Religion and Parish News
Prayer for the Extraordinary Mission Month
Heavenly Father,
when your only begotten Son Jesus Christ
rose from the dead,
he commissioned his followers
to ‘go and make disciples of all nations’
and you remind us that through our Baptism
we are made sharers in the mission of the Church.
Empower us by the gifts of the Holy Spirit
to be courageous and zealous
in bearing witness to the Gospel,
so that the mission entrusted to the Church,
which is still very far from completion,
may find new and efficacious expressions
that bring life and light to the world.
Help us make it possible for all peoples
to experience the saving love
and mercy of Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Extraordinary Mission Month (EMM)
Extraordinary Mission Month activities are in full swing this week! Across lunchtimes in Week 1, fundraising activities have been organsied so students can raise money to support Catholic Mission in their endeavour to promote social justice and restore dignity in those who are experiencing hardship. This year, the focus is on Cambodia; a region called Battambang, specifically. A centre, called the Arupe Centre, has been established to support students with disabilities, especially those who have been disabled as a result of landmine accidents. We’ve had great participation over the last couple of days, and we look forward to seeing how much money we can raise to support Catholic Mission across Mission Week.
Sacrament of Reconciliation
In Week 9 last term, 52 candidates, mostly from Year 2, made their Sacrament of First Reconciliation. The Sacrament was celebrated across two sessions and all candidates were very reverent during this special time. As a nice reflection of the Sacrament, students participated in a Retreat Day the following day and celebrated this special occasion with a BBQ lunch. A special thank you to Miss Murphy and Mrs Duncan for their wonderful preparation in the lead-up to the candidates receiving this Sacrament.
Sacrament of First Eucharist
This weekend, there will be 31 students making their Sacrament of First Eucharist. Their First Eucharist Mass will be held in the Chapel on either Saturday night or Sunday morning. First Eucharist candidates will finish preparations for this Sacrament this week with a Retreat Day on Friday, which will be a day of reflection, rehearsal of Mass procedures and creating artwork to decorate the chapel. Please keep these students in your prayers as they finalise their preparation.
Sacrament of Confirmation
This weekend also marks the start of the Sacramental Program for Confirmation for a large number of our Year 6 students. Candidates in this program will be attending Mass over the next four weekends, ready to receive this special Sacrament on the weekend of the 14th and 15th of November. Due to the size of the group of Confirmation candidates, there will be three sessions - Saturday 6pm (Chapel), Sunday 8:30am (Chapel) and Sunday 10am (Church). Please keep these students in your prayers as they prepare to receive this Sacrament.
Upcoming Sacraments
- Sacrament of First Holy Communion (Year 3) - 17/18th October
- Sacrament of Confirmation (Year 6) - 14th/15th November
News from the Parish
Masses are being held in accordance with Government regulations, until further notice. If you wish to attend Mass, please register with the Parish Office on (02) 6742 0200 between 8:30am-12:30pm weekdays. Entrance to the Church is by the front door only.
Mass times are as follows:
Saturdays
4pm Sacred heart Church, Boggabri
6pm St Joseph’s Church, Gunnedah
Sundays
8:30am St Joseph’s Church, Gunnedah
11am St Therese’s Church, Mullaley (1st & 3rd Sunday of the month)
11am Mary Immaculate Church, Tambar Springs (2nd & 4th Sunday of the month)
Weekdays
9:15am Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays St Joseph’s Church, Gunnedah
11am + 5:30pm Fridays St Joseph’s Church, Gunnedah (two Masses on Fridays until further notice; both fulfill weekend obligation for those unable to attend weekend Mass)
Booking in for Mass
Please remember to book-in for whichever Mass you hope to attend by ringing the Presbytery Office Secretary on (02) 6742 0200 between 8:30am-12:30pm Monday-Friday. If your plans change, and you can no longer attend that particular Mass, you must contact the office and notify the secretary so your seats can be reallocated and to avoid people being turned away when there are empty seats inside.
Since the Friday evening Mass (5:30pm) option has proven popular, and has taken the heat off spaces at the Weekend Masses, the second Sunday Mass (that was mentioned in the previous newsletter) has not been further discussed.