St Raphael's School

RENews

Dear Families

It is hard to believe that we are entering a very special time of the year in the Church- Advent.  It is a time when we prepare ourselves to celebrate the coming and birth of our Savior- Jesus Christ. The season of Advent begins on Sunday 29th November. 

What is Advent?

Advent is the period of four Sundays and weeks before Christmas. The word Advent means 'Coming' in Latin. This is the coming of Jesus into the world. Catholic Christians use the four Sundays and weeks of Advent to prepare and remember the real meaning of Christmas. 

There are three meanings of 'coming' that Catholics describe in Advent. 

  • The first, and most thought of, is when Jesus came into the world as a baby to live as a man and die for us.
  • The second can happen now as Jesus wants to come into our lives now.
  • And the third will happen in the future when Jesus comes back to the world as King and Judge, not a baby.

Advent calls us to wake up to ourselves as Christians. It is a time to shake ourselves out of apathy, inertia, a sense of powerlessness,

meaninglessness, and of taking life for granted. It is about believing that God is with us, we can make a difference, and to reach out into the

darkness of war, poverty, ecological imbalance, violence, and greed, and shape a different world. To influence a change in the global world requires reflection on our own personal relationships. At this time, let us ask ourselves; Are my relationships characterised by love, warmth, goodwill, and healthy conflict?

Confirmation & Year 6 Students Retreat

Last Friday the Confirmation Candidates and Year 6 students began their sacred retreat. Deacon James joined the group and revisited the teachings and work of the Holy Spirit that lives with us. Students examined what it means to be a follower of Jesus' teachings and God commandant- Love God and your neighbour and how we live it in our everyday life.Students reflected on their journey as members of the St Raphael community and the legacy that they leave for generations to come. It has been a very different year however we must admire our young people and the strength that they possess. 

In the coming weeks, the students will engage in the second part of their retreat. A detailed outline of the day will be sent through in the coming week. 

Deacon James Baptist's Ordination 

Over the past year, we have been fortunate to have Deacon James assigned to work in our parish. He has co-celebrated many Masses and has worked with our senior students preparing them for the Sacrament of Confirmation. We keep Deacon James in our prayers that his ministry is richly rewarding and filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit. On Sunday 5th of December Deacon James will be ordained. We thank him for all his work in the parish of St Raphael West Preston.

 

Sacrament of First Reconciliation & First Eucharist

On the evening of Thursday 12th November, our Year 4 family community joined together for a family faith session. Provided below are some of the slides of the evening.  

Students in Year 4 will be receiving their First Reconciliation on Wednesday 2nd of December 2020. This Sacrament will take place during school hours. We ask that our school community pray for the children over the coming weeks. The Sacrament of First Eucharist will be celebrated on Sunday 14th February 2021.