Religion

2026 Catholic Education Week 15–22 March 2026 

This year’s celebrations highlight the vibrancy of Catholic education. 

The theme for Catholic Education Week 2026 is Christ beside me: Walking in the footsteps of Saint Patrick. The Archbishop’s theme celebrates the significance of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of our local Church in Melbourne.

Last year, as part of our Jubilee Year and Catholic Education Week, a striking new icon and depiction of Saint Patrick was unveiled and blessed by Archbishop Peter A Comensoli in front of thousands of students, educators, and special guests. 

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, our mother church, is named after the saint of Ireland and is a reminder that Australia's migrants have always brought their religion with them.

2026 St Patrick’s Mass for Schools

Our  School Captains, School Vice Captains, Year 6 Saints Club Leaders and our Year 5/6 Fire Carriers will represent our school at the Mass of St Patrick for Schools, which will be held this Friday 20th March and celebrated by Archbishop Peter Comensoli. 

4th Sunday of Lent 

This Sunday we celebrate the 4th Sunday of Lent. In the Gospel, we read about a time when Jesus healed a blind man. The man did not know exactly how Jesus had restored his sight, but he did know this: his eyes had been opened and he could see. 

After the man was healed of his blindness, Jesus asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”  The man was able to see Jesus and he said, “Lord, I believe!” and he worshiped him. The man came to realise that there is also a “spirit way” of seeing. We see with our eyes and we also see and come to understand the love of God with our hearts. 

Let us make time during this Season of Lent, to show our love our love of God through our words and actions.        

Gospel Jn 9:1. 6-9. 13-17. 34-38  (Shorter form)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

As Jesus went along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. He spat on the ground, made a paste with the spittle, put this over the eyes of the blind man and said to him, ‘Go  and wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (a name that means ‘sent’). So the blind man went off and washed himself, and came away with his sight restored.

His neighbours and people who earlier had seen him begging said, ‘Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?’ Some said, ‘Yes, it is the same one.’ Others said, ‘No, he only looks like him.’ The man himself said, ‘I am the man.’ 

They brought the man who had been blind to the Pharisees. It had been a sabbath day when Jesus made the paste and opened the man’s eyes, so when the Pharisees asked him how he had come to see, he said, ‘He put a paste on my eyes, and I washed, and I can see.’ Then some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man cannot be from God: he does not keep the sabbath.’ Others said, ‘How could a sinner produce signs like this?’ And there was disagreement among them. So they spoke to the blind man again, ‘What have you to say about him yourself, now that he has opened your eyes?’ ‘He is a prophet’ replied the man.

‘Are you trying to teach us,’ they replied ‘and you a sinner through and through, since you were born!’ And they drove him away.

Jesus heard they had driven him away, and when he found him he said to him, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied ‘tell me who he is so that I may believe in him.’ Jesus said, ‘You are looking at him; he is speaking to you.’ The man said, ‘Lord, I believe’, and worshipped him.

The Gospel of the Lord

St Mark’s Saints Club

The Year 6 Saints Club Leaders were amazing at our first meeting last week. They

 confidently led small group discussions, which provided an opportunity for student voice with regards to fundraising ideas for this year’s Project Compassion Appeal.  

Further information will be sent to families soon!

Project Compassion boxes have been given to each learning area and more are available at St Mark’s Church. 

Holy Week Celebrations 

Holy Week anticipates the hope and glory of the resurrection of Christ at Easter, which is at the heart of the Christian Gospel and the centre of our Catholic faith.

The children have been working in collaboration with their peers and teachers to prepare liturgies for the celebration of Holy Week in the final week of this term. 

You are all warmly welcome to join us in our school’s celebration of Holy Week. 

Dot Mash - RE Leader

Tues-Thurs

dorothy.mash@smfawkner.catholic.edu.au