Education in Faith
Our Lady of Pentecost - Holy Week and Easter Schedule
End of Term Mass
We will be celebrating Mass as a whole school to mark the end of Term 1 next Wednesday 2nd April in the Church at 2.00pm. Everybody is most welcome.
Catholic Education Week - Mass for St Patrick
On Friday 21st March, the School Captains and RE/School Parliament Leaders represented Our Holy Redeemer at the Mass of St Patrick for Schools at St Patrick’s Cathedral and the concert in the Treasury Gardens. This event is one of the highlights of Catholic Education Week.
In 2025, Catholic Education Week was celebrated from 16–23 March. Catholic Education Week is an opportunity for all Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne to celebrate their Catholic identity, the pivotal role they play within their local community and the strength of the sector. The theme this year was ‘Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you (Is 60: 1)'.
Invitation - Senior School Passion Play
The Senior School Passion Play will be presented next Thursday (Thursday 3rd April) in the school playground. Everyone is most welcome to join any class as the students watch the play. The first scene is located at the steps into the hall. Each class moves from one scene to the next - one class at a time. The classes will start at the first scene in 2-3 minute intervals between 8:55am and 9:10am. This year the events depicted come from Luke’s Gospel and so the students have been researching information about this Gospel and the author.
Feedback from students and parents who have come and watched this play has always been extremely positive so I encourage you to stay after drop-off and enjoy the play.
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 Unite Against Poverty!
On Tuesday 4th March, our RE Student Leaders attended the Melbourne launch of Project Compassion at Emmaus College. There was a Liturgy led by Archbishop Peter Comensoli as well as a chance to dialogue with students from other Catholic Schools about ideas on how their school could support Project Compassion this Lent.
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‼
Family Led Sunday Mass
During 2025 the Parish, in conjunction with the Parish Primary Schools, has planned Family led weekend 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 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 for the following dates this year:
Saturday 15 March at 6.00 pm (OHR Church)
Special invitation to Year 3 & Year 5 students and families
Sunday, 18 May at 5.00 pm (OLGC Church)
Special invitation to Year 4 students and families (includes First Eucharist Commitment)
Sunday, 17 August at 5.00 pm (OLGC Church)
Special invitation to Year 6 students and families (includes Confirmation Commitment)
Saturday, 15 November at 6.00pm (OHR Church)
Prep, Year 1 & Year 2 and new families for 2026 are particularly invited to this Mass
RE Learning in Prep MD
In PMD we are learning that Jesus is our Good Shepherd who is always with us. A good shepherd protects sheep day and night.
Jesus showed love and care for everyone. Once when he wanted to tell them who he was, Jesus said: "I am the Good Shepherd". The shepherd loves his sheep, and knows each one by its name
The sheep know his voice and come when he calls.
They follow him wherever he goes.
During the daytime, he takes them out and goes with them.
They would not follow a stranger.
He takes them to beautiful places with green grass, cool water and good things to eat.
They are happy.
The Good Shepherd goes ahead of his sheep and protects them.
There is a special place where the shepherd keeps his sheep at night so they will be safe.
It is called the sheepfold.
I wonder
Who the Good Shepherd is like:
Who looks after and protects us
How an I look after and protect others
Prayer
Jesus, my shepherd,
You lead me.
Jesus, my shepherd,
You protect me.
Jesus, my shepherd,
Thank you for your love and care
Amen
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 Luke
The tax collectors and the sinners were all seeking the company of Jesus to hear what he had to say, and the Pharisees and the scribes complained. ‘This man’ they said ‘welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ So he spoke this parable to them:
‘A man had two sons. The younger said to his father, “Father, let me have the share of the estate that would come to me.” So the father divided the property between them. A few days later, the younger son got together everything he had and left for a distant country where he squandered his money on a life of debauchery.
‘When he had spent it all, that country experienced a severe famine, and now he began to feel the pinch, so he hired himself out to one of the local inhabitants who put him on his farm to feed the pigs. And he would willingly have filled his belly with the husks the pigs were eating but no one offered him anything. Then he came to his senses and said, “How many of my father’s paid servants have more food than they want, and here am I dying of hunger! I will leave this place and go to my father and say: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as one of your paid servants.” So he left the place and went back to his father.
‘While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran to the boy, clasped him in his arms and kissed him tenderly. Then his son said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the calf we have been fattening, and kill it; we are going to have a feast, a celebration, because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and is found.” And they began to celebrate.
‘Now the elder son was out in the fields, and on his way back, as he drew near the house, he could hear music and dancing. Calling one of the servants he asked what it was all about. “Your brother has come” replied the servant “and your father has killed the calf we had fattened because he has got him back safe and sound.” He was angry then and refused to go in, and his father came out to plead with him; but he answered his father, “Look, all these years I have slaved for you and never once disobeyed your orders, yet you never offered me so much as a kid for me to celebrate with my friends. But for this son of yours, when he comes back after swallowing up your property – he and his women – you kill the calf we had been fattening.”
‘The father said, “My son, you are with me always and all I have is yours. But it is only right we should celebrate and rejoice, because your brother here was dead and has come to life; he was lost and is found.”’
Discussion Questions
1. Who has seen real pigs? What are they like?
2. The boy who left home and spent all his money ended up looking after pigs and wishing he could eat as well as they ate. How sad must he have been?
3. How did his father show he loved his son when he returned home?
4. When we return to God because we are sorry how does God treat us?
Nick Byrne
RE Leader