Religious Education News - Week 10 Term 1

Religious Education Dates for 2025

Confirmation

Saturday 16th August- Sacrament of Confirmation – 1pm and 3pm
Wednesday 4th June - Confirmation Information Night - 6pm
Saturday 24th May - Confirmation Commitment Mass - 5pm
Wednesday 18th June- Confirmation Reflection Day
Thursday 14th August - Confirmation Reconciliation service - 11:40am

Reconciliation

Wednesday 28th May - Sacrament of Reconciliation - 6pm

Eucharist

Wednesday 30th July - First Eucharist Parent/Child Information Night at 6pm
Saturday 9th August – First Eucharist Commitment Mass – 5pm
Thursday 23rd October - Eucharist Reflection Day
Thursday 23rd October - Reconciliation at 11:40am and practise
Saturday 25th October - Sacrament of First Eucharist mass at 5pm
Sunday 26th October - Sacrament of First Eucharist mass at 9:30am

Whole School Mass/Events

Friday 4th April - Easter paraliturgy at 12:45pm
Thursday 24th April - St Mark’s Feast Day mass at 2:15pm & activities during the day.
Friday 16th May - Family Week mass at 2:15pm and activities during the day
Friday 6th June - Reconciliation Week liturgy/assembly) 2.25 p.m. and activities in own class
Friday 4th July - NAIDOC Week assembly (1pm)
Friday 15th August - Feast of the Assumption Mass at 9am
Friday 7th November - St Francis Blessing of the animals service from 9am to 9:15am
Tuesday 11th November - Remembrance Day service at 10:55am
Thursday 11th December - Year 6 Graduation at 6pm
Monday 15th December - End of School Mass at 9am - TBC

Junior Information Night

Preps in Pyjamas – Wednesday 11th June at 6pm

Holy Week Prayer liturgy - Friday 4th April

On Friday, 4th April, the whole school will be participating in a Holy Week prayer service. For the prayer service, each year level will perform a short play about the four main days of Holy Week. The whole school will walk from area to area, watching the plays and singing a little song. The prayer service will start at 12:40pm in front of the Foundation playground. All families are welcome to attend.

Lastly, Project Compassion boxes need to be brought back to school by Friday, 4th April. Please bring them to the school office. Thank you to everyone for their support of Caritas.

Project Compassion

Fourth Week of Lent

(Week beginning Monday 31 March)

Irene lives in a remote village in the Kongolo Region in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Life hasn’t been easy for Irene. After losing her father in a war, Irene and her family were forced to flee their home. Life became even more challenging when her husband left, leaving Irene to raise her 2 children alone. Without finishing her education and with few job opportunities in her village, she struggled to provide even the basics for her family.

Things began to change when Irene joined the Youth Capacity Strengthening Program (YCSP), run by Caritas Kongolo with the support of Caritas Australia. Through the program, Irene learned sewing skills and was provided with a sewing machine and fabric. Irene also gained farming skills. Now, she grows enough food to feed her family and even shares her sewing knowledge by mentoring other women in her community.

“Before, women depended on men's income, but now, with our sewing skills, we can take care of ourselves,” Irene said.

Your support of Project Compassion helps women like Irene to create brighter futures for themselves and their families.

Lastly, Project Compassion boxes need to be brought back to school by Friday, 4th April. Please bring them to the school office. Thank you to everyone for their support of Caritas.

Easter Prayer

The Jubilee Prayer

Father in heaven,

may the faith you have given us

in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,

and the flame of charity enkindled

in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,

reawaken in us the blessed hope

for the coming of your Kingdom.

May your grace transform us

into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.

May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos

in the sure expectation

of a new heaven and a new earth,

when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,

your glory will shine eternally.

May the grace of the Jubilee

reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,

a yearning for the treasures of heaven.

May that same grace spread

the joy and peace of our Redeemer

throughout the earth.

To you our God, eternally blessed,

be glory and praise for ever.

Amen

Children’s Liturgy

The reintroduction of Children's Liturgy at St Mark's Church is up and running and looking for more volunteers!

The Children's Liturgy provides a great opportunity for primary aged children to

engage with the gospel in a way that is accessible and meaningful to them. It runs every Sunday at the St Mark's 9:30am mass during school terms. At the start of mass the Children’s Liturgy adult leaders take the primary school age children into the hall for a small lesson and activity about the gospel of the day. Parents are welcome to join the session if they would like. If any parents are interested in volunteering to help with the Sunday sessions, please email Andrew Davies - andrew@smdingley.catholic.edu.au

Extra Curricular Programs at St Mark’s in 2025