Faith News

Important Dates

Term Two

• Wednesday, April 26th- Whole School Alleluia Day: Liturgy 2pm St Brendan’s Church.

All are welcome.

• Thursday, May 11- Mass for Mothers and special women in the lives of the children- Whole School Mass- St Brendan’s Church at 11:30 am Mass leaders: Foundation staff and students. All are welcome. 
• Monday, May 15- Early St Brendan’s Day celebrations and whole school liturgy-

St Brendan’s Church at 9:30 am. All are welcome. 

• Thursday, May 25th- Sorry Day & National Reconciliation Week whole school Mass- St Brendan’s Church at 11:30 am Mass leaders: Year One and Two staff and students.
• Saturday, June 3- Year Six Confirmation Sacramental Mass St Brendan’s Church at 6:00 pm

(Families will be requested to respond to an Operoo notification to enrol their child in early Term Two)

• Thursday, June 22- First Eucharist Workshop Evening with the Gen Bryant Ministry Team- For Year Four first communicants and their parents or carers- St Brendan's Church at  6pm.

(Families will be requested to respond to an Operoo notification to enrol their child in Term Two)

Term Three

• Saturday, July 29- Year Four First Eucharist Sacramental Mass St Brendan’s Church at 6:00 pm (Families will be requested to respond to an Operoo notification to enrol their child in Term Two)

Thank You

Thank you to the Year Five and Six staff and students for their beautiful Holy Week Mass. It was wonderful to see so many family members in attendance at this Mass, which featured contributions by all class levels for the reflection after Communion. Well done to all who contributed to the Mass. 

Baptism Congratulations

Congratulations to Mia Clarke on her recent Catholic baptism. May God bless you as you continue your faith journey. 

Mini Vinnies Representatives

Last Monday, our SJAT Mini Vinnies Representatives headed to St Joseph’s, Crib Point for their first meeting for the year. Here, the students worked with the teams from St Joseph’s and St Mary's to plan the year ahead. Tom Leyden from St Vincent De Paul, Westernport Conference spoke to the students about the support provided by St Vincent De Paul to families in need in our local area. The students are very excited to support St Vincent De Paul with their Winter and Christmas Appeals this year. They are also hoping to work on a community cooking project to support those in immediate need in our communities throughout the year. Watch this space for updates on this project. To conclude the meeting, the students were treated to a delicious dessert, prepared by the St Joseph's Cafè team. Thank you to the staff and students at St Joseph's for their warm welcome and hospitality in hosting our first meeting. 

Have you started your Easter shopping yet?  

Ask the question – how sweet is my chocolate? 

• Cocoa is a key ingredient of chocolate.
• Much of the chocolate sold in Australia is made using cocoa beans picked by children, many of whom have been enslaved, or forced to work in exploitative conditions. 
• Follow this link to find out more about fair trade chocolate initiatives through ACRATH and the ‘How to be a Good Egg’ campaign. 

Caritas Project Compassion

Caritas Australia is a Catholic aid organisation, working to engage communities to advocate and act for equality and justice for all. The Caritas Project Compassion Campaign aligns perfectly with our teaching of the Catholic Social Teaching Principles and is supported by Catholic schools and churches nationally and internationally. Teachers will be using the Caritas appeal and its vast range of associated teaching and learning resources to promote the appeal and engage our students in the act of almsgiving during Lent. Almsgiving is a practice observed in the Catholic faith which involves giving to others, especially those in need. Please follow this link to donate and for more information about the 2021 Caritas Project Compassion Lenten Appeal.

Catholic Care

Many families continue to face challenges throughout these changeable and worrying times. Should families or individuals require support beyond that which can be offered within our St Brendan’s community, Catholic Care may be able to assist with financial and social services. For further information about the services offered by Catholic Care, please visit: https://www.ccam.org.au/

Catholic Baptism

For families with children who have not received the Sacrament of Catholic Baptism and are considering this sacrament for their child/ren, please contact the Western Port Parish Centre on (03) 5979 4374. Should you make Baptism arrangements with the Parish, please inform me so that this special milestone for your child can be acknowledged within the school community. Please also forward a copy of your child’s Baptism Certificate to the school so that this can be reflected in the school records.

Families who wish for their children to receive any sacrament or The Rite of Reception through the parish, have been requested by Fr Shymon to make timely arrangements, as adequate preparation is required. This is especially important when families wish to enroll in school sacramental preparation programs, such as First Reconciliation, First Eucharist and Confirmation. 

Christian Initiation for Adults: RCIA

Have you ever considered becoming a Catholic or continuing the Catholic sacramental journey which you commenced as a child or younger adult? 

Adults who wish to begin or continue their faith journey through the reception of the Catholic sacraments are also invited to contact the Western Port Parish Centre on (03) 5979 4374.

Western Port Parish News

Please follow this link to the Western Port Parish web page, and to find out more about parish happenings, including Holy Week Mass times. 

Access to Australian Catholics Online Magazine

Families, please remember that you have FREE access to the Australian Catholics online resource. To access this fabulous resource, please click here  and use the following login details to gain access:

Email: parents@sbsomerville.catholic.edu.au 

Password: parents1

Wishing all of our St Brendan’s families many blessings and a well deserved rest over the Easter break. Take care and enjoy. 

Yours in faith & harmony.

Emma Chapple

-Religious Education Leader

-Performing Arts Classroom Specialist Teacher

echapple@sbsomerville.catholic.edu.au