CELEBRATING OUR FAITH
Mrs Mary-Jane Guest
mguest@arm.catholic.edu.au
Special Event:
St Carlo Acutis Exhibition and Major Relic Visit
We are incredibly blessed to advise that our school and the Sacred Heart Parish will be hosting a Major Relic and Exhibition of Saint Carlo Acutis this week, from Tuesday 23 June through to Saturday 27 June. This significant opportunity for prayer and reflection has been made possible through a national tour of Australia and an initiative of Bishop Peter Murphy for the Diocese of Armidale.
Who was Saint Carlo Acutis?
Born in 1991 and having passed away in 2006, Carlo Acutis was a young Italian Catholic who used his gifts in technology and communication to share his love of Jesus and the Eucharist. Canonised last year in 2025, he stands as a powerful, modern example to our young people of how to live a life of faith, kindness, and service in today's world.
The Exhibition
Our students from Kindergarten through to Year 11 will participate in dedicated, age-appropriate sessions led by the Immaculata Community.
Other schools who have hosted this exhibition have shared incredibly moving feedback about the profound and positive impact it has had on their staff and students.
The Major Relic:
What is a relic? A relic is a physical object associated with a saint. In the Catholic tradition, "first-class relics" are physical parts of the saint's body. The major relic visiting our school is a small fragment of the pericardium - the membrane that enclosed Saint Carlo’s heart.
What is a reliquary? To ensure the relic is treated with the utmost care, it is housed inside an enclosed, sacred, and beautifully crafted display container called a reliquary.
Do Catholics worship relics? No, Catholics do not worship relics or saints. Worship is reserved for God alone. Instead, we venerate relics. This means we treat them with deep respect and honour, much like how a family might treasure a precious keepsake of a loved one who has passed away.
Why do we have them? Relics are tangible reminders that saints were real human beings who walked the earth and faced everyday challenges. Seeing a relic helps us feel connected to their story and inspires us to live out our own faith with love and kindness.
Our schedule includes:
Exhibition (Tuesday – Friday): Classes will attend a 40 minute presentation and tour of the Exhibition in the School Hall, followed by 20 minutes of quiet Adoration in the AV Room.
Major Relic Procession (Friday 26 June): A sacred procession will take place through the school grounds of the Major Relic, passing by our Infants and Primary students.
Extended Secondary & Upper Primary Sessions (Friday 26 June): Years 5 and 6 will attend a deeper talk and session from 12:00pm to 1:30pm, followed by our Secondary students, 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm.
Sacred Heart Parish Activities
Families are warmly encouraged to check the Sacred Heart Parish bulletin for further information regarding additional prayer opportunities, Masses, and activities accompanying the visit on Friday and Saturday.
We look forward to sharing this unique, memorable, and beautiful experience with our students this week.
Welcoming the Angelus Prayer into Our Classrooms
Finding the 'Quiet' in our busy days.
As a Catholic school community, we are always seeking meaningful ways to weave our faith into the daily rhythm of school life. Beginning next term, our school will be joining with school across the Diocese as part of a wonderful Armidale Catholic Schools initiative to take part in a beautiful daily tradition: praying the Angelus together in our classrooms. This practice is being introduced in all schools across the Diocese to help our students connect more deeply with the core of our faith.
What is the Angelus? The word Angelus is the Latin word for 'the angel'. It is a traditional prayer structured entirely around the story of the Annunciation in Luke’s Gospel, when the Angel Gabriel visited Mary. The prayer guides us through three pivotal moments:
The Announcement of God’s plan to Mary.
Mary’s Fiat - her joyful and faithful 'Yes' to God
The Incarnation, celebrating the mystery of the Word becoming flesh in Jesus.
For centuries, church and school bells have tolled in a distinct pattern: three sets of three rings - to call the local community to stop what they are doing and join together in this prayer.
Focusing on 'The Pause' Our main priority when we introduce the Angelus to our students next term is not just the memorisation of words, but focusing on the pause. Before a single line is spoken, our teachers will guide students through an initial moment of complete quiet.
In a world that is constantly loud, fast-paced, and filled with screens, this daily pause will give our students, and our staff, a dedicated moment to set aside immediate worries, breathe, and find absolute quiet. It is a daily gift of peace right in the middle of our learning.
How We Are Preparing Throughout the remainder of this term, our staff are spending time practicing and reflecting on the prayer together. In the first weeks of Term 3, we will introduce the story to the students at an assembly, and teachers will explore the structure in class so the children truly understand why we do it. We will officially launch the daily routine school-wide by mid-Term 3.
We warmly invite our families to read through the prayer below. If you happen to be visiting the school next term and hear our bells ring, we invite you to pause and find that moment of quiet peace with us.
The Angelus Prayer
The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen
Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen
*BOW/GENUFLECT*
And the Word was made Flesh.
R. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord,
Thy grace into our hearts;
that, we to whom the Incarnation of Christ,
Thy Son, was made
known by the message of an Angel,
may by His Passion and Cross,
be brought to the glory of His Resurrection.
Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Sacred Heart Mass Times
5:30pm Saturday evenings
9:00am Sunday mornings
For the Calendar
Term 2 2026
Tuesday 23 to Friday 26 June
- Carlos Acutis Exhibition and Relic Visit to HTS
Kind regards,
Mary-Jane Guest
Religious Education Coordinator