Education in Faith
OHR Feast Day Mass - Friday 21st November
Each year, the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of Christ the King on the last Sunday of the Church’s liturgical year - this year, that Sunday is on the 23rd of November. This is also the feast day of Our Holy Redeemer Church and School. Therefore, we will be celebrating OHR's Feast Day with a whole school Mass. This will be at 9.00am on Friday 21 November in the Church. Everybody is most welcome to join us.
St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal
Again this year, our RE Student Leaders would like everybody in the OHR community to get involved in supporting the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal. This is often just shortened to the Vinnies Christmas Appeal.
This Christmas, more families are experiencing poverty and are on the brink of homelessness due to the relentless rising cost-of-living in Australia. The crisis has been an ongoing issue impacting Australians for over two years with no sign of reprieve. As the crisis deepens, so does the amount of people turning to Vinnies for support.
The St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia has more than 60,000 members and volunteers, who work hard to assist people in need and combat social injustice across Australia. Internationally, the Society operates in 153 countries and has over 800,000 members.
This video helps introduce the Vinnies Christmas Appeal and explains a little about how the organisation is providing a hand to vulnerable people in urgent need this Christmas.
There are three ways OHR will be supporting the work of Vinnies this year. The first option is to bring in non perishable food items, especially those with a Christmas theme. This will help provide food for a family to celebrate Christmas with a meal together. These can be left in classrooms and we will collect them before the end of term.
The second is to bring in a voucher for Coles or Woolworths. These can be used by a family who is finding it tough. They might use the voucher to purchase food or other vital household items. These can be left under the Christmas Tree in the office.
Finally, for the rest of the year the RE/Social Justice Team will be selling Zooper Dooper icy poles for 50c after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15 - 3:30pm at the tuckshop window.
If anybody would like to donate a pack (or more) of Zooper Doopers please bring them to the office. We can look after the freezing for you‼
We have already started selling zooper doopers - so please bring in your money if you want one. Also, don’t forget about donating a voucher or some non-perishable food items. Thank you.
Family Led Sunday Mass
Thank you to everybody who attended our Prep-2 Family Led Mass last Sunday. There was a great turnout and it was fantastic to see lots of families whose children will be starting at OHR in 2026 also there.
Well done to all the children and families who had roles in the Mass and special thank you to Kate Harris who co-ordinated these helpers as well as the morning tea.
Nick Byrne
RE Leader
RE Learning in Prep MD
This week in Religious Education, our Foundation students have been learning about the theological virtue of hope. In our Catholic faith, hope reminds us that God is always with us, guiding our steps and helping us grow. We shared the Scripture from Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord… to give you a future and a hope.” The children explored how hope helps them face new challenges with courage—whether trying a difficult task, making new friends, or learning something for the first time. Through prayer and reflection, students discovered that hope is more than positive thinking; it is trusting in God’s loving plan for each of us. We encourage families to continue talking about hope at home and to celebrate the small moments where children show confidence, resilience, and trust in God. We created a Hopeful Hearts Display outside the Prep Classrooms 💙
Sunday Gospel
The liturgy of the Catholic Church provides a framework for reflection which is used by Catholics throughout the world. Each week in the Newsletter, you will find the Sunday Gospel as well as some discussion questions to have with your child/ren.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
The people stayed there before the cross watching Jesus. As for the leaders, they jeered at him. ‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.’ The soldiers mocked him too, and when they approached to offer him vinegar they said, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’ Above him there was an inscription: ‘This is the King of the Jews.’
One of the criminals hanging there abused him. ‘Are you not the Christ?’ he said. ‘Save yourself and us as well.’ But the other spoke up and rebuked him. ‘Have you no fear of God at all?’ he said. ‘You got the same sentence as he did, but in our case we deserved it: we are paying for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus,’ he said, ‘remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ ‘Indeed, I promise you,’ he replied, ‘today you will be with me in paradise.’
Discussion Questions
1. Can you name any kings or queens you have heard about or seen on TV?
2. What do they do?
3. Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King. What sort of king is Jesus?
4. What is the kingdom of God like?
Let us pray that we can be part of God’s kingdom on earth.