Catholic Identity 

Catholic Identity Report

Today we begin our 6 weeks of Lent with Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is one of the most important holy days in the liturgical calendar. Ash Wednesday opens Lent, a season of fasting and prayer. Ash Wednesday takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday, and is chiefly observed by Catholics, although many other Christians observe it too.

Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head. The ashes symbolise the dust from which God made us. As the priest applies the ashes to a person's forehead, he speaks the words: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." Alternatively, the priest may speak the words, "Repent and believe in the Gospel. Our Yr 5 and 6 students attended Mass this morning and our Yr1s -3s attended a liturgy here at school.

Part of the observance of Lent is almsgiving which is the act of donating to the poor. This is a focus during lent especially through Project Compassion. Each family will receive a project Compassion box this week. We encourage you to use it as a family. The Social Justice team will be in touch with some of our great fundraising ideas for Lent.

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are mandatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. Fasting (for those aged 18–59) means eating only one full meal and two smaller, non-equal meals, with no eating between meals. Abstinence (for those aged 14 and over) means not eating meat on these two days.

Opening School Mass

Next Tuesday we will be celebrating our Opening School Mass at 10 am in the Multi Purpose Building MPB at Sacred Heart College. All parents’ ,family and friends are warmly invited to join us for this very special liturgy. We welcome our new Preps as well as announcing our 2026 Leaders. I hope to see you all there.

I hope everyone has a great week,

Meegan McIness

Catholic Identity Leader.

mmcinness001@shyarrawonga.catholic.edu.au

Ash Wednesday

(Wednesday 18 Feb 2026)

This Lent, our school community is invited to be a part of something incredible. Once again, we are called to stand hand in hand with thousands of others across the country and Unite Against Poverty by supporting Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion. 

Last year, our school was a part of a nationwide movement that raised over $10 million to bring opportunity and change to vulnerable communities across the world. This year, with your support, we hope to have an even greater impact. 

By taking home a Project Compassion donation box this year, you’ll be answering the Gospels’ call to care for our global family and walk alongside the most vulnerable. Your generosity will enable Caritas Australia to provide life-changing support to communities facing poverty, food insecurity, lack of education and water shortages, while building resilience against future challenges.

Together, through faith and action, we can bring hope and opportunity to those most in need. 

Please donate today.

You can support Project Compassion 2026 through the donation boxes or by scanning the QR code to donate online.

You can also donate: Online at: projectcompassion.org.au By phone at: 1800 024 413

Thank you for standing with us, as we Unite Against Poverty this Lent.