Wow, what another busy week we have had! From our Prep Picnic Parish Mass to inaugurating our new Year 6 school leaders, to making pancakes for Shrove Tuesday, to a special outdoor Mass for staff on Ash Wednesday and celebrating Ash Wednesday with students on Thursday with a ‘sprinkle’ of ashes on their heads and an introduction to Project Compassion and the amazing work Caritas does to support people less fortunate in developing countries.

Our Prep Picnic Parish Mass at Braeside park was a very special event well attended by many enthusiastic preppies and their families. In the gospel Father Andrew read:

“...Good people do good things because of the good in their hearts.

Bad people do bad things because of the evil in their hearts.

Your words show what is in your hearts.”

So the underlying message (reflected in all the hearts the children made) is that Jesus asks us to love others with open eyes and open hearts.

This message is central to our Catholic values and in this time of Lent we are reminded of the many ways we can manifest Jesus’ love in our lives by loving and caring for others.

Every family should have received a Project Compassion Donation Box. With the help of your kind donations Caritas aims to End Poverty, Promote Justice and Uphold Dignity. Last year our school was able to raise over $600, hopefully this year we can make an even bigger impact to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Students in all classes participated in an Ash Wednesday and Lent liturgy which generated much discussion about the needs of people in developing countries and how lucky we are to be living in Australia, where we don’t need to walk 7km just for a drink of water and where everyone is entitled to an education. Over the next 5 weeks, students will be exploring the messages of Lent and how we can follow Jesus to make a difference in the lives of others.

I would like to congratulate Georgia.A and Gabe.P on their appointment as Faith and Social Justice Leaders, and to their team including Kody.D-B, Isabella.W, Kaia.R-W, Abigail.S, Logan.L and Lenny.M. I’m really looking forward to working with these amazing young people as we promote Faith and Social Justice initiatives in the St Louis Community.

As you are well aware, there is much devastation being experienced by people in our world. The conflict in Northern Europe and the floods in Northern Australia are two events that we are very aware of and where people are in need of much support. There may not be alot we can do to physically help, but we can pray.

Pope Francis said his heart was “broken” by the war in Ukraine, and he pleaded again, “Silence the weapons! The church is with its people,” he said. “The church of Christ brings the eucharistic Savior to those who are experiencing critical moments in their life, who need the strength and hope of the resurrection.” He asks us to, “ pray for peace in Ukraine and a cease-fire so the Ukrainian people can feel the spiritual support of His Holiness and of all those united in prayer.”

At Monday’s school assembly we will be praying the Rosary and offering some lunchtime prayer groups so that we too can join His Holiness in spiritual support of all those affected by the ravages of war and destruction.

Year 1 Cluster News