Catholic Identity 

In this newsletter...

• First Eucharist

• Month of Mary

• Pope Leo XIV

• Sacramental Program 2025

• Pilgrim Image of Mary

• School Masses

• Community Masses 2025

First Eucharist

This Sunday we will have our next Community Mass. During this Mass, the first group of students will also celebrate their First Eucharist. We ask students and their families to arrive 15 minutes before the start of Mass to prepare and find their seats. We also request any students in the school choir to arrive 15-20 minutes early to put on a choir top and practise. 

We invite everyone from our community to join us for this celebration and pray for our First Communicants, that this will be a truly blessed moment for them. 

Month of Mary

The Month of May is traditionally dedicated to Mary. Our Lady holds a special place for Catholics as the Mother of Jesus. Just as Jesus entrusted his mother to his beloved disciple and his beloved disciple to her, so too does He entrust Mary to us and entrust us to her.

In confidence, we can call on Mary to intercede for us with Her Son, Jesus. 

During this Month of Mary, families are invited to bring in an image of Mary that is special to their family, cultural or national background. These will be added to a display in the office foyer. 

If possible, please name the back of the image so we can return it to you at the end of the month. Images can be given to the office to be added to our display. 

Pope Leo XIV

The election of Pope Leo XIV marks a moment of hope and renewal for the universal Church. As Catholics, we are reminded once again of the Holy Spirit’s presence in guiding the Church through each new chapter. Pope Leo XIV brings with him a deep commitment to pastoral care and dialogue, calling for the Church to be a bridge - between the world and God, and between one another. His vision for unity, compassion, and evangelization encourages us to live out our mission as disciples of Christ more fully. As a school community, let us pray for our new Holy Father — that his leadership may inspire us to grow in faith, serve with love, and always seek truth in our journey together.

Sacramental Program 2025

First Eucharist

The children below have indicated that they would like to receive the Sacrament of Eucharist, or First Holy Communion. If your child’s name is not on the list below and you believe it should be, please contact me as soon as possible. To receive the Sacrament of Eucharist, children must be baptised Catholic or have been welcomed into the Catholic Church, and celebrated First Reconciliation.

Confirmation

The children below have indicated that they would like to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. If your child’s name is not on the list below and you believe it should be, please contact me as soon as possible. To receive the Sacrament of Eucharist, children must be baptised Catholic or have been welcomed into the Catholic Church, and celebrated First Reconciliation and First Eucharist.

Dates to remember for those celebrating Confirmation:

Below is a copy of the letter that went home with students earlier this week with further information about Confirmation. 

Pilgrim Image

During this Jubilee Year, we will once again be offering the opportunity to take home our 'Pilgrim Image' of Mary for a weekend during Semester 1. 

During your chosen weekend you can place the image in a special place of honour in your home and use it as a focus for your family prayer.  There will also be a booklet inside that has some prayers you may like to pray together as a family. There will also be blank pages on which you are invited to create a special family prayer to Mary. Other families may choose to pray your prayer also when they host the image in their homes. Below are some beautiful examples of prayers some of our families have written.

Using the School Interviews link below, choose a Friday/Weekend that best suits you. John, or your child's teacher, will give the carry bag, with the image and prayer booklet, to your child in the afternoon on the Friday of your booking. You will then take it home for the weekend. Please return the carry bag, image and booklet to John or your child's teacher the following Monday morning.

BOOK AT:

https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/zzvgw

School Masses

Please find below all of the scheduled school Masses for 2025. These will begin at 9am this year, so we are hoping many more families can join us at this earlier time. All are welcome!

Community Masses in 2025

SAVE THE DATE - 2025 Community Mass Dates

Community Masses have begun and we have had wonderful attendance so far. Last month we celebrated the baptism of some of our students. Over the next few months, we will also be celebrating First Eucharist and Confirmation as part of our Community Masses. 

We encourage you to spread the word of our Community Masses and invite as many family, friends, neighbours and others to these celebrations. 

Follow and like the Wyndham Vale Catholic Community Facebook page to get updates and further information about Community Masses and other events. 

John Dini

jdini@olscwyn.catholic.edu.au 

Catholic Identity Leader