Catholic Identity 

Vinnies Food and Gift Drive

Throughout Weeks 8-10 we collected non-perishable food and gifts as part of the 2022 Vinnies Christmas Appeal. These items have been collected and will be used to create Christmas hampers for those in our community who are struggling at this time. The Werribee chapter of the St Vincent de Paul Society will be supporting over 160 families from the greater Werribee community this year. They were incredibly impressed and touched by the generosity of our school community - our donations filled the tray of a ute and two cars. Below is an image of some of our student leaders receiving a certificate of appreciation from Vinnies, as well as some images of the generous donations. 

Christmas Liturgy

To end our school year and reflect on the blessed Feast of the Nativity of  Our Lord, we  gathered together as a school community on Thursday to celebrate a special Christmas liturgy. During this liturgy, we reflected on Jesus, our light and hope in the darkness. We also followed the story of the first Christmas through the eyes of Mary and Joseph, the angels and shepherds. 

Thank you to all of the students who were part of this special liturgy and to all of the family and friends who attended. 

Graduation Mass

On Thursday evening, we celebrated our Year 6 Graduation Mass. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the end of our Year 6 students' primary education. Throughout the liturgy, we were reminded of the call of Jesus to 'love one another, as I have loved you", and that it is by this that we will be known as his followers. This was the message that was given to our graduating students as they move on to secondary school. 

During this celebration, we also were able to ask God to bless our school captains for 2023 - Samuella Tachie-Menson, Isabelle Baker-Meyer, Samuel Tachie-Menson and Zoe Lovelock. In a symbolic gesture, the 2022 school captains passed our school candle to the incoming captains as a sign of passing on the privilege and responsibility of leadership within our school. 

Sacramental Program 2023

It is time for us to begin turning our attention to our 2023 Sacramental program. If you have not yet completed and returned the Sacrament Intention note to school,  you can access the note below, print it out then fill it in and return it at the start of 2023. 

To participate in the Sacramental program children must be a baptised Catholic or have been welcomed into the Catholic Church. Children may receive more than one sacrament in the school year but only if the sacrament is celebrated in a year level lower than their current year:

Year 3 - Reconciliation; 

Year 4 - Reconciliation and Eucharist, 

Year 5 - Reconciliation and Eucharist, and 

Year 6 - Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation.

The OLSC Sacramental Program includes family sacramental evenings and practices. Attendance at each relevant time is compulsory, as the program is designed to deepen the faith of all within the family. This is to allow the celebration to occur with reverence and understanding.

Further communication will be sent out at the start of 2023, particularly in regards to First Reconciliation, which will be celebrated towards the end of Term 1. 

Thanks!

Finally, thank you to all of the students, parents, families and staff who have assisted in the religious and sacramental life of our school throughout 2022. It has been an action-packed year, with 'catch-up' sacraments, many liturgies and social justice actions. However, it has also been a wonderful year. 

I would like to personally wish you all a holy and joyous Christmas and that the blessing of the Child Jesus, God-with-us, be with you and your families especially during this festive season. 

John Dini

Catholic Identity Leader