Religion and Parish News

Lord, Our God, 

Help us to work with you on the pathway of Mercy

 and to live your mission in today’s world. 

Bind us to all men and women of our time, 

so that together we may bring the Good news to the ends of the earth. 

Open our hearts and our school community

 to the needy, the afflicted, the oppressed. 

May we radiate the Living Christ and transform our lives. 

This prayer we make to you our living God now and forever. 

Amen

First Reconciliation

Sacrament of First Reconciliation - Tuesday 24th of September, 6pm, St Joseph’s Church (Week 10, Term 3)

Retreat Day - Tuesday 24th of September, St Xavier’s Primary School (Week 10, Term 3)

  Altar Servers

If your child has made their First Reconciliation and would like to be an altar server they will need to attend the following sessions at St Joseph’s Church:

Compulsory Parent Information Session and first training session for all parents and prospective Altar Servers on Tuesday 15th October at 4pm.

Altar Serving Training Dates

Tuesday October 22nd - 4:00-5:00pm

Tuesday October 29th - 4:00-5:00pm       

Commissioned at Sunday Mass on the 3rd of November, 2024                                                       

Mercy Day

The 24th September is a very special day in the mercy world. We call it MERCY DAY. The first House of Mercy was opened in Bagott St, Dublin, on 24th September 1827. 

This house offered a safe place for young women and their children to live. Traditionally, this was the feastday of Mary, the Mother of Mercy.

Mercy Cross

Catherine McAuley designed the original Mercy Cross herself, a dark background with a white cross in the middle. The Mercy Cross that we see today still has a white cross in the middle of a dark coloured cross. Catherine chose the cross to be the symbol of the Sisters of Mercy because of her deep love for the crucified Jesus.

You may have noticed that the Cross does not have the figure of Jesus on the Cross. This is because Catherine believed that each Sister of Mercy places herself on the Cross to be like Jesus.

Sisters of Mercy all around the world wear this cross so we can recognise who they are.

Catherine’s Shawl

In 1852, Catherine was helping a poor woman who was very sick with cholera. The woman died, leaving a new born baby all alone. Catherine wrapped the baby in her black woollen shawl and took her home with her. Catherine soon found someone to take care of the baby. 

The black shawl is a symbol of giving protection and shelter to those in need.

Boots

The Sisters of Mercy were known as the ‘walking nuns’.

They were the first nuns to leave their convent and go to help people in need in their homes, in hospital, and in prison.

The boots are a symbol of the work Sisters of Mercy do in our communities.

Good Cup of Tea

Catherine McAuley believed that welcoming people who needed help and offering them something to eat or drink was a way to share God’s love.

Just before Catherine died, she asked that her Sisters have a ‘good cup of tea’ together after she had died so they could comfort each other.

The cup of tea is a symbol of the Mercy value of hospitality.

As a school we are going to be collecting stamps and sending them to Mary MacKillop Today. All you need to do is collect your stamps, new or used, it doesn’t matter (they’ll even take your collections and albums). The stamps are trimmed and sorted with the help of volunteers and then sent to an auction house where they are sold to collectors. 

Students are encouraged to get their grandparents or extended families and neighbours involved!