Religious Education
Dear parents and families
It's nice to be back at St Luke's. A lot has changed over the years but the same 'family' feel remains. I've appreciated the warm welcome and well wishes from many in our community. There's a great sense of excitement and a positive vibe about the place. I look forward to meeting more families and getting to know our students as we learn and grow together.
My role as Leader of Catholic Identity and Well Being at St Luke's combines two passions of mine in Education ~ supporting community well-being whilst promoting the Catholicity of a Catholic school. St Luke's has a wonderful reputation for doing both very well. I look forward to continuing this tradition and adding to St Luke's story in a positive way.
On Wednesday we started the season of Lent in the lead up to Easter. It seems only yesterday we were celebrating Christmas!! As a school community we celebrated two important events this week; Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday.
Shrove Tuesday - Pancake Day ~ February 13th
Shrove Tuesday is a Christian tradition celebrated in many countries around the world. It falls on the Tuesday before the beginning of Lent (the day before Ash Wednesday) – a period of around six weeks leading up to Easter.
The name ‘Shrove' comes from the old word ‘shriving’, which means to listen to someone’s sins and forgive them.
In the past, Christians would go to church on Shrove Tuesday to participate in the sacrament of Reconciliation. Traditionally during Lent, Christians would give up rich, tasty foods such as butter, eggs, sugar and fat. Shrove Tuesday was the last chance to eat them – and what better way to do so than with a delicious pancake!
Does your family have a special Shrove Tuesday tradition?
Thank you to Sheena and our wonderful Parents and Friends committee for cooking pancakes for our students on Tuesday.
Ash Wednesday – 14 February 2024
Ash Wednesday is the first day of the liturgical season of Lent. It always falls six and a half weeks before Easter, beginning the Lenten season of preparation for Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday. We begin the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday by preparing our hearts for Easter by recognising our brokenness and need for conversion, a turning of our hearts to God.
Ash Wednesday symbolises the start of a very important season in the liturgical year. Having the ashes placed on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday reminds us we are from “dust, and unto dust we shall return." Our students (us included) are encouraged to make a commitment to prayer, fasting or almsgiving throughout Lent. This could be in the form of saying a prayer everyday or doing something nice for others, giving a compliment or asking someone to join into a game or making a donation to Caritas’ major fundraiser ‘Project Compassion’. These commitments help us to remember ‘Behold I make all things New' ~ our Diocesan and school theme for 2024.
We celebrated Ash Wednesday with special learning community liturgies where all students received ashes on their foreheads.
Ash Wednesday also marks the beginning of the annual Caritas Australia Project Compassion Appeal. Donations to Project Compassion allow Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, to work with local communities around the world to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.
Throughout the season of Lent we will look to ways we can raise money and awareness for those in need.
Classrooms have a Project Compassion Money box of which students can give generously. Students will also bring home a small Project Compassion money box to encourage families to donate to Caritas. We will ask students to return these before the end of the term.
National Apology Day Breakfast ~ Feb 13th.
February 13 marks the anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations. The apology was delivered in 2008 by the then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. The origins of the apology event can be found in the ‘Bringing them Home’ report by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. When we acknowledge country as we gather, we are reminded that there is much to be done towards true reconciliation. Remembering this historic occasion is one way we, as a community, can keep the narrative going and take steps towards justice and healing.
We had a small contingent of students and families represent St Luke’s at the Apology Day breakfast on Tuesday morning at the Queens Gardens.
Our students were amazing ambassadors for their school and for some, their culture. Well done to all those involved.
Have a wonderful fortnight ahead
Chris Summers
St Brendan's Parish Bulletin - Sunday 18th February
St Brendan's Parish Bulletin - 18 February 2024
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