Religious Education

Leanne Wenckowski

Remembrance Day

Heavenly Father,

On this Remembrance Day, we pray for those who courageously laid down their lives for the cause of freedom. May the example of their sacrifice inspire in us the selfless love of your son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Bless the families of our fallen troops, and fill their homes and their lives with your strength and peace.

We pray through Christ our Lord

Amen

Why is this day special to Australians?

At 11 a.m. on 11 November 1918 an eerie silence fell over the battlefields of Europe. In November the Germans called for an armistice (suspension of fighting) in order to secure a peace settlement. They accepted allied terms that amounted to unconditional surrender.

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month attained a special significance in the post-war years. The moment when hostilities ceased on the Western Front became universally associated with the remembrance of those who had died in the war. The allied nations chose this day and time for the commemoration of their war dead.

The Flanders poppy has long been a part of Remembrance Day, the ritual that marks the Armistice of 11 November 1918. During the First World War, red poppies were among the first plants to spring up in the devastated battlefields of northern France and Belgium.

RECONCILIATION

The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be celebrated on Saturday 23rd November at 9.45am or 5pm and on Saturday 30th November at 9.45am or 5pm. Please remember to book your time as the bookings will close on Friday 1st November at 4pm.