Faith, Justice and Formation

The Month of Remembrance and the College Memorial Book

This coming Saturday is All Saints Day (when we honour all holy men and women, known and unknown) and Monday is All Souls Day (when we remember all faithful people who have died, especially loved ones), commencing the month of Remembrance in our Church calendar. Mass this Friday will be dedicated to these significant days.

To support this month, the College has a Memorial Book to remember all deceased loved ones in our community. You are invited to complete the form below with details of loved ones who have passed away (and who have not already been entered) so they can be entered into the book by College staff only.

This book sits on the sanctuary at all times and during the Month of Remembrance, November, it is placed on the altar for all Masses. Every Mass in November is dedicated to those who have gone before us in faith.

In the lead up to November, I encourage you to complete the College Memorial Book – Fill out form should you have someone you wish to be remembered in the community. 

SPC Christmas Appeal 2026

Each year the St Patrick’s College community collects goods in Homerooms to make Christmas Hampers for some of our justice partners. Today we officially launch the SPC Christmas Appeal and seek your help in acting with generosity to ensure families and individuals across Sydney who have little to nothing can enjoy a Christmas closer to our own, especially with the extra burdens due to increased prices. We realise this may also affect many of you, but hopefully we can see that others do it tougher at times and that we are able to give something. There is always somebody worse off than us. For those who have much, we know a lot is expected!

We will be sending hampers through our partners based on year group. Class and homeroom teachers have the instructions which they will discuss with all students.

Please note the following with regard to the Appeal:

• ALL items are to be brought into Homeroom by no later than Friday 27 November. (Please don’t bring in the following week as most will already have been picked up.)

• ALL items are to be new – NO used items.

• Please do NOT gift wrap anything.  As lovely as they often look, they have to be opened to be checked. Please place in gift bags and/or supply a roll of wrapping paper.

• Gifts are allocated based on who your son/s’ Homeroom is collecting for – try to think of things you would really like for Christmas. Also consider a lack of resources to maintain something eg. the cost of batteries. You will find that most of the charities we partner with request the basics for living and less about Christmas. This is certainly a reflection of the change in times.

• Hampers include gifts and food / toiletry items. Each Homeroom will have a list this week stating what is needed.

Hopefully we can make Christmas brighter for many and express our faith in action as Jesus said “for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,… just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ (Mt 25: 35, 40) Please try to encourage your sons to shop with you for anything so they can think about how fortunate they are but also help you with tips on presents to buy for young people or better yet get older boys to do their own shopping – we need to give our boys more responsibilities and to ease your load a little! What items bring you joy? This is what we want. Sometimes it may mean our students going without some treats, to help others have the basics of survival.

Life is tougher than ever for more and more families and young people who have no families. You can help bring some light to their darkness this Christmas. Please help us make this happen and continue our tradition of generosity and giving. 

Thank-you and God bless you. 

Invitation to the St Patrick’s College Parent Retreat

A group of parents have signed up to be part of our Inaugural Parent Retreat. There is still room for more to join if you would like to. It’s a chance to get away for 24 hours, to connect more deeply with other parents and some time to enhance your own spirituality. It will also help you learn more about the EREA Charter and how it can impact your life, as well as the life of your sons. What is the Edmund Rice Charism all about? 

The SPC Identity Team invite you to a unique opportunity - the SPC Parent Retreat 2026.

It will be a relaxed environment with the freedom to engage. It will not be intimidating or imposing. We want you to feel as comfortable as possible and for you to go as deep as you would like. You will have the chance to experience a little of what the students do on their Senior Retreat, and you will engage with material that staff have been exposed to in the deepening of our commitment to being a Catholic School in the Edmund Rice Tradition.

You will have 24 hours without having to cook, clean or look after others. This is an opportunity for you!

If you are interested in joining the group already attending, please email me at  gillian.daley@spc.nsw.edu.au.

Take a chance! Step out of your comfort zone and see what it’s all about 😊

Gillian Daley

Director of Identity

Media Literacy 

As a society we like to think we choose what we watch, read and share. In reality, much of it is chosen for us. The media we consume every day is often shaped less by the audience than by the people who fund it. Advertisers, owners, and large corporations decide which stories get airtime, which angles are emphasised and which are quietly ignored. Whoever pays hold the controls. 

That is why it matters to remember that there is always more than one side to a story. A single headline, clip or post is only a snippet of reality, framed by someone with their own interests. Reading or watching a range of outlets, including ones you disagree with, is one of the simplest ways to get closer to the full picture. 

At its core media literacy makes this possible, it means checking whether the source of the story is accurate, valid or biased before you decide you can trust it. Simply ask. Who produced this? Who benefits from me believing it? Is it backed by evidence, and can I find the same claim reported elsewhere? These questions may only take a second to ask but can stop misinformation in its tracks. 

It also allows us to accept that news is, to some degree, subjective. Every story involves choices about what to include, what to leave out and how to word it, and those choices are influenced by the corporations behind them. That doesn’t mean nothing can be trusted. It means nothing should be accepted without deeper thought. 

Because we all consume and share media every day, media literacy shouldn’t be left to experts or educators alone. It is a responsibility for everyone. People need to be literate in how media works, not just in how to read it, so that we are informed citizens rather than passive audiences. 

SPC Social Justice Action Group (SJAG)