Our Faith - Religious Education

                                   Pray with HOPE is the 2024 theme for Catholic Schools.

Welcome back to School and a special welcome to our new families! This page of the Newsletter will keep you informed of all upcoming and past Religious Events. We look forward to sharing many important events with you this year. 

This Year I will continue in my role as Religious Education Coordinator. We look forward to working with Father Damien and Father Paul Anthony as our Parish Priests. 

Mrs Scully

Shrove Tuesday - 13th February 2024

Next Tuesday Mini Vinnies will be selling pancakes for Shrove Tuesday. Families are encouraged to order pancakes online to ensure we have enough on the day. Pancakes will be $1.00 each and there will be plain, jam or gluten free options available. Please order pancakes on Compass (Canteen) before Monday at 2pm. 

Shrove Tuesday is the last day before we enter the season of Lent. Lent is a time of preparation for the feast of Easter. During Lent, we give special attention to prayer (attending to quality more so than quantity), fasting (emptying ourselves that we may be filled with the life and love of Christ) and good deeds (not to win admiration for ourselves but to help others). Though it has a penitential character, Lent is a joyful season as we anticipate the resurrection of the Lord

All money raised from Shrove Tuesday will go towards Project Compassion. 

Ash Wednesday Mass -  14th February at 9:15am

K-6 School Ash Wednesday Mass, 14th February, at 9:15am in the school grounds.  During our Ash Wednesday Mass  Fr Damien will bless the badges of our newly appointed School Captains & House Captains, formally commissioning them into their roles. We extend a warm invitation to parents to join us for Ash Wednesday Mass. 

Mini Vinnies 

Our 2024 Mini Vinnies group met for the first time on Monday. Even in the heat, the 40+ children committed to spend their lunch time learning all about Mini Vinnies. We started our session with a prayer, learnt some facts about St Vincent De Paul and discussed what Mini Vinnies involves and what we have done in the past. We then started to look at 2024 and the large majority of children decided that they would like to nominate for leadership positions in the group again this year. We spoke about Shrove Tuesday and students were encouraged to make a poster to promote the event. Next week our session will be focused on preparing a roster for Shrove Tuesday (selling pancakes) and preparing our classrooms with the Project Compassion resources. 

I look forward to seeing our new Mini Vinnies group again next Monday at lunchtime (outside the Library). 

Project Compassion 2024

Next week, the season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, which also marks the beginning of the annual Caritas Australia Project Compassion Appeal. Donations to Project Compassion allow Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, to work with local communities around the world to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. Please give generously to Caritas Australia this Lenten season and help vulnerable people around the world, now and for all future generations. With your support, Caritas Australia has been able to assist communities around the world through income generation, water and sanitation, food security, education and disaster risk reduction programs. Project Compassion 2024 reminds us that the good we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come. Together, we can help vulnerable communities face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow.

You can donate through Project Compassion donation boxes which will be distributed to families next week. 

Religious Education Curriculum

All classes have a timetabled 180 minutes a week of Religious Education (RE) and most classes achieve this by teaching RE 4 days a week (45 minute lessons). Teachers follow a Scope and Sequence which follow the seasons of the church year. During Term 1, Year levels will begin the following units - 

• Kindergarten - Welcome, Lent and Holy Week and The Easter Season 
• Year 1 - Baptism, Lent and Holy Week and The Easter Season 
• Year 2 - Images of God, Lent and Holy Week and The Easter Season 
• Year 3 - Created by God: A Gift to Share, Lent: A Time for Reading Out in Love, Easter: A Time to Celebrate the Presence of the Risen Lord 
• Year 4 - Living the Law of Love, Lent: A Time to Make Choices, Easter: A time to Live the Good News 
• Year 5 - The Reign of God: Reaching Out in Justice, Lent: A Time for Growth, Easter: A Time for Hope and New Life 
• Year 6 - The Reign of God: Breaking Down the Barriers, Lent: A Time for Building a Just World, Confirmation: Celebrating the Gift of the Holy Spirit. 

Parish Masses at OLA 

Parents and Friends are invited to join classes as they attend Parish Masses on Friday this term. Classes will attend the Parish Mass on Friday at 9:15am at the OLA Chapel.  Dates are listed below for Parish Masses - 

Sacrament Dates for 2024

Confirmation - 

The Confirmation program is a parish-based program for students in Year 6 or older. The program will consist of six Confirmation Lessons held in the DLS Chapel on Sunday at 8:00am-9:30am. The first hour of the lesson will consist of participation in Mass followed by a Formation lesson. Mass attendance is an important part of Confirmation preparation for all students and for their ongoing faith development. Attendance at all lessons is compulsory to complete the program and to celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation. 

The Confirmation Enrolment Evening is scheduled for Wednesday 10/3/24 at 6pm in the Torreggiani Room (behind the Cathedral). Parents/Carers of students participating in the program will need to attend this evening.  If for any reason you are unable to attend, please ring Tina in the Cathedral Office on 6772 2218. 

First Reconciliation & First Eucharist: TBC (Term 3)

Sts Mary and Joseph Cathedral Parish Mass Times

Saints Mary and Joseph Cathedral Parish Weekend Mass Times are Saturday 9 am & 6 pm

and Sunday - 8 am, 10 am and 5.30 pm. 

Currently weekend Masses are being celebrated in the De La Salle Chapel at O'Connor due to the roof repairs at the Cathedral. 

Diocesan Prayer Card

A Diocesan Prayer has been written and published.