Catholic Identity 

CESL Staff Spirituality Day 

On Wednesday 13th August, all St Mary’s staff will be participating in a Spirituality Day along with all staff from across our Diocesan schools in Sandhurst.  

This day provides an opportunity for all school and office-based staff to pause, reflect and reconnect. The day will be a mixture of ‘head and heart’ (input and reflection). It will include a plenary session with Rev Jake Mudge, a choice of workshops on ‘Learning from the Mystics’ and a process of reflection and taking action. We will be blessed to have Fr Novie join with us for much of this day. 

Term 3 Mass & Liturgy Timetable 

Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop 

Australia’s first Saint is celebrated on 8th August each year. St. Mary MacKillop, patron Saint of Australia was born in Fitzroy in Melbourne in 1842. She was the first child of Scottish immigrants Alexander and Flora MacKillop.  Together with the Reverend Julian Tenison Woods, she founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart (the Josephites), a congregation that established schools and welfare institutions throughout Australia and New Zealand, with an emphasis on education for the rural poor.   A religious figure, educator and social reformer, she was beatified in 1995 and became the first Australian to be canonised as a saint (as Saint Mary of the Cross) in 2010. 

All learners met with their Year level in their Shared spaces this morning to gather for a Liturgy to celebrate and acknowledge St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. 

Lord,  

Grant us the grace to see the needs of those around us,  

and to feel compassion in our hearts.  

May we be inspired by Mary MacKillop  

to act with kindness and generosity,  

and to make a positive difference in the lives of others.  

Amen. 

St Vincent de Paul Appeal 

St Vincent de Paul Society supports our community’s most vulnerable by providing a range of housing solutions tailored to meet their needs.  

In light of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop’s inspirational words, ‘Never see a need without doing something about it’, St Mary’s school community has initiated one day, Monday 1st September, to collect gold coin donations which will support the provision of accommodation for those who are without. All funds will be directed to St Vincent de Paul, Echuca, providing a night's accommodation for as many who are in need.  

Please calendar this important initiative as we collectively support those who do not have a regular place to call home. 

"As one person I cannot change the world,  

but I can change the world of one person." 

Sacred Stories 

To begin our learning in the Religious Education Curriculum this term, all year levels are focussing on exploring the Sacred stories from the Bible. 

Learners will recall and reflect upon Gospel stories about Jesus and relate these to their own lives. 

Through the Gospels we learn about the life and teachings of Jesus who enabled people to begin to have a deeper understanding of who God was. Different year levels will read and unpack different stories including The Parable of the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-14), The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-9) and The Psalms. 

Take some time as a family to browse the Bible to investigate all the books within the Bible, favourite stories and familiar stories. 

Psalms through illustration (Year 6 Learners) 

Psalm 23: 1-2 

‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.’ 

Psalm 139:14  

‘I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.’ 

St Mary’s Choir 

St Mary’s school Choir gather each Tuesday during their lunchtime to practise their songs and hymns in preparation for Masses, Liturgies and upcoming events. At present the Choir consists of 21 members. 

There has been some further interest shown by a number of learners to join the Choir. A reminder that Choir members commit to every Tuesday lunchtime and sometimes have tasks to complete or practise.  

Due to the shorter term, our new intake will commence at the beginning of Term 4. Please email me to indicate your child’s interest in joining the Choir and I look forward to welcoming them next term.  

Colleen Hampson 

champson@smechuca.catholic.edu.au