Religious Education & Pastoral Care

Mrs Trish Mitchell
Assistant Principal & Religious Education Coordinator

First Sunday of Advent - HOPE
God of Hope,
We light this first candle to remind us that Jesus is coming soon.
Help us to be hopeful and watchful this week, sharing your love with everyone we meet.
Keep our hearts ready for your Son.
Amen

Advent Wreath

The Advent wreath is a circular arrangement of evergreen branches that is used as a symbol of the Advent season, which is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas. The wreath typically holds four candles, with one being lit each Sunday of Advent, leading up to Christmas.

Here are the key elements and symbolism of the Advent wreath:

Shape: The circular shape of the wreath represents God's eternity and the unending love and faithfulness of God.

Evergreens: The evergreen branches symbolise eternal life, as they remain green throughout the year, reminding Christians of the hope of eternal life through Christ.

Candles: The wreath holds four candles, which are lit progressively. There are 3 purple and 1 pink candle.

Christ Candle: A fifth white candle is placed in the center of the wreath, symbolising Christ. This candle is lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to celebrate the arrival of Jesus, the Light of the World.

The Advent wreath serves as a visual and prayerful way for Catholics to mark the time of Advent, helping them focus on the themes of hope, peace, joy, and love, while preparing spiritually for the coming of Christ.

We came together as a school community to light the first candle of Advent to symbolise our theme of hope and the anticipation of Christ’s coming into our lives. As we lit this candle, we are reminded of the hopeful expectation that fills our hearts during this season of preparation. It is a time for us to reflect on the promises of God, to look forward to the joy of Christmas, and to renew our faith as we await the birth of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

Miniature Cathedral, Cathedra & Relics

Last week, our students from Kindergarten to Year 4 visited our church to view the visiting Mini Cathedral display. This engaging presentation provided a valuable hands-on opportunity to learn about the significance of our cathedral in our faith. The children were fascinated to see the miniature representation, and especially enjoyed viewing the Bishop's chair, the cathedra, which symbolises his teaching and significance to our faith. We also took time to respectfully reflect on the holy relics that were displayed, helping the students to connect with the lives of the Saints.

St Joseph's Christmas Appeal - LAST CALL!

We are overwhelmed by the generosity of our families as the donations have been coming in over the past 2 weeks - THANK YOU!! We will continue taking donations of non-perishable food items to create special care packages for Vinnies (Society of Saint Vincent de Paul) over the next week. If you are able to contribute we would be very grateful and ask that last donations are brought in on FRIDAY, 5th December. Vinnies will give these packages to people and families who are less fortunate than most.

SAVE the DATE: Graduation Mass

HOPe Outreach

HOPe Outreach are looking for additional volunteers to join their team to assist in HOPe’s ministry to the Rural Fire Service. HOPe, will use their food truck to provide meals to fire fighters, support staff, incident controllers & evacuees in fire emergencies around the Diocese. Training in food handling and the operation of the truck is provided free of charge to volunteers.

Can you assist as a volunteer? If you are interested in joining this amazing team, or to make an enquiry about the work of HOPe, please contact Deacon Paul Manvell.

Please follow the link for more information or contact Deacon Paul Manvell - 0418 667 329