RELIGIOUS EDUCATION LEARNING AREA

OVERVIEW OF SEMESTER 1

The Religious Education Learning Area has had a rich and faith-filled Semester One, with students and staff engaging in liturgical celebrations, service initiatives, seminar days, and curriculum-based learning that reflect our Mercy values of respect, compassion, dignity, service, and justice.

Key highlights included Year Level Seminar Days, the St Joseph the Worker Feast Day celebrations, and the Passion Liturgy, alongside ongoing formation through classroom learning and community service.

BEGINNING OF THE YEAR MASS AND LITURGICAL PREPARATION

The Beginning of the Year Mass for Year 7 students was a significant milestone in their spiritual journey at the College. Students were prepared through classroom discussions on Mass etiquette, participation roles, and reverence.

This celebration strengthened students’ understanding of Eucharistic worship and their role in the wider faith community.

YEAR LEVEL SEMINAR DAYS

Across Semester One, students participated in Year Level Seminar Days designed to deepen faith understanding and strengthen community identity. These days provided opportunities for reflection, discussion, and engagement with key themes such as:

• Human dignity and Catholic Social Teaching 
• Mercy Values in Action 
• Faith in daily life 
• Belonging and community within the College 

These seminars supported students in connecting classroom learning with lived experience and personal faith development.

SHROVE TUESDAY AND ASH WEDNESDAY LITURGIES

The Semester began with the Lenten season, marked by key liturgical events:

• Shrove Tuesday pancakes prepared and sold by the Mercy Action Group raised funds for Caritas Australia and the Project Compassion appeal.
• The Ash Wednesday Liturgy was held in House groups and in a Year 8 assembly, led by student leaders, to mark the beginning of Lent with prayer and reflection. 

These events helped students enter the Lenten season with purpose, generosity, and spiritual focus.

PALM SUNDAY

Guided by Mrs Teresa Parente, students and staff made crosses for Palm Sunday celebrations. This hands-on activity supported liturgical preparation for Holy Week and fostered a sense of shared tradition and reflection.

PROJECT COMPASSION AND EASTER INITATIVES

Throughout Lent, Homerooms supported Project Compassion through donations and fundraising activities, including the Easter Egg Raffle.

These initiatives fostered generosity and solidarity, encouraging students to support those in need both locally and globally through Caritas Australia.

PASSION LITURGY

The Passion Liturgy provided a significant liturgical experience for students, inviting reflection on the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ. The celebration encouraged students to engage deeply with themes of sacrifice, hope, and renewal, connecting faith with the journey toward Easter.

ST JOSEPH THE WORKER FEAST DAY

A major highlight of the semester was the celebration of the Feast of St Joseph the Worker, the Patron Saint of our College.

The College community celebrated through:

• Feast Day Mass 
• Student Feast Day Activities 
• The Carpenter's Classic Concert 

The celebrations honoured Saint Joseph as a model of humility, hard work, justice, and family life. Inspired by his example, students were encouraged to see their own work as meaningful service to others.

The Feast Day Mass, celebrated by Fr Matt, highlighted the importance of striving for excellence and living out Mercy values in everyday actions.

CURRICULUM HIGHLIGHTS

YEAR 7

• Term 1: Belonging & Community – Introduction to the College and Catherine McAuley 
• Term 2: Beginnings – Bible foundations, prayer, Joseph, Moses, and Christian traditions 

YEAR 8

• Term 1: Human Dignity – Catholic Social Teaching and living in community 
• Term 2: Embracing Others & Oneself – Sacraments and comparative religious understanding 

YEAR 9

• Term 1: Stewardship – Caring for creation and environmental responsibility 
• Term 2: The Good News – Study of the Gospels and the Year of Matthew 

YEAR 10

• Term 1: The Mysteries of Life – grief, death, and religious perspectives on burial and meaning 
• Term 2: Transformation – the history and development of the Church in Australia 

Semester One, 2026 has been a vibrant and faith-filled period for the Religious Education Learning Area. Through liturgical celebrations, service learning, curriculum engagement, and community initiatives, students have been invited to grow in faith, compassion, and action.

The Learning Area looks forward to continuing this journey in Semester Two as students deepen their understanding of faith in practice and strengthen their commitment to Mercy values in everyday life.

I will now leave you with a quote from Pope Leo XIV: 'May peace be with you all.'

Many Blessings!

Mrs Nella O'Brien

Religious Education Learning Area Facilitator