Faith and Mission

Last Sunday marked the ninth World Day of the Poor, established by Pope Francis as a reminder that supporting those experiencing poverty must remain at the heart of our community spirit, especially as we enter the Christmas season. A time defined by generosity and compassion.

This year, Pope Leo XIV chose the theme 'You are my hope,' drawn from Psalm 71:5. In his message, he encouraged us to see people facing poverty not merely as recipients of charity, but as genuine witnesses to hope. He called each of us to offer new signs of hope through acts of Christian charity, reminding us that our kindness and generosity bring light and dignity to those in greatest need.

As we prepare for Christmas, our College invites everyone to support the Shopfront and St Vincent de Paul collections. Both organisations play a vital role in caring for individuals and families within our local community who are experiencing hardship. Please refer to the Primary and Secondary sections of the newsletter for guidance on the items most needed.

When choosing gifts for friends and family this Christmas, you might also consider supporting Jesuit Mission or Mary Ward. Information from both organisations has been included to help you explore ways to give meaningfully and extend help to those in great need.

May we each embrace this season as an opportunity to be people of hope for one another.

This Christmas, give a gift that transforms lives. Jesuit Mission’s Gifts for Change enable you to replace a traditional gift with an impactful one.

Each gift, available as a personalised printed or e-card, comes with a beautiful illustration by participants of Jesuit Mission projects.

Your gift could:

Build sustainable communities with clean water and food security
Fund a teacher, scholarship, or a bicycle for a child to attend school and peddle their way out of poverty
Provide food, medical care, or safety for families in crisis
Empower people with disabilities

Give a life-changing gift today at https://jesuitmission.org.au/christmas

This Christmas, Help Women Like Grace Build a Brighter Future

Just a year ago, Grace, a young mother in Nairobi, was barely scraping by on informal, low-paying work to feed her family.

Then Grace joined a training program supported by Mary Ward International. She learned carpentry, gained steady employment, and discovered a renewed sense of purpose.

Today, Grace provides for her daughter, saves for her education, and dreams of opening her own workshop to train other women.

Through programs in carpentry, business, cookery, and digital skills, women like Grace are breaking gender barriers, starting their own businesses, and transforming their communities.

This Christmas, give the gift of hope and opportunity.

Janeen Murphy

Deputy Principal Faith and Mission

Community Mass

We enjoyed the leadership of students in Year 7 at Community Mass this morning. Thank you to all students who participated by their presence, or who prepared the readings so carefully or contributed as altar ministers or singers.

We proclaimed the readings for this Sunday’s Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the universe. The second reading from Colossians includes an ancient Christian hymn:

Christ is the image of the unseen God

and the first-born of all creation,

for in him were created

all things in heaven and on earth:

everything visible and everything invisible,

all things were created through him and for him.

Before anything was created, he existed,

and he holds all things in unity.

Now the Church is his body,

he is its head.

As he is the Beginning,

he was first to be born from the dead,

so that he should be first in every way;

because God wanted all perfection

to be found in him

and all things to be reconciled through him and for him,

everything in heaven and everything on earth,

when he made peace

by his death on the cross.

Colossians 1:15-20

In reflecting on this ancient yet modern hymn, Presentation Sister, Mary Coloe, writes:

The beautiful hymn from Colossians offers on opportunity to reflect on the understanding of the Cosmos, the universe, in the light of Christian faith. The twentieth century saw an extraordinary development in our knowledge of the universe – or to use the word we find in the Gospels, the cosmos. As we are aware, scientists now believe that our universe began around 13.8 billion years ago with a sudden massive explosion of energy. The remains of the explosion can still be detected as faint background radiation noise. Our understanding of the long and complex processes of evolution means that we perceive our world as dynamic, rather than the static world view of the Middle Ages. Theologians today are working within this dynamic, evolutionary world view to retell the Jesus story in ways that can make sense to contemporary society. The Colossians hymn is a New Testament passage that sees the Christ event not only in terms of human life, but as something impacting on the whole of creation – affirming Christ’s central place within the Cosmos.

All are welcome to Community Mass. If you are new to Community Mass, just come to the Chapel at 8:00am. There is no reserved seating, and all responses are on a PowerPoint. Next Friday’s Mass will be prepared by students in Year 8.

If you have any questions about Community Mass, please contact Mary-Anne Lumley:

mary-anne.lumley@johnxxiii.edu.au

Community Mass details

College Chapel
Fridays in term time
Starts at 8:00am concludes at 8:30am.

Sacraments

Do you have a child in Years 2, 3 or 5?

In 2026, students in these classes will be respectively preparing for the sacraments of Reconciliation, First Holy Communion and Confirmation.

Parents need to enrol their child in a parish Sacrament program. This is in addition to the teaching on the sacrament that children will receive in the Religion classes.

Preparing for the sacraments is now a three-way collaboration among family, parish, and school.

Many parishes have begun enrolling for 2026, and parents are encouraged to arrange for this at the earliest opportunity.

Parish information will be uploaded to the College website as it becomes available.

Parents often have questions about the Sacrament program, so please don’t hesitate to ask. Below are some useful points of contact:

The priest or sacrament coordinator in your local parish
John XXIII College website
The Archdiocesan website: Parishes & Mass Times
Mary-Anne Lumley: mary-anne.lumley@johnxxiii.edu.au or via phone on
08 9383 0513