Our Holy Redeemer School Newsletter

Education in Faith

Family Led Sunday Mass

During 2024 the Parish, in conjunction with the Parish Primary Schools, has planned Family led Sunday Masses.  These Masses will be celebrated once a term and be followed by hospitality.  They will be a great opportunity for children and their families to be involved in a Sunday Mass within the parish community.

 

Family Masses will provide an opportunity for families to come together and to support each other in faith.  They can particularly be important for families who are presenting their children for Sacraments throughout the year.  There may be opportunities to reconnect with our own faith as adults.  There may be opportunities to engage with parish life and learn more about the faith, for those who are not so familiar with our local worshiping community.  All families are welcome at these family Masses no matter what your religious background or affiliation.

 

Family Masses have been scheduled at Our Holy Redeemer Church in Surrey Hills for the following Sundays this year:       

 

Sunday, 17 March at 10.30 am

Special invitation to Year 1/2 students and families

 

Saturday, 18 May at 6.00 pm

Special invitation to Year 3/4 students and families (includes First Eucharist Commitment)

 

Saturday, 17 August at 6.00 pm

Special invitation to Year 5/6 students and families (includes Confirmation Commitment)

 

Sunday, 17 November at 10.30 am

Prep and new families for 2025 are particularly invited to this Mass

 

Mrs Nanette Giovannini will be the parish coordinator of the Family led Masses and will work closely with the schools and parents in order to plan and celebrate these Masses each term.

 

If you would like to be part of their team or support this new initiative,  the parish would be delighted to hear from you.  You can contact Nanette at Nanette.Giovannini@cam.org.au

Project Compassion

Project Compassion is Caritas Australia's annual Lenten fundraising and awareness-raising appeal. Millions of Australians come together in solidarity with the world's poor to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. The theme for this year’s appeal is For all Future Generations.

 

During Lent our RE Year 5/6 Student Leadership Team will be selling Zooper Dooper icy poles for 50c after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15 - 3:30pm at the tuckshop window. All money raised will be donated to Project Compassion. If anybody would like to donate a pack (or more) of Zooper Doopers please bring them to the office. We can look after the freezing for you‼ 

A snapshot of RE Learning in 3/4 PK

This term's learning journey centres around BELONGING and ACCEPTANCE.  We have been fortunate to have Mrs Nanette Giovannini provide the students with a guided tour of the church’s signs, symbols and objects, and their relevance to belonging to the parish community.

 

Some learning from our visit to the church include:

  • When the red light of the tabernacle is on, it means there are blessed hosts inside it.
  • The oil of chrism has a nice smell.  It is used in anointing during the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.  Oil is used to anoint special people.
  • If someone is unwell the priest will go to their house and anoint the unwell person with the oil.
  • When there is a small gathering mass is held in the chapel.  The chapel is behind the altar.
  • The priest has many different vestments (robes).  They come in different colours and he wears particular colours at different times of the year.  The green vestment is used during Ordinary Time.  The priest will wear white at Easter and Christmas.  The purple vestment is used during Lent and Advent, and is also worn at the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  The red vestment is worn at Pentecost and for the Sacrament of Confirmation.
  • The lectionary is a book with the readings.  
  • The stole / white garment used at Baptism represents purity.
  • Host - comes in regular cardboard and plastic packaging
  • Wine - comes from a normal bottle.  It becomes special when it is blessed.
  • Each of the items  used during celebrations of the Eucharist have special names.  
    • Paten - is the plate that the priest places the bread on
    • Chalice - is the cup used to hold the wine
    • Ciborium - is a cup with a lid that the priest places the host in
    • Pyx - is a small container that has one or two hosts in it.  The priest will bless a person and that person will then take the host to a person who is not able to attend mass due to ill health.
  • The Stations of the Cross.  There are 14 of them and they tell us the story of the crucifixion.
  • The statues and icons are a reminder that saints have a story and also to help us understand the scriptures.
  • Stained glass window.  Tell us a story.  The story can be about scripture, saints or the history of the church.  The stained glass windows in Our Holy Redeemer Church are plain coloured because when it was built, there was not much money.

Sunday Gospel

The liturgy of the Catholic Church provides a framework for reflection which is used by Catholics throughout the world. Each week in the Newsletter, you will find the Sunday Gospel as well as some discussion questions to have with your child/ren.

 

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. These approached Philip, who came from Bethsaida in Galilee, and put this request to him, ‘Sir, we should like to see Jesus.’ Philip went to tell Andrew, and Andrew and Philip together went to tell Jesus. Jesus replied to them:

 

‘Now the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you most solemnly,

unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest. Anyone who loves his life loses it; anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it for the eternal life. If a man serves me, he must follow me, wherever I am, my servant will be there too.

If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him. Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say: Father, save me from this hour?

But it was for this very reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name!’

 

A voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ People standing by, who heard this, said it was a clap of thunder; others said, ‘It was an angel speaking to him.’ Jesus answered, ‘It was not for my sake that this voice came, but for yours.

 

‘Now sentence is being passed on this world; now the prince of this world is to be overthrown. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw all men to myself.’ By these words he indicated the kind of death he would die.

 

Discussion Questions

1. Can you think of a time when you were worried about being in trouble for something you did?

2. Have you been forgiven much easier than you expected?

3. When someone forgives you they show you mercy. How do you feel when someone shows you mercy?

4. Who are some people you know who are merciful?

5. God is merciful. He loves us and does not want to be parted from us. How can we show mercy to others?

 

Let us pray that we will show others mercy by following God’s example.