R.E. News
Religious Education Topics
With only a few weeks of school left before the coming holidays, the teachers are busy planning for next term. The RE units of work being introduced in the classes are as follows:
Foundation: Belonging to God’s People
Year 1: Baptism – Welcome to God’s Family
Year 2: Baptism – Welcome to God’s Family
Year 3/4: Forgiveness and Healing - Reconciliation
Year 5/6: Sacred Stories – Sacred People
Prayer Liturgies
Each Friday, a class group presents a Prayer Liturgy, usually linked to the Church year, feasts or events. All families are invited to the weekly Liturgies. Please check the school calendar and newsletter for dates when your child’s class will be presenting their Prayer Liturgy.
On Tuesday mornings, we are invited to celebrate Mass with the Parish community at 9:15am. Class groups participate in the weekly Mass when it is celebrated in St Martin’s Church. We also celebrate Mass on special feast days or events throughout the Church year as a Parish and school community. Please check the school calendar and newsletter for dates when Masses are celebrated as a whole school or as a class level.
Sacrament of Reconciliation
The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be celebrated on Tuesday 23rd October at 6:30 pm. There will be a Family Faith Night in preparation for Reconciliation on Wednesday 10th October at 7:00 pm. All children who are making their first Reconciliation this year are expected to participate with their parent/s in the Family Faith Night. The Reconciliation Home Program will be sent home with those children (in year 3) who have indicated that they will be making their first Reconciliation.
Month of Prayer for the
Care of Creation
Pope Francis recently declared September 1 as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. According to Pope Francis, “The annual World Day of prayer for the Care of Creation offers to individual believers and to the community a precious opportunity to renew our personal participation in this vocation as custodians of creation, raising to God our thanks for the marvellous works that He has entrusted to our care, invoking his help for the protection of creation and his mercy for the sins committed against the world in which we live.” September 1 also opens the Season of Creation, which lasts till October 4 (Feast of St Francis).
Father of all,
Creator and ruler of the universe, You entrusted your world to us as a gift. Help us to care for it and all people, that we may live in right relationship with You, with ourselves, with one another, and with creation … help us to hear the cry of those in poverty, and the cry of the earth, so that we may together care for our common home. Amen.
(This prayer from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is based on Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home.)
Father’s Day
On Sunday, we wish all our fathers, grandfathers and special male friends a Happy Father’s Day. At this time of the year, we can think about St Joseph who was the husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus. Joseph is the patron saint of the dying because he died with Jesus and Mary close to him. He is also the patron saint of families, fathers, expectant mothers, travellers, immigrants, house sellers and buyers, craftsmen, engineers, and working people in general.
Marg Cronin
Religious Education Leader