Faith, Justice and Formation

Thank You to Our Eucharistic Ministers

Last Friday at Mass we acknowledged those young men who have given service to God, the Church and the College through their role as a Eucharistic Minister. They have ministered at Friday Masses and all large College Masses, as well as modelled faithful living through their presence at Mass and other related activities. This service in our Church reflects the coming together of community and sharing of faith as equals, as we make Christ known together. It is a practice that helps deepen the faith of those involved and brings them to a better understanding of what we celebrate in the Eucharist. Our new ministers will commence this week and be commissioned at an assembly soon.

Thank you to the following students:

May God bless each of you in your journey from this place and may you keep him always in your heart.

Year 12 Graduation Day

Today we celebrate our most significant Rite of Passage at the College; the Year 12 Graduation Mass. This is the liminal moment, or moment of transition from one state of being to another. This is the ceremony that marks our students as graduated. This is a sacred ceremony at St Patrick’s College that can only be observed and participated in by the graduating class and their parents.

The ceremony is centred around light and contains long-standing traditions that are only known at one’s own graduation from the College. 

We ask for the College community to pray for the Graduating Class of 2025 as they embark on the different significant Rites of Passage this Wednesday.

Luceat Lux Vestra.

Prayers for Fr Jack

Fr Jack Evans, a Columban missionary priest, has been the College Chaplain since 1994, after he spent years in South Korea. He was brought into the College by then Principal, Grahame Smollett, and has been a mainstay in the lives of the St Patrick’s College students, families and staff, serving five principals. He has married and performed baptisms for numerous Old Boys and staff members over the past 30 plus years, and he has engaged the community in their faith, demonstrating inclusion, respect, humour and faithfulness at all times. 

Last week Fr Jack was moved to an aged care facility, after a period of time in hospital. It is looking more and more like he will not return to the College, but we will aim for a farewell at some stage. We ask you to keep him in your prayers in gratitude for the decades of service he has given our community.

Fr Jack is a humble man who doesn’t like a fuss, but I know he wants to know that the SPC community remembers him. There are many of us who visit him, but I am hoping to show him that the broader community has him in their thoughts and prayers.

If you would like to send a message to Fr Jack please complete this form - the messages will be collated into a booklet and given to him soon. Please do this by 5:00 PM on Wednesday 24 September. Anyone can write a message, but names must be included. If you have a photo that you would like included in the booklet, please email it to me on gillian.daley@spc.nsw.edu.au.

God bless him in his journey ahead.

Gillian Daley

Director of Identity