Prayer
Pope Leo’s prayer to St Francis of Assisi – a timeless intercessor for peace as tensions escalate following the US-Israel strikes on Iran.
Saint Francis, our brother, you who eight hundred years ago went to meet Sister Death as a man at peace,
intercede for us before the Lord.
You recognised true peace in the Crucifix of San Damiano,
teach us to seek in him the source of all reconciliation that breaks down every wall.
You who, unarmed, crossed the lines of war and misunderstanding,
give us the courage to build bridges where the world raises up boundaries.
In this time afflicted by conflict and division,
intercede for us so that we may become peacemakers: unarmed and disarming witnesses of the peace that comes from Christ.
Amen.
(https://catholicweekly.com.au/pope-leos-prayer-to-st-francis-in-a-divided-world/)
Our Catholic Identity: What Catholics do and why we do it!
The Triduum - Holy Thursday:
Holy Thursday begins the Triduum, the Sacred Three Days. The oldest and official name of this day is Thursday of the Lord’s Supper. It commemorates the gospel events surrounding Jesus’ last supper and his institution of the Eucharist. Since the 5th century, the liturgy includes a ceremonial washing of feet by the priest in imitation of Jesus’ Last Supper action of humility and service. At the end consecrated hosts are carried in procession with incense and song to a chapel of repose. It will be received the next day in communion at the Good Friday service. The altar is stripped in silence, symbolising Jesus being stripped of his garments before his crucifixion. People leave quietly; an atmosphere of sadness and reflection begins.
The Triduum - Good Friday:
Good Friday is the anniversary of the death of Jesus on the cross. The theme of this day is one of quiet sadness and mourning for Jesus. On Good Friday the Eucharist is not celebrated in its usual form of the Mass. Instead the church developed a liturgy of the word with a reading of the passion narrative and psalms prophesying Jesus’ suffering. The absence of Mass respects the historical sacrificial action of Jesus on the cross. The service takes place in the afternoon - usually around 3 o’clock - because biblical accounts record this as the time of Jesus’ death. In the 8th century, the veneration of the cross was introduced; a ritual modelled on a tradition in Jerusalem where the cross is offered to the faithful to kiss and venerate.
The Triduum - Holy Saturday:
Holy Saturday, aka the Easter Vigil, is the most important ritual of the year primary celebration of Easter. The purple of Lent now changes to white. The Mass features the service of light, liturgy of the Word, the celebration of Baptism and renewal of baptismal vows and Eucharist.
The celebration begins outside the Church with the lighting of the Paschal candle and is then carried into the midst of the people. From this one light, small candles held by the people are lit to dispel the darkness and symbolise the resurrected Christ. Paschal candles today feature a cross with the proclamation: “Christ yesterday and today, the beginning and the end,” and the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, “Alpha and Omega,” plus the numbers for the current year. Symbols of Christ’s five wounds are inserted into the cross and are accompanied by the words, “By his holy and glorious wounds … may Christ …guard … and keep us.” The ritual includes the blessing of Easter water which will be used in the coming year for all baptisms and funerals.
Easter Sunday:
The theme of Easter morning echoes that of the Easter Vigil and celebrates the very foundation of Christianity. Jesus is raised from the dead and is Lord. Those who believe and are baptised share in this resurrection to new life. Jesus’ first followers held this moment sacred. It was the anniversary of that wonderful time when they experienced him risen and still among them. His death occurred on the most important of all Jewish feast: the Passover. His resurrection fulfilled all that the Passover had meant to them as Jews.
Mission and Liturgy:
Our mission and liturgical highlights this term include our whole-school Ash Wednesday Liturgy and distribution of ashes; all staff and students received the cross marked with ash on their foreheads and were reminded to “turn away from sin”. Earlier in March a number of year 7 students and their families attended the Year 7 Welcome Liturgy and BBQ. The theme for the liturgy was “Be Bold and Do Good” and featured a reflection on St Luke’s account of Jesus’ teaching, often referred to as the Golden Rule, “But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you” (Lk. 6:27-38). The students made a pledge to try and “love without limits and do good to all” during the coming year.
In addition, five of our staff undertook formation and training as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion; they will be commissioned at our next whole school Mass on the feast of Edmund Rice and will begin this most important ministry in the Mass. 16 staff, together with a small group of parishioners from St Nicholas’ Parish, completed the six week “Compassio” Lenten program of prayerful reflection and discussion of the six Sunday Gospels of Lent.
Calling All Young Artists! "Mary: Our Mother" Diocesan Art Competition
Our Diocese is thrilled to announce the launch of our 2026 Art Competition: "Mary: Our Mother." This is a unique opportunity for students from Kindergarten to Year 12 to express their faith and creativity.
Whether it is a painting of the Annunciation, a drawing of Our Lady of Guadalupe, or a modern digital portrait of Mary’s strength, we want to see your vision!
- The Reward: Winners will be announced during Catholic Schools Week (commencing 25th May), with prizes awarded for every Stage.
- A Lasting Legacy: Selected artworks will be chosen to feature in our official Diocesan Angelus resources, becoming a part of our community's daily prayer life.
- The Details: Entries must be no larger than A3. The competition opens Tuesday, 17th March and entries close Friday, 15th May.
Please contact our Religious Education Coordinator (REC) or Art Department for entry forms and full submission details. We can’t wait to see your masterpieces!
Cate Allen
Leader of Learning - Religion