Catholic Identity

Solidarity Walk

Join us as we put 'compassion into action' and 

'Unit against Poverty this Lent'!

Next Friday, 28th March all families are invited to join us  for Assembly at 9am in the courtyard, followed by a whole school Caritas walk around the oval.

We would love to see lots of families join the students for their walk.

A GOLD COIN donation is required to help us support the tireless efforts of Caritas Australia.  Help us, help others around the world less fortunate than us.

Youth Mass ~Thank you

A big thank you to all the families and children who attended last Saturday night’s Youth Mass.  We had a lovely representation of students across all year levels attend and taking on various roles throughout the Mass.  Many compliments were given by parishioners at the end of the Mass on how beautiful the children responded to their roles, especially our group of choir singers! 

Thank you to Father Adi and Emma Christy (our Parish Youth worker) for assisting through the Mass. 

Next term, we look forward to seeing more families and their children attend and actively participate in our Term 2, Youth Mass which will be, Saturday May 31st at 6pm.

Holy Week Courtyard Liturgies- All are Welcome

As we approach the final week of the term, we invite all families to join us in preparing for Easter by reflecting on the Road to the Cross. Throughout this meaningful time, we will be commemorating Holy Week with special liturgies that will help us acknowledge the profound journey of Christ’s passion and resurrection.

Each Learning Community will present a prayerful event portrayed during Holy Week.

Monday, March 31st 9am - 9.20am

Junior Years 1/2 Palm Sunday

Wednesday, April 2nd 9am - 9.20am

Middle Years 3/4 Holy Thursday

Thursday, April 3rd 9am -9.20am

Senior Years 5/6 Good Friday/ The Stations of the Cross

Friday, April 4th 9am-9.20am

Junior Years  F/1 Easter Sunday/ The Resurrection

We encourage you and your family to participate in these liturgies as we come together in prayer and reflection, honouring the significance of this sacred season.

We look forward to sharing this time of reflection with you.

Fr Joe speaks to us about showing gratitude

Fr Joe Taylor during a service at St Brendan’s Parish (Photo by Rechelle Zammit)

Two weeks ago, Father Joe representing the Catholic Church, gave an interview with the Shepp News on the importance of GRATITUDE!  The article is thought provoking and pertinent to the times we live in and an attitude we should all stop and consider as we rush about in our day to day lives! We have so much to be grateful for!

Finding gratitude in the waiting

From the Shepp News-  28th February, 2025

Recently, I found myself impatiently waiting at roadworks that seemed to drag on for ever.  I caught myself grumbling and complaining about the few minutes I had to wait, but then I thought, “I can’t believe I’m complaining and being so ungrateful for the short delay.”

Once the roadworks were finished, we would have a magnificent road.

When I was a young priest, I lived for six years in another country where there were no roadworks.  The road system was atrocious, and I often found myself having to dig around landslides, wade through deep mud, turn back or continue my journey on foot. The roads were either unbelievably bad or almost impassable.  Roadworks were almost non-existent.

Gratitude is its own reward

So often, we need to step back from where we are and realise how blessed we are to live in Australia.  While we have our own challenges, we are still far better off than most people in the world.  Our health system is one of the best in the world, our education system is accessible to everyone and we have hot and cold running water in our homes.  Electricity is available at the flick of a switch, and we have more choices in food and drink than most people in the world.  Pharmacies with medications are on nearly every corner, we have a social welfare system that serves as a safety net and we have a road network that most countries would envy. 

In one instance in the Gospel of Luke, we hear Jesus speaking about gratitude, as he often did.  This is found in the passage where Jesus heals 10 lepers.  He was saddened that only one returned to thank him, but he praised the man for his gratitude (Lk 17:11-17).  To cultivate the gift of gratitude, we need to take a deep breath, step back and remind ourselves of what we already have.

One of my good friends always reminds me that a Christian is a person who goes through life thanking God.

Next time you stop for roadworks, take a moment to be grateful for those who maintain our roads.

~ Fr Joe Taylor ~

Fr Joe has dedicated his ministry to serving communities across Bendigo, Wangaratta, Kerang, Wodonga, Euroa, Heathcote and Dookie before arriving at 

St Brendan’s Catholic Parish in Shepparton 12 years ago.

As the Parish Priest of both Shepparton and Dookie, he continues to provide spiritual leadership and support. In addition to his parish duties, he also serves as the Vicar General of the Diocese.

We pray in Hope for Solidarity, Gratitude and Healing during this time of Lent.

Kindest Regards,

Leanne Pellegrino

(Catholic Identity Leader)