Family & Faith
I am A Pilgrim Of Hope!
I had an amazing time on my personal pilgrimage visiting the churches and cathedrals in the towns of Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and the Czech Republic. I learned so much about the Eastern Orthodox teachings and Catholic traditions, iconography, religious cultural events, rules and observances.
Praying with different communities around the world has developed my understanding of the Catholic faith and given me renewed vigor and persistence with my prayer life.
Here are some photos of beautiful churches, cathedrals, icons and statues. (See below) Now that it’s Term 4, I again invite you to participate in opportunities for you to grow in your faith here at OLF. Bring it on!
Church SPaR (Stop, Pray and Reflect)
Praying the Rosary in the Month of October
Parents of children in K - 4 are kindly invited to a SPaR (Stop, Pray and Reflect) in the Church and pray the Rosary with your child. Traditionally the month of October is
dedicated to praying the Rosary. We pray these prayers to meditate on the life of Jesus, seek Mary's intercession, and grow closer to God. It is a Christ-centered prayer that uses beads to help count the prayers as they contemplate specific events in the lives of Jesus and Mary. Praying the Rosary can be a form of communal or private prayer and is done for various reasons, including giving thanks, requesting blessings, or seeking strength. The prayer session is conducted by me and will take approximately 20 minutes. Rosary beads will be provided for children and parents who do not own a set.
Be on the look out for a personal invitation by the class teacher of your child. Please meet us at the Church.
Please Pray for all Year 12 students!
But especially for the students of St Aloysius College, OLMC Burraneer and De La Salle Caringbah!
The Higher School Certificate examinations began on Tuesday 16th October and will continue for a few weeks. Please pray for these students. Here is a prayer that you are invited to pray with your family.
Fatima Friends Invitation
Come and join in the fun!
Welcome back to what is going to be another fun filled term!
Week 1 - 17/10: - Last week we had free time with play equipment to catch up with our friends. Check out the photos below!
Week 2 - 24/10: Sporty Fun
Week 3 - 31/10: Let’s visit Kindergarten!
Week 4 - 7/11: We are celebrating Grandparents today! No formal Fatima Friends session but please join in the fun with prayer, visiting classrooms and a picnic lunch!
Week 5 - 14/11: Today we catch up with Year 5 buddies.
Week 7 - 28/11: Advent & Our last Fatima Friends session for the year! Think Christmas songs, craft and did someone say pinata? (Our Last Fatima Friends Session for 2025).
* Please note there are NO Fatima Friends sessions in Week 6, 8, 9,10 but Fatima Friends will return in 2026!
OLF Parish Event!
Save the Date .... 7th December 2025 after 9:30am Mass
We are all invited to a Parish event after Mass on Sunday 7th December. It’s going to be epic! Fathers Julian, Zeljko and Nonie will be Blessing the Nativity in the Church and after that there will be pony rides and a petting Zoo and lunch. A great day has been planned and everyone’s invited! I’m excited and I hope to see you there!
Tackling the Tricky Questions
By Francine Pirola (Adapted)
Those tricky questions! They come when we least expect them and at the most inconvenient of circumstances. How can parents tackle the tricky questions from their kids?
Five tips for tackling with tricky questions
Here are five tips for talking with your kids about sexuality and other sensitive topics should a question or comment arise.
1: Understand the question.
Kids ask questions all the time. Because of our sensitivity to the topic of sexuality and sexual attraction, we can read more meaning into their questions than is there.
It’s always a good idea to explore the background of the question before diving in. Perhaps they’ve simply seen something on TV or have overheard an adult conversation. Alternatively, they may be looking for reassurance about or are experiencing confusion about their own sexuality, or that of a classmate.
A few thoughtful enquiries will help us understand what the real question is. From then we can determine how much our child already knows and what information he or she is seeking.
2: React positively and age-appropriately
So often our embarrassment or lack of confidence can lead us to react harshly. When children ask sensitive questions or we discover them watching something of which we don’t approve, it’s important to remain calm.
A negative reaction that puts the child down or dismisses his curiosity can have a long-lasting and undesired impact. If we want our children to come to us for answers – rather than go to friends at school or the internet – we must make sure our child always feels valued by taking his or her questions seriously and answering them as honestly as we can.
And if you don’t know the answers, just say so. And maybe offer to assist your child in finding them out together.
3: Be prepared and informed
We can be prepared by being clear in our understanding of what the Church teaches as well as being aware of some key facts about human sexuality and attraction:
God created us male and female, so our sexuality is essential to our humanity and our journey with God.
All of us, whether same-sex attracted or opposite-sex attracted, married, single or celibate, struggle to live our sexuality in a way that gives honour to God and protects our dignity as beings created in God’s likeness. We’re all growing.
The vision for life and the moral code of the Church applies equally to everyone. There’s not one rule for one group and a different rule for the others – all Christians are called to follow Christ and live according to his teachings.
All Christians are called to follow Christ and live according to his teachings and we are all children of God and are deeply loved.
4: Join a Village
It’s virtually impossible to do it all as parents on our own. Even when we create the ideal home setting with positive modelling, two parents are not enough. We need the help of other like-minded adults because the chances are that at least one of our kids will need an adult other than their parents for some questions.
Plan ahead and start building a community of value-aligned families so that you can support each other in this task.
5: Pray, Pray, Pray
Prayer is foundational to our task as Catholic parents. It is also essential to our own sanity!
God entrusts us with the care of his children. But it is a burden of responsibility that God requires us to hold lightly.
Our children will eventually become independent in their decisions. Almost certainly they will make choices that distress and worry us. It’s imperative at these times that we lean into God, seeking guidance and strength to love in a way that always draws our children closer to God rather than driving them away.
Wishing you a happy week full of family fun and excitement for the adventures to come this term!
Tracey Bowler | Family Educator
tracey.bowler@syd.catholic.edu.au