Mission and Identity

• Junior School Father's Day Liturgy
• ‘Let the children come to me’
• One of us - Canonisation Mass

Junior School Father’s Day Liturgy

This morning we celebrated the Father’s Day Liturgy for the Junior School. Their reflections and personal sharing about why they love their father, and what lessons they have imparted upon them was genuinely moving and brought a tear to the eye.

We held St Joseph close as the Patron Saint of Fathers and reflected on the moments in his workshop where he taught Jesus his trade. We then reflected on fatherhood through the lens of presence, gentleness, resilience and sacrificial love.

Fatherhood is both a gift and a calling, one that reshapes the heart and stretches the soul. To be a father is more than simply providing - it is about presence, about showing up in both the big and small moments. It means carrying responsibility, not as a burden, but as an act of love.

Fathers are often looked to for strength, but the truest strength lies not in control or authority, but in patience, gentleness, and the ability to listen. A father teaches not just with words, but with example: how he treats others, how he responds to hardship, how he shows love. In this way, fatherhood becomes a kind of mirror - children learn who they are and who they might become by what they see reflected in their father’s life.

At times, fatherhood reveals our own limitations. No father is perfect, and that truth can weigh heavily. Yet it is in the imperfections - in the mistakes, the apologies, the trying again - that children often learn the deepest lessons of grace and resilience.

Ultimately, fatherhood is about legacy. Not the legacy of possessions or achievements, but of love planted deeply in the hearts of one’s children. To be a father is to walk a lifelong path of self-giving, where joy is found not in what is gained, but in what is given away.

At the conclusion of the liturgy, the Junior School students prayed the following blessing over their fathers:

Blessed are you, fathers, for the gift of your presence and the strength of your love.

May you find joy not only in what you provide, but in the moments you share, both big and small.

Blessed are you when you teach with patience, when your gentleness speaks louder than your words, and when your example lights the way for your children.

Blessed are you in your imperfections, for in every mistake, every apology, every trying again, you show your family the beauty of grace and resilience.

Blessed are you when you hand on the gift of faith to your sons and daughters, guiding them in prayer and trust, and modelling the quiet strength of St Joseph - protector, provider, and servant of God’s will.

May your legacy be not what you own, but what you have sown - a love rooted deep in the hearts of your children.

And may you walk this path of fatherhood with courage, tenderness, and joy, knowing that what you give away in love is never lost, but lives on forever.

‘Let the children come to me’

There is a misconception that adolescents are not hungry for God. On Tuesday we had 62 young people arrive for Chapel Mass before school for a chapel designed for 30. Students sat in the hallway seeking their loving God.

It was a reminder of the importance of pouring time, energy and resources into opening doors, windows and avenues for our young people to discover faith, fall in love with God and begin an adventure of the soul.

The work of Catholic Education is more important than ever before. Young people ‘don’t know what they don’t know’, and they can’t relish something they have never tasted. Our work in faith and formation is so often a tapestry of ‘firsts’ and discovery for our students. May God sustain us in lighting each inner candle, one heart at a time.

One of us - Canonisation Mass

This Sunday at Our Lady of Dolours, the parish will be celebrating the Canonisation Mass of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati at 5:30 pm. This incredible celebration will be mirroring celebrations in Rome and will feature the hard work of the Canonisation Youth Orchestra made of musicians from St Pius X and Mercy College. 

To further celebrate this momentous occasion in the life of the Church, the parish will be offering:

1. Each night this week through to Saturday 6 September the parish is having a bonfire on the church Forecourt from about 7:30 pm as a place for young people (and families) to gather. At about 7:30 pm there will be prayer at the fire.

2. On Saturday 6 September, as part of the current parish Film Festival, they will be screeding 'Roadmap to Reality' in Harrington Hall. This is a very powerful story of a group of young adults on pilgrimage and discovering the gift of Carlo Acutis. The evening starts at about 6:30 pm with pizza and the film starts at 7:00 pm. You are welcome to spread the work to families and students. It is without cost but we do ask people to register via the Parish Website. Then on Saturday 13 September we have a screening of a film on Pier Giorgio Frassati.

3. Next weekend and over the week after 7 September the Parish will have artwork featuring Carlo and PierGiorgio from Our Lady of Dolours Primary School displayed in the church too!

We look forward to celebrating with you!

A reminder that the orchestra musicians need to arrive at 3:30 pm on Sunday for the final rehearsal in Harrington Hall.

Mr Daniel Petrie - Assistant Principal, Mission and Identity