St Pius X College Newsletter

Mission and Identity 

  • Christmas Appeal Reminder
  • Eucharistic Minister Training
  • Immersion Placements Announcement
  • Important Formation Events in the coming 3 weeks
  • Prayer for Peace in the Holy Land
  • Best Foot Forward Campaign

1 Peter 4:10 St Pius X Christmas Appeal Reminder

Thank you to all who have donated thus far to the 1 Peter 4:10 St Pius X College Christmas Appeal. We are presently half way through our appeal which will conclude at the end of next week. 

 

For your convenience, please find below the details of requested donations for each community:

 

Each community or organization needing our support has been allocated to a specific Year Group. Through consultation with each community and organization, the following items have been identified as a source of need in 2023.

 

Year 5 and 6 will be supporting the St Vincent de Paul Society in Woy Woy, who are requesting the following to be donated: 

 

Non Perishable Snack Supplies packed into zip lock bags, containing three snack items and a can of tuna, soup sachet or packet of noodles.

 

Year 7 will be supporting St Mary’s Primary School Bowraville who are requesting New casual clothing items, new sporting related items and new primary aged toys to be donated

 

Year 8 will be supporting CatholicCare Broken Bay who are requesting Non-perishable snack items, non perishable food items, toiletries and toys suitable for young children to be donated.

 

Year 9 will be supporting the Burdekin Association through the Frenchs Forest Parish, who are   requesting non-perishable snack items, non perishable food items and toiletries to be donated.

 

Year 10 will be supporting Centacare who are requesting Christmas present hampers. Each homeroom will be organised into present groups and will receive the specific needs relevant to their grouping.

 

Year 11 will be supporting St Michael’s Meals who are requesting non-perishable snack items, non perishable food items and toiletries to be donated. 

 

Through faith and hard work, we at St Pius X can realise the dream that sparked with the Gospel and came into view by looking out the window at docks of Waterford. 

 

We look forward to journeying with you and the Magi as we make our way to Bethlhem. 

Eucharistic Minister Training

Today 20 students from Year 10 engaged in the Eucharistic Minister Training Course offered by Very Rev Dr David Ranson, Vicar General of the Diocese of Broken Bay. Our students were joined by students from Mercy Catholic College to engage in this most important ministry within our Catholic learning communities.

We are very blessed to have had the theological depth of Fr David leading our students through the course.

Students will now exercise their new skills at Monday morning Chapel Masses and College Masses throughout the next two years.

Immersion Placements Announcement

Thank you to all the students who applied for a placement on one of the Matthew 25:40 Immersions. Announcements and confirmation of placements will be individually emailed to students from today.

Inclusive in the letter of offer will be further details relating to the specific immersion being offered, a link to confirm acceptance of the placement and payment related details through Trybooking. Please note that medical information will be collected through Trybooking. 

Important Formation Events remaining in Term 4

As the College continues to provide high quality formation opportunities that seeks to nourish a union of head, heart and hands, the following formation opportunities are being offered over the remaining three weeks: 

  • Edmund Rice Centre Fair Play Symposium (Thursday 16 Nov)​
  • Edmund Rice Society Badging and Blessing Assembly with Fr David Ranson (Friday 17 Nov)​
  • Last College Chapel Mass (Monday 20 Nov)​
  • Christmas Appeal Concludes (Friday 24 Nov)
  • St Pius and Mercy - Youth Mass and Movie Night (Sunday 26 Nov)​
  • Baradine Immersion (Sunday 26-Thursday 30 Nov)​
  • Bowraville Immersion (Sunday 26-Wednesday 29 Nov)​
  • Greater Sydney Immersion (Monday 27 - Wednesday 29 Nov)​
  • Central Coast Immersion (Monday 27 - Wednesday 29 Nov)​
  • Year 6 Graduation Liturgy (Monday 27 Nov)​
  • Year 10 Reflection Day (Tuesday 28 Nov)​
  • Advent Liturgical Celebration (Monday 4 Dec)​
  • Staff Formation Day (Thursday 7 Dec)​

Prayer for Peace in the Holy Land

As we continue to witness the horrors of war, we keep all those caught in conflict in our deepest prayers. Please find below a prayer for all in the Holy Lands:

 

God of Comfort, send your Spirit to encompass all those whose lives are torn apart by violence and death in Israel and Palestine. You are the Advocate of the oppressed and the One whose eye is on the sparrow. Let arms reach out in healing, rather than aggression. Let hearts mourn rather than militarize.

 

God of Justice, give strength to those whose long work for a just peace might seem fruitless now. Strengthen their resolve. Do not let them feel alone. Show us how to support their work and bolster their courage. Guide religious leaders to model unity and reconciliation across lines of division. Guide political leaders to listen with their hearts as they seek peace and pursue it.

Help all people choose the rigorous path of just peace and disavow violence.

 

God of Love, we lift up Palestine and Israel — its people, its land, its creatures. War is a monster that consumes everything in its path. Peace is a gift shared at meals of memory with Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Let us break bread, not bodies. Let us plant olive groves, not cemeteries. We beg for love and compassion to prevail on all your holy mountains.

 

God of Hope, we lift up the cities of the region: Gaza City and Tel Aviv, Ramallah and Ashkelon, Deir El Balah and Sderot, so long divided, yet so filled with life and creativity. Come again to breathe peace on your peoples that all may recognize you. Strengthen our faith in you, O God of All Flesh, even when we don’t have clear answers, so that we may still offer ourselves non-violently for the cause of peace, Amen.

 

Blessed Edmund Rice, Pray for us.

St Pius X, Pray for us.

Live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Youth Mass and Movie Night

Students are invited to join the St Pius X College and Mercy Catholic College Youth Mass and Movie night on 26 November. The fun begins with the Youth Mass at 5:30 pm at Our Lady of Dolours Chatswood followed by a movie at Event Cinemas Chatswood. Open to friends outside of school, it is a wonderful opportunity for faith, fun, friendship and food!

Ignite Youth Summer Camp Queensland

Please find details below for the Ignite Youth Summer Camp. Students who are interested (Years 7-12), please email Mr Petrie or Mr Balboa. Ignite Summer Camp

Best Foot Forward Campaign

On Friday 24 November, we will be raising awareness of the ‘Best Foot Forward’ Campaign run by the Edmund Rice Foundation. Their goal is to raise awareness so that women and girls can have a brighter future. Women and girls living in poverty lack basic human rights and fundamental opportunities.

As our contribution to this important initiative, on Friday 24 November, all students and staff are invited to wear brightly coloured or ‘crazy’ socks to promote the importance of the ‘Best Foot Forward’ initiative. 

In addition, the College will form the shape of a foot from their logo for an aerial photograph, to be shared across our social media platforms. To assist us in our goal of raising awareness, we invite families to forward this photograph and link to the campaign next Friday: https://erf.org.au/bestfootforward/

Mr Daniel Petrie - Assistant Principal, Mission and Identity