Catholic Identity 

In this newsletter...

• Confirmation

• Feast of the Assumption

• Columban Art Calendar

• St Vincent de Paul Societ 'Come & See' session

• School Masses

• Community Masses 2025

Confirmation

This Sunday we will have our next Community Mass - at this Mass, students in Year 6 will receive that Sacrament of Confirmation. Bishop Martin Ashe, Auxiliary Bishop for the Western Region of Melbourne, will be the main celebrant for this Mass. It is wonderful to be able to welcome him for this celebration. 

We ask that all Confirmation Candidates and sponsors arrive NO LATER than 9:45am. This will allow time for them to collect their stole and take their seat with their sponsor. Mass will begin at 10am in the OLSC Sports Centre. 

At the conclusion of Mass, there will be the opportunity to share in fellowship - we invite you to bring a small plate to share if you are able. 

Our Confirmation Candidates are below:

We invite all in our school community to pray for our Confirmation Candidates, that they may receive the Holy Spirit in abundance, and that they may grow in their relationship with the Holy Spirit. 

Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated annually on August 15th, is one of the most significant Marian feasts in the Catholic Church. It commemorates the belief that Mary, at the end of her earthly life, was taken up, body and soul, into heavenly glory.

This truth of faith was solemnly defined as a dogma by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950, in his Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus. The Pope declared that "the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory". This means that Mary, like her Son Jesus, overcame death and is already triumphant in heaven, in the fullness of her being.

The Assumption is seen as the supreme culmination of Mary's privileges, as she was preserved from the corruption of the tomb and, like Christ, overcame death. It is a sign of certain hope and comfort for all Christians, as Mary is the first fruit of the new humanity, in whom the mystery of Christ's Incarnation, death, Resurrection, and Ascension has already fully taken effect. The feast invites us to look towards heaven, our ultimate destination, and to praise God for glorifying His Mother by associating her with His victory over sin and death.

Our Lady of the Assumption, pray for us!

Columban Art Calendar 2026

The 2026 Columban Art Calendar is available for ordering now. All the proceeds of the sale of these calendars go towards the work of the St Columban Missionary Society, priests and lay missionaries who live and share the Good News of Jesus Christ through: 

• working with poor and exploited people

• inter-faith relations with people of other religions 

• seeking justice and dignity for those denied their rights 

• developing faith communities in the local church 

• showing respect and care for the earth and the environment.

Calendars and other resources can be purchased via: 

https://www.columban.org.au/donate/shop/columban-art-calendar/ 

St Vincent de Paul Society

You are invited to find out more about the work of the St Vincent de Paul Society and how you can contribute. The Werribee Conference will be holding an information session. Scan the QR code on the image below to find out more. 

School Masses

Please find below all of the scheduled school Masses for 2025. These will begin at 9am this year, so we are hoping many more families can join us at this earlier time. All are welcome!

Community Masses in 2025

We have continued to have wonderful attendance numbers for our Community Masses so far this year. Last month we had our first Community Mass over a school holidays. We had a great number attend, and are very thankful to all of the volunteers who helped to set up and pack up, and take on roles during the Mass. 

This month, Community Mass will include the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, with Bishop Martin Ashe presiding. We are very fortunate to have him join us for this - he is very aware, and supporitve, of our efforts to build up this community and a new church building. 

We encourage you to spread the word of our Community Masses and invite as many family, friends, neighbours and others to these celebrations. 

Follow and like the Wyndham Vale Catholic Community Facebook page to get updates and further information about Community Masses and other events. 

John Dini

jdini@olscwyn.catholic.edu.au 

Catholic Identity Leader