Faith Reflection and RE News 

Faith Reflection 

St John Vianney Feast Day

The saints have been a long-held tradition within the Catholic Church, but it’s perhaps not very often that we sit back and think about their purpose within our faith. The vast majority of saints were far from perfect, with many being downright peculiar! St. John the Baptist famously ate locusts in the wild, Symeon the Stylite sat atop a pillar for 37 years, and St. Francis of Assisi found joy in everything, including worms! In fact, the disciples themselves were constantly rebuked by Jesus for not understanding his mission and frequently did the wrong thing. So why do we bother about them?

The saints first give us an attainable goal – we can be like them if we live a good and fruitful life. Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old web designer who set up a streaming service preaching the Gospel, is set to become the first Millennial saint, showing us that this is something that is attainable even in our modern world. The saints are like the stars in the sky; no matter where we are or what era we live in, we can look to their lives to navigate our own and live out the mission of Jesus every day.

St. John Vianney is no exception. Born in 1786 in France, St. John Vianney was forced to have his First Communion and Reconciliation in secret due to the French Revolution. Despite his learning difficulties, he was sent to the rural parish of Ars. St. John Vianney’s special talent was giving Confession – people from all over France, including kings, would come to receive Reconciliation from him and hear his words of wisdom. By 1827, it is reported that about 20,000 people a year would come to see him, as he would spend 12 to 15 hours a day in his confessional.

What does this tell us today in 2024? St. John Vianney’s example shows us the difference we can all make – even when we are in a place that may seem far from where all the action is. In spite of being away from the major cities, by simply having a passion for his work, he humbly changed the lives of tens of thousands of people! His example also reminds us of the importance of the Sacrament of Reconciliation – it is perhaps the Sacrament we all try to avoid the most. Yet, Reconciliation, in simple terms, means to “make things right again.” It is a word also used to describe the journey of Australians making things right with the First Nations People or ensuring that banking between different accounts aligns. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is an invitation from God calling for us to make things right with him. 

As we come to celebrate the Feast Day of St. John Vianney in the 60th year of our parish, we are called to look to St. John Vianney as an example. Treasure the relationships of those around you and remember that each of us, when we do what we are passionate about, can change lives. This week, you might call a family member or friend you haven’t seen, complete those tasks for others you might have been putting off, or read about the lives of different saints.

Wishing you all a very happy St. John Vianney’s Feast Day.

By Jonathan Rooney 

Sacraments

Sacrament of Confirmation -  Sunday 28th July @ 2.00pm

We congratulate the following students.

Sacrament of First Holy Communion

Information Session  6th August 10am or 7pm in the Church

Sacrament Dates:

Saturday 9th November @ 6.00pm 

Sunday 10th November @ 10.00am 

Saturday 16th November @ 6.00pm 

Sunday 17th November @ 10.00am 

Class Mass Timetable