St Francis of Assisi Catholic Parish Primary School Warrawong eNewsletter

From the Principal's Desk

Grandparents Day

Last Sunday, the Catholic Church celebrated the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. The observance is celebrated each year on the fourth Sunday of July, coinciding with the feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary's parents and Jesus' grandparents, Ss. Anne and Joachim. We honour those members of our families and parish who continue to be such an important part of our lives and the social fabric of our society. Their experience and wisdom are precious gifts to help us understand ourselves and our history. Attending to our grandparents and the elderly is a sign of gratitude for all they have done and continue to do for us.

On Friday, 25 July, our school community celebrated Grandparents Day. It was wonderful to see so many great-grandparents, grandparents, and families join us, some travelling long distances to be here. Thank you, Father Damien, for celebrating Mass with us, and to our staff and students for making this day so meaningful and memorable.

“Let us look to grandparents and the elderly as witnesses of hope, capable of lighting the path for new generations. Let us not leave them alone, but join them in a covenant of love and prayer.” - Pope Leo XIV

Book Fair
Thank you to our students and families for supporting our Book Fair. Our staff, students and families have enjoyed the opportunity to browse and purchase books. A special thank you to Ms Martins for organising the Book Fair and all the staff for their support.

Staffing and Parish Announcements - Term 3

As you are all aware, Father Damien will be leaving our parish on Sunday 17 August.

Fr Damien Ellis Fr Damien has been appointed Parish Priest of St Michael’s Parish, Nowra. He will commence this appointment on Tuesday 19 August 2025.

Fr Mark de Battista Fr Mark has been appointed as Parish Priest to St Mary’s Parish, Berkeley and Parish Priest of St Francis of Assisi Parish, Warrawong, as well as continuing as Parish Priest of St Patrick’s, Port Kembla. He will commence this appointment on Tuesday 19 August 2025.

Please keep Father Damien and Father Mark in your prayers as they move to new parishes within the Diocese. God bless them in their ministry.

Ms Maloney
Ms Maloney will be taking a period of leave from the commencement of Term 3 until the end of the school year. Thank you to Mrs Kathy Zaffonato, who will be teaching Year 3 for the first few weeks of Term 3. We will inform the school community as soon as the recruitment process is finalised.

Mrs Jimenez
Mrs Jimenez will be on leave this term. Please continue to keep Mrs Jimenez in your thoughts and prayers. Mrs Suzanne Clark will continue in the role of School Support Officer Administration this term. Welcome back, Suzanne.

St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal

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Thank you to everyone who so generously donated items for the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal. We were overwhelmed with the amount of items we received, and are certain that these will make a difference in the lives of those doing it tough this winter. At the end of Term 2, all the donations were presented to Mrs Maher from the Warrawong St Vincent de Paul Centre.

St Francis of Assisi acknowledges and pays respect to the Dharawal people, past and present, the traditional custodians on whose land we educate our students.