate! Together, we can Unite Against Poverty and help transform lives this Lent.

It’s not too late to donate
You can support Project Compassion 2025 through the donation boxes, envelopes or by scanning the QR code above.
Or online at: caritas.org.au/project-compassion
Or by calling: 1800 024 413

Thank you for standing with us, as we Unite Against Poverty this Lent.

Youth Event

It was great to see some of our ex-students at the Youth Event last Sunday. After sharing a meal, there were games, a presentation on the Eucharist by Joseph ( one of our current seminarians) and a beautiful Taize prayer experience in the Church. If you have a child in Year 6 or above, please consider getting them involved next time. The next Youth Event will be Friday 27 June, in the hall, from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm.

Canonisation of Blessed Carlo Acutis

For those who were present at last year’s All Saints Day Mass, or perhaps were present at last week’s Mass for the Solemnity of the Annunciation, you may remember Fr Damien talking about a teenager who was on the path to canonisation - that is, on the path to being recognised as a saint in the Catholic Church. The teenager known as “God’s Influencer” due to his digital talents will be canonised on April 27. Carlo Acutis, who passed away from leaukaemia in 2006 at just 15 years of age, will become the first millennial saint, representing those born between the early 1980s and late 1990s.

At last Sunday’s Youth Event, Joseph, our seminarian, referred to Blessed Carlo in his presentation on the Eucharist as he had demonstrated a deep devotion to the Eucharist. Often called ‘the patron saint of the internet’, Blessed Carlo is celebrated for using his computer skills to create a website documenting Eucharistic miracles worldwide, inspiring others to deepen their faith.

Faith Formation in the Privacy of Your Home
Want Netflix for Catholics? Get ‘FORMED’ Free for Diocese of Wollongong Parishioners. Join hundreds of other families around the Diocese of Wollongong in nurturing your faith at home, in your own time and at your own pace? FORMED is a fantastic Faith Formation Resource library website containing thousands of faith formation documentaries, courses, movies, audio and books covering all aspects of our Catholic faith. There are materials for both adults and children. I draw your attention to this website because it has a documentary of Blessed Carlo on it, Access to this website is free but you need to sign up. To register for FORMED:

Go to formed.org and click the ‘Formed for Individuals’ button.
Enter your email address and Submit.
Type 'Wollongong' into the box then click the Diocese’s name and address (38 Harbour St) which will appear. Click Next.
Enter your name and email address. You'll get a confirmation email asking you to sign in and then follow the prompts – and get formed!

In a world where sainthood can feel out of reach, Blessed Carlo Acutis shines as a beacon of hope for our time. This inspiring documentary goes beyond the headlines to reveal the real Blessed Carlo - the ordinary boy whose extraordinary love for God changed the lives of everyone around him.

Documentary

Holy Week Assembly

As part of our Lenten units in Religious Education, each class has been learning about the events of Holy Week. Next Friday afternoon, we will be having a Holy Week assembly to share our learning about these events with the school community. You are warmly invited to join us next Friday afternoon at 2pm in the hall.

Holy Week Ceremonies in our Parishes
At the end of this term, we will enter into the holiest week in the Christian calendar. The details of the Holy Week Celebrations at St Mary’s, Berkeley and St Francis of Assisi, Warrawong are listed below (including the Chrism Mass at St Francis Xavier Cathedral, Wollongong).

Sat 12/Sun 13 April (Palm Sunday)	Tues 15 April (Tuesday of Holy Week)	Thurs 17 April (Holy Thursday)

4 pm Berkeley 10:30 am Warrawong Palm Sunday Mass	7 pm St Francis Xavier Cathedral Wollongong Chrism Mass	7 pm Warrawong The Mass of the Lord's Supper
Fri 18 April (Good Friday)	Sat 19 April (Holy Saturday)	Sun 20 April (Easter Sunday)

10 am Berkeley Stations of the Cross (followed by a meal free Soup Kitchen Lunch) 3 pm Warrawong The Lord's Passions	6:30 pm Warrawong Easter Vigil	8:00 am Berkeley 10:30 am Warrawong Easter Sunday Masses

At last year’s Palm Sunday Masses, we had children reading the ‘crowd’ parts of the Passion and bringing palm branches forward to the altar during the Holy Holy. If your child would like to be involved in this year’s Palm Sunday Masses (at either Berkeley or Warrawong), please let Ms Maloney or Mrs Briscoe know by next Wednesday and try to arrive at Mass approximately 15mins early. There is also an opportunity to be part of the ‘crowd’ for the Passion Reading on Good Friday.

If your child would like to be part of the re-enactment of the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday at Berkeley, please let Ms Maloney, Mrs Briscoe or one of the Sisters know ASAP. We will have an initial rehearsal on Monday, 14 April, at 4:30 pm and a final rehearsal on Wednesday, 16 April, at 4:30 pm, both at Berkeley Church.

Ms Marita Maloney
REC Coordinator