Education In Faith

From the Director of Catholic Identity

The Feasts of All Saints (November 1st) and All Souls (November 2nd) commence a month of remembrance in the Catholic Church. It is time where we are called to pray for our departed loved ones and look to Saints as role models for living out our Christian life.

The Feast of All Saints begun in the Eastern tradition where the commemoration of martyrs was common. On this day in our contemporary Church we honour the holy men and women of the Church, known or unknown, mighty or lowly, all whose lives were modelled on the Beatitudes and on the great commandment of love (Daily Mass Book 2017).

The Saints are role models for us, they teach us how we too can live a life founded in the Gospel message of love, hope and Joy. The Beatitudes, the Gospel reading for the day, calls us to new way of living following Christ’s example. It is on this day that we are reminded of the everyday saints living amongst us. Living out the will of God in their lives, promoting the justice, peace and love that epitomises God’s Kingdom. We give thanks for these holy people and commit to continuing God’s work in our communities.  

All Souls Day is the day we set aside in the Church to pray for those who have gone before us. We look back on the laughs and memories we shared with them with fondness and Joy, knowing they are at peace. Pope Francis highlighted the importance of this day in his All Souls Day homily in 2016;

“Let us go home today with this dual memory: the memory of the past, of those who have gone, and the memory of the future, the path on which we will go with the certainty, the security of the words that came from the lips of Jesus: ‘I will raise him up on the last day.’”

With this in mind we pray;

Jesus, our saviour, on this day we prayerfully remember

All our loved ones who have died. Please give them comfort and hope

And may they be at peace, knowing that they will

Rest in God’s arms eternally. Thank you for your memories of

them and for the good times we shared.

We ask you, please, through their intercession to

Deepen our faith, strengthen our hope

And increase our love that we, too, may someday stand

Before you, ready to enter your Kingdom.

Amen.

Danielle Fairthorne

Director of Catholic Identity

Year 11 RE Ministry outreach to St Mary’s Altona

A time of prayer, service and action…. Term 4 has started with a bang!

For the past semester the Year 11 RE Ministry class have been supporting St. Mary’s Altona through their outreach program. Visiting the Parish once a month to support them through action, the students have been cleaning, gardening and sharing stories. On the last day of service the students shared a lunch with the Women’s Auxiliary group at the Parish. Sharing life stories, interests and hopes for the future both groups enjoyed their time together.

Julian Tenison Woods Day

Julian Tenison Woods, affectionately known as Father Founder, was the founding Priest of the order of the Sister’s of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart. Together with Mary MacKillop they established a uniquely Australian order. We remember the life and spirituality of Father Woods every October. A keen scientist and explorer Fr Woods spent a lot of time in the bush travelling across his vast Parish. In this time he experience to beauty of God in creation. It is on this day that we are reminded of our Christian call as Stewards of earth. Our new ministry leaders decided to remember his memory through prayer and a recyclable art activity. Students brought in their spare plastic bags and created plastic bags flowers. 

Let us always remember the beauty of God in our natural world. Let us commit to actions that promote conservation and care for our natural world.  In the words of Julian Tenison Woods:

“Every rock, every leaf, every insect has something beautiful, nay wonderful to tell…..raising the mind to higher and nobler conceptions of what creation does to declare the glory of its author”

(JTW, ‘Notes made in North Australia’, Sydney Mail, 17 July 1880)

Year 8 Retreat

Our Christian Call to be stewards…Year 8 Retreat

Each year our Year 8 retreat focuses on the Christian call to be stewards of the earth. Focusing on the creation stories found in Genesis our students explore our call to care for Gods creation, our natural world, and reflect on how their individual actions in this time have a large impact on generations to come.

It is at this retreat that our Year 11 students volunteer to train to be retreat leaders and organise the whole day for our Year 8 students. Working throughout Term 3 our Year 11 retreat leaders created interactive and engaging games, activities, and reflection opportunities for the students. Overall, it was a great day had by all.

Catholic Education Today

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