PRAYER

All powerful and ever living God, source of all holiness, we rejoice in the holy men and women of every time and place. May the prayers of your saints bring us your forgiveness and love. May our hearts be on fire with your love.

Amen

We pray ...

for ..... all those loved ones who have gone to be with our heavenly Father .... for the safe return of our Year 5 students, teacher and parents from their excursion to Lake Keepit .... for all Year 12 students and in particular the McCarthy Catholic College students as their final days of HSC exams draw to a close.

LITURGY NEWS

Reconciliation

Yesterday, some of our Year 4 students had the opportunity to attend Reconciliation. Yr 2 also had a visit with Fr Chris. Next week more of our Year 4 students will have the opportunity for Reconciliation. We thank Fr Chris and Fr Clarence for their spiritual guidance.

Last weekend our church celebrated two masses;

All Saints Day (1st November)

All Saints day is a day where we remember the holy men and women in our Church who lived lives that were dedicated to following God and living their faith through word and action. The life of Australia’s only Saint; Saint Mary of the Cross is a reminder to all of us on how we can pray to the saints for their intercession of our prayers and how we can follow their example of how to be a witness to our faith.

All Souls Day (2nd November)

All Souls’ Day is traditionally the annual commemoration of the Faithful Departed. It is a time for our community to remember deceased family members and friends.

Remembrance Day

Next Tuesday is Remembrance Day – a day when we reflect and give thanks for the sacrifices made by so many in times of war and conflict. We will be gathering together as a school community at a morning assembly to spend time in reflection and prayer, and to play the Last Post and say the Ode of Remembrance to coincide with the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month. Lest we forget. Mr Flynn and our school captains will represent our school community at a service to be held at the Town Hall on Tuesday beginning at 10.15am.

Pilgrimage to St Nicholas Church - Miniature Cathedral, Cathedra and Relics

Last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday saw the whole school embark on pilgrimage to St Nicholas Church to learn about the Catherdral and Cathedra located in Armidale and five very special relics from Saints.

Cathedral

A cathedral is a special church where a bishop leads the community. It is often large and beautiful, filled with amazing artwork and decorations. The cathedral serves as the main church for a diocese, which is a group of local churches. In our diocese, which is very big, we have churches as far west ast Walgett, As far north as Mungindi and Tenterfield, as far south as Quirindi and as far east as Walcha. Just like a family has a home, the Church has its home in the cathedral, where everyone comes together to worship God. Our cathedral is in Armidale and you are looking at a very accurate scaled down version bigger in real life! Our Cathedral is named Sts Mary and Joseph Cathedral.

Cathedra

The cathedra is the bishop's chair, and it is very important because it symbolises his teaching authority and leadership in the Church. When the bishop sits in the cathedra, he teaches and guides the people in their faith. This chair is not just any chair; it is a special throne that shows how the bishop is like a shepherd, caring for his flock. In our diocese we are led by Bishop Peter Murphy.

Relics

Relics are special items that are connected to saints or holy people. They can be parts of their bodies, like bones or hair, or things they used, like clothing or tools. Relics remind us of the lives of these saints and their strong faith in God. They are like treasures that help us remember the amazing things these holy people did. The relics that we saw were from the clothes and lines of our young saints, St. Therese of the Lisieux, St. Carlo Acutis, St. Giorgio Frassati, St. Mary of the Cross Mackillop and St. Teresa of Calcutta.

During the Jubilee year, the Church celebrates and reflects on the faith of the saints. The visiting relics help us remember their examples and inspire us to live our faith more fully. When we see these relics, we can think about how we can follow in the footsteps of the saints and be good examples of love and kindness in our own lives.

MINI VINNIES

Calling All Creative Young Artists! 🎄✨

Get ready to spread Christmas cheer with your artistic talents! The Vinnies Youth NSW Christmas Card Competition is here, and we’re looking for five stunning designs to become the official 2025 Vinnies NSW Member Christmas Cards.

🌟 What’s in it for you?

Your design professionally printed and shared across NSW.
A Vinnies Prize Pack to celebrate your win.

🎨 Who can join?Young artists across NSW—any medium is welcome! Draw, paint, craft, or go digital. Just make sure it’s your original creation.

📅 Hurry, submissions close on Monday, 2nd December 2024! Submission to be handed to Mrs Dunst.

ST VINCENT DE PAUL CHRISTMAS APPEAL

This term, our Year 5 students and Mini-Vinnies are going to take on a project of giving. We are collecting non-perishable food items to create special care packages for Vinnies (Society of Saint Vincent de Paul). If you are able to contribute we would be very grateful. Vinnies gives these packages to people and families who are less fortunate than most. Let's work together to make a big difference!

Kinder - Pasta or Rice

Year 1 - Personal hygiene products (toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, etc.)

Year 2 - Spreads (jam, vegemite, etc.)

Year 3 - Tea or coffee

Year 4- Canned fruit/vegetables(peaches, pineapple, mixed vegetables, baked beans, etc.)

Year 5 - Tinned meat (chicken, tuna, corned beef, etc.)

Year 6 - UHT milk/custard

Please ensure all relevant products have a valid expiry date before sending them in.

THANK YOU TO THE FAMILIES WHO HAVE ALREADY SENT IN ITEMS. GREATLY APPRECIATED.

FAMILY MASSES

Our next Family Mass will be celebrated on Sunday 7th December (Year 2 & Year 4 Families) at St Nicholas Church commencing at 9.30am. Please mark these dates in your diaries and join us as it is a chance to gather together as a community to celebrate.

The St Nicholas Parish Christmas Party will be held on Sunday 7th December at McCarthy Catholic College beginning at 11am therefore there will be no morning tea after family mass. Everyone is welcome to attend the Parish Christmas Party.

REAL TALK

Parents, this is an opportunity not to be missed.

ROAD SAFETY

SAFE SCHOOL DROP OFF AND PICK UP