Family & Faith
Annual Men's Footy Faith & Friends Event
Date: 24th November 2025
Please save the date for the annual November Men’s Event presented by the Family Educators of the Sutherland Shire. Each year more and more men come and celebrate footy, faith and friendship with keynote speakers presenting on a variety of topics. All men over 18 years are welcome! More information soon!
November is the Month of Holy Souls.
During this month we remember and pray for people who have died. It’s a wonderful time to share stories of family members who have passed.
Remembrance: The month encourages Catholics to remember and pray for deceased family members, friends, and all who have gone before them.
Pray for the dead: It is a time to offer prayers.
Community and hope: The month is a reminder that the faithful are part of a larger community united in belief and hope, looking forward to joining the saints in heaven.
End of the liturgical year: November also marks the end of the Catholic liturgical year, prompting reflection on the end of earthly life and the hope of eternal life with God.
Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
We Celebrate Our Grandparents!
Prayer For Grandparents and the Elderly
I give thanks to you, Lord, for the blessing of a long life
For, to those who take refuge in You, grant always to bear fruit.
Forgive, O Lord, resignation and disillusionment,
But forsake me not when my strength declines.
Teach me to look with hope to the future you give me,
To the mission you entrust to me and to sing your praises without end.
Make me a tender craftsman of Your revolution,
To guard with love my grandchildren and all the little ones who seek shelter in You.
Protect, O Lord, Pope Leo and grant Thy Church
To deliver the world from loneliness.
Direct our steps in the way of peace.
Amen.
The Sacrament of Confirmation
Wishing all the Year 6 candidates a beautiful day on Sunday as they receive the Sacrament of Confirmation at St Mary’s Cathedral. As they give witness to their faith may this opportunity deepen their love of Christ and further develop their loving relationship with God.
Church SPaR (Stop, Pray and Reflect)
We prayed the Rosary in the Month of October
Thank you to the parents of children in K - 4 who were able to attend one or more of the Rosary SPaRs (Stop Pray and Reflect) in the Church foyer/ Chapel. Here are some photos taken by the teachers who also attended and prayed.
Fatima Friends Invitation
Come and join in the fun!
Week 4 - 7/11: We celebrated Grandparents today! No formal Fatima Friends session was held but it was great to see many join in the fun with prayer, visiting classrooms and a picnic lunch!
Week 5 - 14/11: Today we catch up with Year 5 buddies.
Week 7 - 28/11: Advent
Week 8 - 5/12: Our last Fatima Friends session for the year! Think Christmas songs, craft and did someone say pinata?
** Please note there are NO Fatima Friends sessions in Week 6, 9, 10 but Fatima Friends will return in 2026!
OLF Parish Event!
We are all invited to a Parish event after Mass on Sunday 7th December. It’s going to be epic! Fathers Julian, Zeljko and Nonie will be Blessing the Nativity in the Church and after that there will be pony rides and a petting Zoo and lunch. A great day has been planned and everyone’s invited! I’m excited and I hope to see you there!
Talking to Kids about Death
Parents should not be afraid to talk to children about death. Although we must approach the topic sensitively, the Christian understanding of death is characterized by a profound sense of hope and a deep connection with God’s love.
Here are some things to keep in mind when sharing these deep truths with your children.
Be Sensitive
Whether your child’s first experience of death is a pet or a loved one or even just a topic of discussion that arises because of All Saints or All Souls, avoid any tendency to launch into lectures or even well-intentioned attempts to take away your child’s feelings. As parents, seeing our children hurt is unbearable, but children don’t want moms and dads to deny their pain. They want them to understand it and love them through it. Ask your children how they feel about their loss. Let them lead the discussion as much as possible. If they share something, ask where they learned to think what they do and how those thoughts make them feel. Be sure to understand as much of the child’s experience before you offer your own thoughts, and begin by answering questions or filling in any gaps. If your child doesn’t know what to think, you can share how losing someone you love makes you feel. Explain that people sometimes feel lots of other things too. Some people feel sad, and others feel angry, and others feel scared and others feel something else- even nothing. Let your child know that whatever he or she feels is OK. Hold your child in your arms. When your child has shared whatever he or she can, tell your child you understand how he or she is feeling and that you are proud of your child for telling you. Without trying to talk your children out of what they are feeling, remind your children that even though death is a sad thing, God loves us so much that he promises us that anyone who loves him will get to live with him forever in Heaven and that he loves us so much that one day, he will fix things so that we can even be reunited with our bodies. In fact, he’ll make our bodies even better than before. You may wish to read John 20:15, John 21:4, and/or Luke 24:13-35. In each of these passages, the disciples did not recognize the resurrected Jesus at first because he was in his glorified body. Someday, we too will receive our glorified body. Even though we will be perfect in our appearance, everyone who loved us and knew us on earth will be able to recognize us, just like those who knew and loved Jesus recognized him.
Should Children Attend the Funeral?
There is not one, good answer to this question, as it depends a great deal upon your child’s temperament. In general, however, I recommend allowing children to participate, as much as you reasonably think they can handle, in the funeral rituals that attend the loss of a loved one.Children need transitions to feel secure. Having someone simply disappear from their lives-especially someone they saw often - can be deeply upsetting. Letting even your smallest children participate in at least a limited way in the viewing, and/or the funeral liturgy and/or the wake can allow them to understand, on an experiential level, what is going on. Don’t force them to do more than they want to, but, in general, don’t exclude them entirely. If you feel your child cannot handle some or all aspects of the funeral, consider giving your child some way to say “goodbye” to the person who has passed. Perhaps your child can draw a picture, make a card, or write a letter to the deceased. For younger children, simply hanging the picture in the refrigerator may be a sufficient memorial. Let your child know that his or her loved one is with God now and can see everything your child does and, as such, is right here with your child.For older children, you may wish to take the letter (or other project) to the cemetery, or burn it and let the smoke rise to Heaven, or tie it to a helium balloon. Work with your child to create a ceremony that will be meaningful for him or her. Be sure to include at least a brief prayer reminding them that God is with their loved one and that he loves all of you very much and is taking care of you through this time and always.
Grieving Means Connecting.
One thing people often get wrong about grieving is that they believe it means letting go of the person that passed on. In reality, the real challenge of healthy grieving is finding a way to stay connected to the person even though he or she has passed on. Talk with your child about how he or she can stay connected to the person who has passed away. Some people like to have material reminders of the person who has passed. Did your loved one give your child a particular toy? Is there some knicknack that belonged to your loved one that may have special meaning to your child?Physical reminders of our loved ones can be very important. That’s why Catholics value relics so much. They are physical reminders of the saints, our brothers and sisters in the Lord who have gone on before us. Of course, you can remind your children that they can talk to their deceased loved one any time. Let your child know that your loved one is with God and can hear anything your child would like to tell him or her. And, since your loved one is with God, they can pray for your child in an even more special way than he or she did when he or she was alive.
Does Your Child Need Special Attention?
Children rarely sit parents down and say, “Mom? Dad? I’m having a tough time with this.” Instead, their behavior changes. Remember, as a rule, children behave well when they feel well. If your child isn’t behaving well, is more intense, disobedient, harder to get under control, or just extra rambunctious, don’t see that as a discipline problem as much as a cry for your loving attention. Certainly, offer whatever gentle corrections you must, but make sure to provide extra affection and time together with you. Encourage the unusually overactive child to engage in quieter pursuits with you. Do a craft project together. Read a book together. Pray together. Just cuddle. Anchor the child in the safety and security of your arms. When they encounter death, some children worry about your possible passing. The best way to reassure a child that they are safe and that you are not going away too is to simply be as physically present as you can. If your child’s behavior doesn’t improve or worsens, seek professional assistance. Likewise, if, after a couple of weeks, you’re seeing something about your child’s behavior that makes you wonder if you should talk to a professional, that’s probably a good sign that you should at least seek an evaluation.
5. What About Pets?
The loss of a pet is often the first experience a child has with death. Following all the recommendations I’ve made so far will help your child in dealing with this loss as well. Young children, especially, tend to think of their pets very much the same as human beings and will mourn the pet’s loss in a similar way. Having some kind of funeral to say goodbye, discussing ways to remember the pet, and providing ample comfort and presence will be important here too.One question children often ask is whether their pet has gone to Heaven.
Although, as Christians, we believe that human beings are the only creatures God willed for himself, the truth is, we don’t know with absolute certainty what Heaven will be like. I recommend simply saying to your child that God loves us so much that he will make sure that whatever we need to be happy with him in Heaven will be there with us.
Be Not Afraid
Although talking about death with our children is never something parents look forward to, we don’t have to be afraid. God is with us. The more sensitive, understanding, gentle, and forthright we can be, the more our children will come to see us as a reliable and credible source for all the questions they have about living life to the full.
Wishing you a prayerful week remembering and reflecting on our loved ones who have passed away. May they rest in peace in the loving arms of Our Lord.
Tracey Bowler | Family Educator
tracey.bowler@syd.catholic.edu.au