Mission News

Prayers

We keep in our prayers Narelle Darch, wife of staff member Matt who is in hospital and will be undergoing major surgery tomorrow.

We pray for the All Hallows’ School community as they mourn the loss of a beloved student.

We continue to keep in our prayers all those in our community who are unwell and those who have died recently. May the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.

Community Mass

Regular Masses continue on Monday 1st Break, Wednesday 8:00am and Friday 1st Break. This Wednesday morning at 8:00am we celebrate the Slattery House Mass. All welcome. 

Gospel

Excerpt from Sunday’s Gospel from Luke 11:1-13 (JB) – 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Once Jesus was in a certain place praying and when he had finished, one of his disciples said, 'Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.' He said to them, 'Say this when you pray:

"Father, may your name be held holy,

your kingdom come;

give us each day our daily bread,

and forgive us our sins,

for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us.

And do not put us to the test."'

In Luke’s Gospel (11:1-13) on Sunday, we find a profound teaching on prayer, where Jesus not only provides the Lord's Prayer as a model but also emphasises the importance of persistence and faith in our communication with God. The disciples, witnessing Jesus’ deep connection with the Father, sought guidance on how to pray. This passage illustrates that prayer is not just a ritual but a relational dialogue that brings us into closer communion with God.

Jesus encourages us to approach God as a loving Father, who is always ready to listen and respond to our needs. The parable of the persistent friend teaches us about the power of perseverance in prayer. It reassures us that our requests, when made with genuine faith, will be heard. Furthermore, the promise that God gives good gifts to those who ask Him highlights His desire to bless His children abundantly.

Today, for us, this message is particularly relevant. In a world filled with distractions and challenges, we are reminded to prioritise our relationship with God through prayer. It encourages us to be bold in our requests and to trust in God's timing and goodness. As we cultivate a prayerful life, we experience the peace and guidance that come from being in His presence.

So as we pray for all those in our Marist Community who are suffering, are struggling and who need our prayers, let us join together in prayer, we also pray for all Catholic Schools, their staff and students during Catholic Education Week which runs throughout this week:

+ Dear Lord

As we celebrate Australian Catholic Education Week, we give thanks for the gift of education and the opportunities it brings to our communities. We ask for Your guidance and blessing upon all educators, students and families involved in Catholic education across Australia.

May our schools be places of compassion, wisdom and understanding, where the values of faith, hope and love are nurtured. Help us to foster a spirit of collaboration and respect, encouraging each student to grow in knowledge and character.

We pray for the strength and dedication of all teachers, that they may inspire their students to reach their full potential and to become the leaders of tomorrow. May they be guided by Your light in their mission to educate and uplift.

Lord, may this week remind us of our shared commitment to forming a just and compassionate society, rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ. Let us embrace our responsibilities with joy and gratitude, working together to make a positive impact in our world.

Mary our good mother – pray for us

St Marcellin Champagnat – pray for us

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop – pray for us

And may we always remember – to pray for one another

Amen.+

Environment Group - Free Dress Day

This Friday is the Environment Group Free Dress Day for Years 7-12 with all funds raised going to Stationery Aid. The theme is “Wear Fluoro like a Highlighter” so don your high vis and load up your ID Card to support this amazing cause. Environment Group students will come by during PG with tap machines. Those wearing free dress will have the option to donate $2, $5 or $10! 

Year 5 and 6 will be celebrating book week this Friday so will have a separate Free Dress Fundraiser for Stationery Aid later this term.

Year 11 Class Masses and Harold House Mass

We continue in Term 3 to welcome students to gather for Masses in our college chapel. While every Mass has a consistent form and structure, each occasion we gather is a new celebration. 

Our Year 11 students are contemplating the theme of Witness in their class Masses; an invitation for them to commit more deeply to the ways they witness to the Gospel message of hope and joy in their own lives. 

Our House Masses are a liturgical celebration of the character and community of each of our eight Houses. The Harold House Mass last week was an occasion for Harold students and staff to gather for Eucharist and prayerfully affirm the strengths and virtues of their House. For Harold House, that prayer asks God to help them be united and strong and always strive to live by their motto to achieve through hard work and honour.

Paddington Community Centre visit

On Monday a group of Year 7s from Gilroy House travelled to the Paddington Community Centre to visit the elderly patrons who come regularly to the centre. The boys spent time in conversation and played games - as one of the Communify staff members observed, the older folk are very competitive when it comes to winning games! Our students were very respectful, engaged beautifully and had fun. Congratulations to the boys of Gilroy House for your warmth and community-mindedness.

Luminous Lantern Parade

This week a group of around twenty Year 11 and 12 students will be heading into Southbank to be part of the Luminous Lantern Parade, a wonderful community event. We look forward to sharing news and photos from the evening in next week’s newsletter.

Stationery Aid Fundraising Event

Stationery Aid’s major fundraising event will be held on Friday 29th August and all are invited!

The evening will be a great celebration of salvaged student art and stories and repurposed functional art from Stationery Aid’s charity partners. It also marks 5 years since Stationery Aid started.

Artist David Hinchliffe https://www.davidhinchliffe.com.au/  is the special guest speaker with Anna Reynolds, Chair of Brisbane Festival and Brisbane Portrait Prize as MC for the evening.

The aim is to raise $82,500 by the end of the year to support 1,500 disadvantaged students with full student booklists to start 2026 school year (and resources for one year of learning). To help Stationery Aid achieve this important goal, we encourage our wonderful Marist community to get behind this event.

Stationery Aid Friday mornings

Join us in Room 801 on Friday mornings between 7:30am - 8:30am as we continue giving stationery a second life!

A reminder that donations of good quality unwanted stationery is always welcome and can be placed in the blue bin outside the Mission Office. 

To find out more and to check the list for what can be donated, please visit: https://stationeryaid.org/