Mission and Identity
- The Feast of Our Lady of Dolours
- College Chapel Mass
- Ignite Catholic Youth Festival
- Prayers for Year 11 and Year 12
- Parish Prayers for Year 12
The Feast of Our Lady of Dolours
Context of the Feast Day
The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows commemorates the seven great sorrows which Mary lived in relation to Her Son, as they are recorded in the Gospels and through Tradition. Mary’s confident ‘Yes’ to God’s call came at great personal cost as she carried Jesus from womb to tomb. Yet despite the cost, she never wavered in her commitment to God’s call.
Saint Ambrose in particular sees Mary as a sorrowful yet powerful figure at the cross. Mary stood fearlessly at the cross while others fled. Mary looked on her Son’s wounds with pity, but saw in them the salvation of the world. As Jesus hung on the cross, Mary did not fear to be killed, but offered herself to her persecutors.
John’s account of Jesus’ death is highly symbolic. When Jesus gives the beloved disciple to Mary, we are invited to appreciate Mary’s role in the Church: She symbolizes the Church; the beloved disciple represents all believers. As Mary mothered Jesus, she is now mother to all his followers, and Christians can trust that they will continue to experience the caring presence of Mary and Jesus’ Spirit throughout their lives.
College Chapel Mass
Through this Mass we acknowledged the pioneers of our Catholic Parish of Chatswood, named in honour of Our Lady of Dolours. Through the work of the Mercy Sisters who began teaching and ministering here in the late 19th Century, the Christian Brothers who arrived in the 1930s and all the clergy and laity since who have built this Parish - through our Mass we offered our prayers for their strength and conviction in doing God’s work here on Earth.
Ignite Catholic Youth Festival
The Ignite Catholic Youth Conference will be held at The Light of Christ Centre in Wahroonga from 28 September - 1 October (the middle weekend of school holidays). The College will sponsor the cost of interested students to attend this amazing opportunity.
The Ignite Conference is a gathering of young Catholics for four days of celebration, renewal of faith, great people and powerful worship. Below is a short clip from last year's Ignite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJBP9VGQeEg
It will bring together hundreds of young people from around Australia with inspiring music, uplifting rallies, inspirational speakers, engaging and practical workshops as well as the opportunity for prayer and reflection. Please access the website for more details:
https://igniteconference.com.au
Students who would like to attend this conference, please email Mr Petrie: dpetrie@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au
Prayers for Year 11 and Year 12
Our prayers and thoughts are with Year 11 who embark on their exams in Week 9 and 10.
Best wishes for the Studies of Religion task which will be held on Tuesday 19 September followed by the College Farewell to Year 12.
We also keep Year 12 in our prayers as they complete their final lessons and begin their end of Year 12 celebrations.
Parish Prayers for Year 12
We extend our gratitude to Olivia Lee and the parish of Our Lady of Dolours for the generous gift of these beautiful prayer cards for our Year 12 students, as they approach their HSC Examinations.
Every Blessing for the week ahead.
Mr Daniel Petrie - Assistant Principal, Mission and Identity