Religious Education

End of Term Celebrations and Feast Day

Tomorrow we will gather as a whole school to celebrate Mass in the school church at 12pm. Families are warmly invited to join us as we give thanks for the end of a wonderful but busy term and look ahead to St. Finbar’s Feast Day. Following Mass, we will present our chess awards and share our best wishes with the community as we head into the school holidays.

Enjoy browsing the images below, which share some interesting facts about St. Finbar, our school, and the meaning behind our school logo.

New Saints within the Church 

Two new saints were recently canonised by Pope Leo XIV on September 7, 2025 — St. Carlo Acutis and St. Pier Giorgio Frassati. 

St. Carlo, often called the ‘Cyber Apostle,’ used his love of technology to spread the Gospel in creative ways before his death at just 15 years old. St. Pier Giorgio, known as the ‘Man of the Beatitudes,’ was a young man full of joy, generosity, and a deep love for the poor, who died at the age of 24. Both are wonderful role models for young people today, showing us how to live our faith with courage and joy. 

One of our wonderful Year 6 students has been inspired by one of these holy men and has chosen him as his saint for Confirmation. Let’s hear what Sam has to share about the Sacrament of Confirmation and his choice of Saint.

Question: For someone who didn’t know much about the Sacrament of Confirmation, what would you tell them?

Sam: It's about confirming if you want to be Christian or not. 

Question: What preparation have you done at school to get ready for this Sacrament?

Sam: We have worked hard and done a few projects about different Saints and we have practiced for Confirmation at the Cathedral. My parents and my sponsor came to the Family Faith night this week

Question: Part of preparing for Confirmation is choosing a saint’s name. Can you tell us which saint you’ve chosen?

Sam: St. Carlo Acutis 

Question: Why did you choose this saint? What is it about their life or example that inspires you?

Sam: He’s a super good role model for modern Christians and people that are in adolescence or are suffering from illness. He was a really good person who shows deep interest in technology and is also known as the millennial saint. He was canonised pretty recently. 

Question: Tell us about the Year 6 Confirmation Reflection Day on Wednesday? What did you get up?

Student: Yesterday, all the Year 6’s used public transport to travel around the city and go to the Mary Glowrey Museum. We also went to St. Patrick’s Cathedral to practice for Confirmation. After we practiced, we stayed for Mass and then used public transport and walked back to school.

Question: What are you most looking forward to about receiving this sacrament?

Sam: I am looking forward to receiving the Sacrament and seeing how it will go. 

Please enjoy looking at Sam's Saint Project that he has been working on this Term. 

Similar to Sam's Saint project linked above, some other Year 6 students would like to share their projects with the community as well. For these projects, our students researched their chosen Saint, explained why they selected them for Confirmation, explored details about the canonisation, and shared some fun facts— we hope you enjoy their work!

Sacrament of Confirmation 

As shared in previous newsletters, our Year 6 students have been busy preparing for their Sacrament of Confirmation. As part of their preparation, they have created beautiful bunting to showcase the Sacrament through art, and have also been working on presentation slides about their chosen Saint. These activities have helped them reflect more deeply on the meaning of Confirmation and the example of the saints in their own lives.

This Jubilee of Hope year, we have been blessed with the opportunity for all our students to make their Sacrament of Confirmation together at St Patrick’s Cathedral, alongside the Year 6 students from St James and St Joan of Arc. The Confirmation Mass will be held on Sunday, 5th October at 2:00pm. Please keep our students in your prayers as they continue their journey of faith and readiness to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Family Connections

During these school holiday, explore the story of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles, giving them courage, wisdom, and the gift of faith. This story connects beautifully to the Sacrament of Confirmation, which strengthens us with the Holy Spirit to live our faith with joy and courage.

Gospel Reading

The Coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4)

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Activity

• Read the story together from a children’s Bible or online.
• Talk as a family about the gifts of the Holy Spirit—wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord—
• Discuss how you can see them in your own lives. You may like to create a “Holy Spirit Candle”: decorate a paper or real candle together and write one way each family member will try to show the gifts of the Holy Spirit in their actions over the holidays. Light the candle each evening as a reminder.

🙏 Pray together as a Family

Come Holy Spirit, and fill our hearts with your love, your wisdom, and your courage. 

Help us to always see the good in others and to make choices that follow Jesus’ example. Strengthen our faith, guide our words, and bless our actions so that we may share your gifts with everyone we meet. 

May we grow in kindness, patience, and understanding, and always trust in your presence in our lives. 

Amen

May God bless,

Laura Zeeng 

Deputy Principal & Religious Education Leader (REL)