Our Faith - Religion - Prayer
St Patrick's Church Walcha
For Baptism or Marriage enquiries by emailing Father Elino Comanda: walchaparish@armidale.catholic.org.au
Fr Elino would like to invite parishioners to Sunday Mass 10am.
Term 2 Mass Dates
Friday 12th June: Mass (Feast of the Sacred Heart) at 12.00pm
Friday 3rd July: Mass (Feast of St Thomas) at 12.00pm
Reflection
Deepening Our Faith: The Return of Ordinary Time
Following the joyful celebrations of the Easter season and the solemnity of Pentecost, our Church calendar transitions this week back into Ordinary Time. For many, the word "ordinary" implies something mundane or routine. However, in the context of the Church’s liturgical calendar, the term originates from the Latin word ordinalis, meaning "numbered" or "ordered." It simply refers to the numbered weeks that trace the everyday ministry, miracles, and teachings of Jesus Christ. Far from being a secondary season, Ordinary Time is a beautiful invitation to ground our faith in daily life and focus on spiritual growth.
During this season, you will notice the liturgical colour around the church change to green, which beautifully symbolises hope, growth, and new life. While major seasons like Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter focus on specific mysteries of Christ's life—such as His birth, death, and resurrection—Ordinary Time challenges us to mature in our faith. It asks us to consider how we can live out the message of the Gospel in our everyday routines. This second, longer stretch of Ordinary Time will guide us through the coming months, concluding just before Advent begins later this year.
Ordinary Time is also the perfect opportunity for families to establish small, meaningful spiritual habits at home. You might consider placing a green cloth on your family dinner table as a visual reminder of hope, or taking ten minutes together on the weekend to discuss the Sunday Gospel reading. It is a wonderful time to encourage children to look for God’s presence in "ordinary" places, whether through acts of kindness at school or in moments of quiet gratitude. As a school community, we look forward to walking this path of spiritual growth together, finding extraordinary grace in the ordinary moments of each day.
Prayer
Dear Lord,
Thank you for the gift of this new season of Ordinary Time.
As the church fills with the colour green,
remind us of the opportunities we have to grow in our faith every single day.
Help us to find Your presence not just in big celebrations,
but in the ordinary moments of our routine—in our classrooms,
at our dinner tables, and on the playground.
Give us the grace to live out the Gospel daily through
acts of kindness, patience, and love.
We ask that You bless our school community
as we walk this path of spiritual growth together.
Amen.
First Holy Communion
Angus, Campbell, Freddie, Jack and Thibaud had just begun their preparations to partake in the sacrament of Holy Communion for the first time on Sunday, June 7th, at St Patrick's Church. As these young individuals begin their exploration of the teachings and sacrifice of Jesus Christ through this sacred ritual, they have our thoughts and prayers.
Year 6 Practise Religious Education Assessment
A key date for our Year 6 students is fast approaching as they prepare to undertake their practice Religious Education assessment online on Monday 1st June. This online assessment provides a valuable opportunity for students to become familiar with the digital format and the types of questions they will encounter with the actual Year 6 Religious Education Assessment that will be conducted in Term 3.
Mass Friday 12th June at 12.00pm
The whole school community will be celebrating Mass on Friday, 12th Junecommencing at 12.00pm. Everyone is welcome to come and join us.
Sacrament Dates for 2026
2026 First Eucharist: Date has been set for our Catholic students in Year 3 and 4 for Sunday 7th June 2026.
Catherine McAuley
Catherine’s spirituality was centred on the mercy of God…prayer in action…action in prayer.