Our Faith - Religion - Prayer
St Patrick's Church Walcha
For Baptism or Marriage enquiries phone Monsignor Ted Wilkes 67784070.
Monsignor Ted Wilkes would like to invite parishioners to Sunday Mass 10am.
Term 1 Mass Dates
*Friday 22nd March: Mass and Reconciliation after at 11.30am
*Friday 5th April: Mass at 11.30am
Reflection
I have a deep passion for sports! Whether it's rugby, NRL, football, or cricket, there is nothing that brings me more joy than witnessing these games either in person or on a large screen. One particular memory that stands out is when I had the opportunity to watch my beloved Canberra Raiders compete in the grand final of 2019. Unfortunately, they were narrowly defeated by the Sydney Roosters, and it was the first time I found myself shedding tears over a game of rugby league. The intensity of the match and the constant uncertainty throughout the entire eighty minutes left me pondering the reasons behind my emotional reaction.
Recently, I was observing the conclusion of a cricket test match between India and England, I couldn't help but ponder over the concept of the 'mercy rule'. India emerged victorious with an astounding lead of over 400 runs, prompting me to reflect on this rule. In a large number of sports, the mercy rule comes into play when one team is so far ahead that the other team has no chance of winning, leading to the game being halted.
However, when it comes to our faith, mercy takes on a different meaning. Envision the same scenario, but instead of the game concluding with a definite winner and loser, it restarts completely as if nothing had occurred. At this very moment, God is extending an invitation to experience that kind of mercy. Regardless of how low or defeated you may feel, God's mercy and forgiveness are always within your grasp, capable of rejuvenating you from within and transforming you completely. Will you be open to accepting God's mercy in your life today?
Prayer
Merciful God,
as your loving children,
we are eager to do what is right.
Send your Holy Spirit to live with us
and fill us with your light.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Project Compassion
During this period of Lent, let us reflect upon the ways in which we can guarantee our efforts are directed towards benefiting the well-being of all future generations across the globe.
Together, we can make a difference now, and For All Future Generations.
We continue our annual Lenten Project Compassion journey by focusing on Leaia who lives with her five children, husband, brother, and sister-in-law on the island of Upolu in Samoa. Not having access to clean water for their daily lives has caused Leaia a lot of worry.
Leaia’s family built the home entirely out of recycled scraps collected from a nearby recycling plant, as not to waste precious income and provide for her children.
Their home is not connected to a piped water system, so they used to rely solely on rainwater collected in old fridges. When their water ran out, she had to walk with her young children to collect water in buckets and containers from a neighbour down the street.
With the support of people like you, a water tank was installed in Leaia’s home to harvest rainwater. This means that her family can now have access to clean water to drink and bathe. The time that was previously used to collect drinking water can now be used for other essential tasks and, most importantly, her children don’t have to miss out on school.
During the next phase of the program, Caritas Samoa will work to provide homes like Leaia’s with hygienic toilets with septic tanks, which will improve the health of rural communities. This will only be possible with the generosity of Australians supporting Caritas Australia’s partnership with Caritas Samoa.
Watch her story and see how her life has changed, thanks to people like you.
Sacrament Dates for 2024
2024 First Reconciliation: Date has been set for our Catholic students in Years 2 and 3 for Friday 1st November 2024.
2024 First Eucharist: Date has been set for our Catholic students in Year 3 for Sunday 2nd June 2024.
Catherine McAuley
Catherine’s spirituality was centred on the mercy of God…prayer in action…action in prayer.