OUR FAITH
PRAYER
God our Father, hear our prayers for a truly fruitful Lent. May our efforts in prayer and our deeds of mercy lead us to renewal, reconciliation and Easter Joy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We pray ...
for..... Pope Francis, for our school community as we continue to pray, give and reflect on our words and actions through the season of Lent, and for the safety of all those in the affected areas of cyclone Alfred.
LITURGY NEWS
Family Masses
Thank you to the families who attended Family Mass last Sunday. It was lovely to see the children invited to come forward to have a chat and sing with Fr Chris.
Our next family mass will be held on Sunday 6th April (Yr 1 and Yr 5) at St Nicholas Church at 9.30a.m.
These Masses are an opportunity for our School community to come together with our Parish Community to celebrate the Liturgy of the Word and to share a ‘cuppa ‘and morning tea afterwards.
SHROVE TUESDAY - 4th MARCH - PANCAKES!!
I am sure if you asked your child/ren what was one of the highlights of their week, at school, most would say “Pancake Day!” This was a huge success thanks to the generosity of our mums, dads, and carers who helped make batter, cook, spread, mix, dollop, squeeze, sprinkle, heard and serve a multitude of pancakes to the masses of children who were very keen and eager to receive their oversized pancakes to help raise funds for CARITAS. A big thank you to Josh and Bec Johnson for their organisation!
ASH WEDNESDAY
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. The practice of administering ashes on this day dates back to the Middle Ages. Ashes are intended to remind us of our human condition and that the things of this world are transitory. They are also a sign of repentance. The Ashes are made from burning the dry palm branches from the previous Palm Sunday and are placed on the foreheads in the sign of the cross with the words: “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”
Yesterday, the undercroft was transformed into a place of prayer where staff, Year 3 to Year 6 students, parents, friends and parishioners joined together to mark the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent. We thank Fr Max for presiding over the mass and for being open to the idea of having a Mass outside the church. Thank you also to the staff and students who helped prepare the sacred space.
Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 students also gathered in the Auditorium yesterday for a liturgy and the distribution of ashes. Thank you to the parents and carers who were able to join us.
Project Compassion
Project Compassion Boxes
Each family would have received a small Project Compassion box to keep in their home during Lent. The theme of Project Compassion 2025 is ‘Unite Against Poverty’ and reminds us that the good that we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come. It invites us to make the world a better place by working together now and finding long-term solutions to global issues.
We are particularly encouraged during Lent to give greater attention those who might be in need. One way we are able to do this as a Catholic Community is by supporting Project Compassion run by CARITAS Australia and over the next forty days of Lent we should be looking to make monetary contributions (big or small) to these boxes.
We are aware of many local families doing it tough given the current circumstances so prayers for those in need and random acts of kindness that don't cost money can be just as good as a monetary contribution!
SACRAMENTS
This year our Year 3 and Year 6 baptised Catholic students will be involved in receiving the Sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion (First Eucharist) and Confirmation respectively. These are important events in the life of our students, school and Parish and we look forward to sharing these occasions with our students.
For any new students beginning at St Nicholas in 2025, if there is a Sacrament that they have missed receiving please contact Mrs Dunst as soon as possible rdunst@arm.catholic.edu.au
The following dates have been set aside for these special events;
First Reconciliation: Wednesday 18th June 2025 - St Nicholas Church 5.30pm
First Eucharist: Weekend of 21st/22nd June 2025
Confirmation: Weekend of 13th/14th September 2025
FIRST RECONCILIATION & FIRST EUCHARIST
First Reconciliation and First Eucharist preparation and program will begin early in Term 2 for our students and parents in Year 3. This will include a Parent Information and Enrolment Session at St Nicholas Church on Wednesday 30th April at 5.30pm or a repeat session on Saturday 3rd May at 2.00pm. At least one parent is required to attend one of these sessions.
SCHOOL AGED BAPTISM
School - Age Baptism is being offered at St Nicholas Parish for children in Kinder to Year 6 who would like to be baptised.
Parent Information Session: Thursday 27th March, 4pm, Parish Meeting Room
School Age Baptisms: Saturday 5th April at 10am, St Nicholas Church.
Pamphlets are currently available at the back of St Nicholas & St Mary’s Churches or for more information please contact the Parish office on 67662228
JUBILEE YEAR
2025 is a Jubilee Year in the Catholic Church
A Jubilee Year is traditionally proclaimed by the Universal Church every 25 years. It is a particular year set aside to encourage the faithful to embark on pilgrimages, to repent of their sins and forgive the sins of others, and to renew a focus on spiritual life.
The theme is Pilgrims of Hope. Pope Francis has invited Catholics to renew our hope and discover a vision that can "restore access to the fruits of the earth to everyone". We are also invited to rediscover a spirituality of God's creation in which we understand ourselves as "pilgrims on the earth" rather than masters of the world.
You will see this logo quite a bit this Year
The logo symbolises unity and fraternity among all of humanity, with four stylised figures from different corners of the earth embracing each other. The leading figure holds a cross, representing faith and hope. The rough waves beneath the figures symbolise life's challenges, emphasising the need for hope in difficult times. The elongated lower part of the cross forms an anchor, a well-known symbol of hope. This image depicts the pilgrimage as a communal journey towards the cross, which reaches out dynamically to offer presence and hope.