Our Faith - Religion - Prayer
St Patrick's Church Walcha
For Baptism or Marriage enquiries by emailing Father Elino Comanda: walchaparish@armidale.catholic.org.au
Fr Elino would like to invite parishioners to Sunday Mass 10am.
Term 3 Mass Dates
Friday 18th Sept: Mass
Reflection
The Wonder of Encounter
In our daily lives, true connection often begins with a single moment of meeting—what we in faith communities call an encounter. Whether it is greeting a new friend on the playground, collaborating on a shared project, or simply stopping to listen to someone’s story, an encounter is far more than just passing someone by. It serves as an invitation to see the world through another person's eyes, share genuine kindness, and recognise the inherent dignity and worth within every individual.
In scripture and Christian tradition, these moments of encounter are deeply transformative. When Jesus met people along the road—whether beside a well, in a crowded marketplace, or along the dusty paths of Galilee—he engaged with them with complete attention, compassion, and open-hearted curiosity. These brief, meaningful connections changed lives and formed the foundation for strong, supportive communities.
Within our school community, we experience the wonder of encounter every day as our students learn alongside classmates, care for the natural environment around them, and put shared values into practical action through service and quiet reflection. When we approach others with openness rather than judgment, every interaction becomes an opportunity for growth, understanding, and mutual respect. As we move through the coming weeks, let us encourage our children—and remind ourselves—to seek out these meaningful moments, welcoming each encounter as a chance to bring light, warmth, and connection to our school.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the gift of our school community
and the many people we meet each day.
Open our hearts and minds
to the wonder of encounter.
Help us to approach others with kindness,
to listen with patience,
and to see Your presence in everyone we meet.
May our daily interactions bring warmth,
understanding, and connection to those around us.
Amen.
Implementing the Angelus Prayer at St Patrick's
Bishop Murphy has recently instructed all schools within the diocese that he would like staff and students to pray the Angelus daily. This traditional Catholic prayer honours the Incarnation and invites us to pause for a moment of reflection during the day.
At St Patrick’s Primary, we are currently working on a structured timeframe to implement this practice meaningfully across the school. To begin, we are focusing on developing our staff members' understanding and appreciation of the prayer by using it to open all of our staff meetings this term.
Following this initial staff preparation, we look to introduce the Angelus to the wider school community. Our current plan is to begin practicing it as a whole school when we gather in the morning, with an expected rollout scheduled for mid-Term 4 or the beginning of next year.
Below is some information provided by Armidale Catholic Schools concerning the question: Do Catholics Worship Mary?
Calling for Altar Servers
It was great to see we had five students receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist for the first time recently. Did you know that once a child can receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion they can take part in altar serving at both of our school and parish Masses?
Father Elino is looking out for any of our students who would like to become an altar server. Altar Servers must be Catholic and have a basic understanding of the mystery of Jesus present in the Eucharist and of the importance of prayerful reverence in their role as Altar servers.
Servers will be shown how to serve commencing in the near future during lunchtime.
If you have any questions regarding altar serving, don't hesitate to get in touch with Mr Hyatt.
Catherine McAuley
Catherine’s spirituality was centred on the mercy of God…prayer in action…action in prayer.