Religious Dimensions
St Roch's Parish Primary School 
Mary: A 'Model of Hope' \
Loving God,
We thank You for the stories of Mary, Joseph,
and Jesus, that remind us of Your hope.
When the angel visited Mary,she trusted Your plan —help us to say “yes” to You with courage.
When Mary visited Elizabeth,
they shared their joy —help us to share hope with others.
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem,
light shone in a humble stable —help us to find hope, even in simple places.
Mary, Mother of Jesus,
be with us when we are worried or afraid and guide us to your Son, who is our greatest hope and joy.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Whole School Rosary. Mary: our Mother of Hope
It has been wonderful to join together as a school each Wednesday during October at 8.50am in the hall to pray the Rosary.
We explored the Joyful Mysteries to help us to learn more about Mary:
‘The Annunciation’ - Mary said ‘yes’, how can we say ‘yes’?
‘The Visitation’ - Hope grows when we share it with others.
‘The Nativity’ - How did Mary show Hope in the ‘Nativity’?
‘The Presentation’ - How can we be a ‘light’ for others?
‘The Finding of Jesus in the temple’ - Hope is found when we stay close to God.
We were reminded of how Mary’s choices are an inspiration for us and how there are many ways that we can provide hope in our own lives for others.
St Roch’s Sacramental Program: Confirmation
Year 6 Retreat Day:
On Thursday 23 October, Our Year 6 students joined together with Fr Michael Gallacher and the Confirmation team to prepare for receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. There were many great discussions about the ‘gifts’ and ‘fruits’ of the Holy Spirit.
Students were asked to reflect on how they would like the world to be and how they can contribute to that as part of God’s family.
There were also games and quizzes to enjoy, these reminded us of the importance of finding ‘joy’ in our lives and how we will always have support and a ‘team’ at St Roch’s!
Thank you to Father Gallacher, Toni Allen and Carmel Rozario for supporting the session.
Confirmation at St Patrick’s Cathedral:
The Retreat Day led into our actual Sacrament of Confirmation last Thursday night. It was wonderful to see all of the candidates, sponsors and families from St Roch’s, St Joseph’s, St Mary’s and Holy Eucharist Parish/School come together in what was a very full Cathedral! We are very grateful to Bishop Les Tomlinson and Father Gallacher for leading this ceremony. And also to our own Confirmation Preparation team of Jess Mount, Toni Allen, Nadine Bolton and Angie Mastoras.
Term 4 Religious Dimension, upcoming dates to note:
- Year 5 Family Mass: Sunday 9th November @ 5.00pm
- Remembrance Day liturgy: Tuesday 11 November @ 10.30 am in hall
- End of Year Mass: Monday 11 December @ 9.15am
Louise Bolton
Religious Dimension Leader