Catholic Identity

A Celebration of a Wonderful Term

As we reach the end of Term 3, we celebrate a wonderful term filled with growth in faith, learning and wellbeing. We are a fantastic community at St Joseph’s and I extend my heartfelt thanks for your continued partnership and support. It has been a truly blessed term, and we are grateful for every family that makes up our community.

This term has been a remarkable journey of Catholic Life and Culture for our students. We celebrated the Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop with a special Mass, Kahoot quiz, and reflections on her life, reminding us to be agents of change and to "never see a need without doing something about it". We also recognised the dedication of our community at the Father's Day Liturgy, and rejoiced with our Year 3 students as they received the Sacrament of First Holy Communion with great reverence and knowledge. 

The photos throughout this week’s newsletter are taken from one of our Pilgrimage Sites in the Diocese of Wollongong- The Shrine of our Lady of Mercy, Penrose Park. If you have a chance during the holidays, I would strongly encourage you to visit this pilgrimage site and have your passport stamped.

St Carlo Acutis: A Model for Our Students

In our classrooms, we celebrated the canonisation of St Carlo Acutis, the Catholic Church's first millennial saint. He was an ordinary teenager who loved video games, soccer, and hiking. However, he was also a deeply devout, self-taught computer programmer who used his skills to share his faith and document Eucharistic miracles online, earning him the nickname "God's influencer." St Carlo is a modern, relatable role model for our students, showing them that holiness can be found in a normal life. He gives us hope that we are all called to be saints, even in our modern times. Our students have had the opportunity to learn about St Carlo and explore the website he created to document Eucharistic miracles around the world. You can view his work at his website https://www.miracolieucaristici.org/en/liste/list.html.

A Note of Hope 

As the Year 12 students approach the end of their formal schooling and prepare for their HSC exams, let's come together to support them. Our 'Notes of Hope' outreach challenge is an opportunity for our entire school community to stand in solidarity with them. We encourage all students and families to write a "Note of Hope" to remind our senior students that they are part of a broad community and to motivate them as they complete their exams. This is a chance to reach out and connect with them, just as Jesus did with the disciples on the Road to Emmaus.

If you would like to write a Note of Hope, please include the following and send to the school office (Either email or hard copy)

• Use colours
• Introduce yourself (First name only)
• Include your School name and Class, hobbies, favourite story in the Bible,
• Message to students
• Draw a picture of yourself or of a Yr. 12 student studying

Catholic Mission

We recently attended the Catholic Mission launch for 2025, with the theme 'Missionaries of Hope Among All Peoples'. T

Next term, our school community will be working to 'Sockit to Poverty' through various fundraising initiatives. We welcome your creative ideas on how we can raise awareness and money for those less fortunate than us. 

Socktober-Crazy Sock Day will be held on Tuesday 4 November 2025.  Students will be asked to bring a gold coin donation and in return they may crazy socks with their normal school uniform.

Sacramental News

Next term, our Year 2 students will be preparing to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Enrolment forms for this Sacrament are due on Thursday 16 October 2025. Reconciliation will take place on Thursday 6 November at 9:30am. We warmly invite all parents and families to join us for this special occasion.

You’re invited! 

• Feast of St Francis of Assisi Liturgy: We invite you to join us for our special Liturgy on Tuesday 14 October at 11:30am, as we celebrate the Feast of St Francis of Assisi and reflect on his call to be stewards of creation.

   

Sunday Mass: All families are warmly invited to attend our regular Sunday Mass at the Parish, at 8:30am and 5:30pm.

Thank You! 

As we close out this term, I want to express my deepest and most sincere gratitude for your incredible support. The commitment of each family in their child's development of faith, learning and wellbeing is a blessing and it is through your partnership that we can continue to provide a nurturing and faith-filled environment for all our students. Our school's motto, "Truth and Light," and our mission to develop active and creative minds, understanding and compassion for others, and the courage to act upon our beliefs are at the very heart of everything we do.

 As the Gospel of Matthew reminds us, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." (Matthew 5:14). This verse serves as a powerful reminder of our shared purpose: to be a beacon of God's love and wisdom, especially during this Year of Hope. 

I wish you a restful and joyful holiday break with your families. God Bless. 

Mr Alexander Walker

Religious Education Coordinator