Catholic Identity 

Walking with Christ Through the Sacraments

Congratulations!

The Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion are significant milestones in the faith journey of our children, drawing them into a deeper relationship with Jesus and the life of the Church.

We warmly congratulate Lane and Fletcher on celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Friday, and Lulu, Stirling and Haidee on receiving First Holy Communion at Mass on Sunday.

In the Catholic tradition, Reconciliation comes before First Holy Communion because it reminds us of God's endless mercy. Through this beautiful sacrament, children experience God's forgiveness and are restored to friendship with Him. They learn that when we make mistakes, God lovingly welcomes us back with open arms, inviting us to begin again.

Having experienced God's mercy, our children are then prepared to receive Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time. 

First Holy Communion is far more than a special celebration; it is an encounter with Christ Himself. In receiving the Eucharist, our children are nourished by Jesus, strengthened in faith, and drawn into deeper communion with Him and with one another as members of His Church.

These sacraments teach our children a lifelong rhythm of Christian living: when we fall short, God forgives us; when we return to Him, He feeds us with His love and grace so that we can continue to grow as His disciples.

We thank our families, parish community, catechists and teachers for accompanying our students as they prepared for these important moments. May God continue to bless Lane, Fletcher, Haidee, Stirling and Lulu as they grow in faith, hope and love, always knowing that Christ's mercy restores us and His Eucharist strengthens us for the journey ahead.

The Angelus

The Angelus is a Marian prayer that invites us to reflect on the example of Mary. 

When the Angel Gabriel appeared to her, Mary was living an ordinary life and undoubtedly had her own plans and expectations for the future. Yet when God called her, she responded with remarkable faith, openness and trust.

In praying the Angelus, we are reminded of Mary's response:

"Let it be done to me according to your word." 

Like Mary, we are invited to pause, listen and place our trust in God's guidance.

For our children, these moments of prayer offer much more than a brief interruption to the school day. They provide an opportunity to step back from the demands of learning, assessments, activities and busy schedules, and to remember that their worth is not defined by success or achievement alone. 

In a world that often encourages constant activity and achievement, the Angelus teaches a different lesson—one of trust, surrender and hope. It reminds us that we do not carry life's responsibilities on our own, but can place them in God's hands.  

The Bishop of the Armidale Diocese, Bishop Peter Murphy, has asked for all schools to commence this simple daily practice so our students can develop the confidence to trust in God's providence and the wisdom to pause, reflect and seek.

Often, students might feel they don't "get anything out of" praying, but that is precisely the point. The purpose of prayer isn't a transaction. We don't score points for keeping a perfect record of praying the Angelus, and these prayers don't magically make our day perfect. 

Feelings are fleeting and do not measure the actual impact prayer has in the world.

Through the Angelus, we meditate on Mary's posture as the "handmaid of

the Lord.

" She was God's servant; she knew the Lord loved her, and she

simply offered herself in service to His will.

Ask your self to contrast this with the mindset of trying to get something out of prayer. 

When we pray merely to feel more spiritual or to receive a specific outcome, we are essentially making God the handmaid— expecting Him to serve us and make us feel good.

The Angelus teaches one of the most important lessons a child can learn:

"Behold the handmaid of the Lord... be it done to me according to your word."

When we are invited to behold Mary as our model, we respond with a commitment to God's will.

It provides a memorable shift in perspective for our students: ask not what your God can do for you, but what you can do for your God.  We will build our students understanding of the Angelus Prayer as we continue through 2026 and into 2027.

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.

R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

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

R. 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

R. 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

R: 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.

Dates not to forget!

Grandparents and Special Friends: Friday 24th July, the day after our Athletics Carnival!

 

Whole School Masses

We warmly invite families to join us in celebrating our whole school Masses with our young people. 

Upcoming Masses Term Three:

• Friday 24th July: Wk 1- Stage Two -Grandparents and Special Friends: Friday 24th July 
• Monday 27th July: Wk 2- NAIDOC Week Opening Ceremony and Liturgy
• Friday 7th August:  Wk 3-Early Stage One  - St Mary of the Cross ( in honour of 8th August) 
• Friday 28th August: Wk 6- Stage One - St Augustine
• Tuesday 8th September: Wk 8 - Stage Three- The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin

We encourage parents, carers and parishioners to join us for these special celebrations!

Parish Mass Times

Please join our Parish to celebrate the Eucharist. Our Parish offers daily masses at 9:00am and two Mass times every weekend. 

Saturday - 5.00pm (now Winter has commenced)

Sunday - 9.00am