Family & Faith
Fatima Pilgrimage - I’m Back!
I’m back from an amazing pilgrimage that included the town of Fatima. What an experience!
It was all a bit surreal visiting the place where Mary Our Mother appeared to three children in a field many years ago. Here are a few photos of the old and the new Basilicas and the surrounding areas.
It’s HUGE!
Family Mass Invitation - This Saturday!
You are kindly invited to attend the Family Mass hosted by Year 4 families to be held this Saturday 2nd August at 5.30pm. As many of the Year 4 students will be preparing for the Sacrament of Holy Communion this is a great opportunity for them to share their faith commitment with the parish school community. Each Year 4 student will receive a special card as a keepsake. Please come along and join in this beautiful Parish celebration of the Eucharist and support our Year 4 families.
Prayer Cards for Year 12 students - St Aloysius College, OLMC Burraneer and De La Salle Caringbah
Please volunteer to write a prayer!
Thank you to the families who have already opened their hearts to write a prayer for a Year 12 student. I still have more Yr 12 names for prayer cards! This year we include De La Salle boys and OLMC girls and they really need your support! The prayer card that you write will be placed in a special HSC Prayer Pack including a symbol of our Catholic faith from Sydney Catholic Schools, a chocolate and Holy cards.
The packs will be presented to the students before the commencement of their Stuvac. I know first hand how beautifully the prayer packs are received and treasured as many former students contact me to say the words written on the prayer card helped them be positive and upbeat during the HSC exam time.
Thank you so much for your support!
An invitation from the Parish
Lots happening at our Parish and you’re invited!
- Camelia Gardens Afternoon Tea Excursion on Friday 8th August 9 from 1pm - 3pm (Book your place at the Church Office)
- The Feast of the Assumption Celebration Dinner on Wednesday 20th August at 6pm. Bring a plate to share!
- Parish Christmas Celebration on Sunday 7th December starting with Mass at 9.30am followed by the Blessing of the Nativity, petting zoo, pony rides and singing of Christmas Carols. Feliz Navidad!
All welcome! See you there!
Fatima Friends Invitation - Come and join in the fun!
Fatima Friends will continue this Term 3 from 9.10am in the following weeks:
Week 2 - 1/8: Sporty fun with our Year 5 friends!
Week 3 - 8/8: Mary MacKillop Feast Day activity
Week 4 - 15/8:It’s All About Mary activity- think singing and dancing
Week 5 - 22/8: Book Week Parade! The theme is “Book An Adventure” Dress as your favourite book character and join in the parade with me!
Week 6 - 29/8: No Fatima Friends today - I’m at a Parent Conference
Week 7 - 5/8: Last session for the term so let’s have FUN! - Sporty fun, visiting the chickens and maybe watering the OLF garden beds with Yr 5 helpers.
Please note there are no Fatima Friends sessions in Week 6, 8,9,10 but Fatima Friends will return in Term 4!
Mary MacKillop Feast Day - 8th August
Her Story…
Many wonderful saints share the month of August for their feast days, but it is hard for an Australian to pass up the opportunity to celebrate St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.
When Alexander and Flora MacKillop welcomed their first baby, Mary Helen, into the world in the bedroom of their little house in Melbourne they must have thought she was very special. They could not have guessed in a million years how many people would agree – all over the country and around the whole world! We know her today as St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.
Mary MacKillop was born in 1842. She was a fine teacher, the founder of schools and a religious order. She devoted her whole life to following Jesus and helping others, especially poor children.
Many people who knew her could tell she was extraordinary. Mother Mary radiated God’s love and energy to everyone she met.
Mary and her companion Fr Julian Tenison Woods dreamed of a new kind of school, open to anyone whether their family was rich or poor. Children from poorer families would be provided with clothing and school supplies for very little cost or for free. They could learn enough reading, writing and maths so they could get out of poverty and have a better life.
When Mary wrote the lessons and timetable for her schools, she made sure there was time for prayers and hymns, which in those days were not written in English, but Latin. But she made sure these weren’t too long so that the children wouldn’t find prayer time too difficult or too boring.
Her pupils must have been grateful for that! Her life wasn’t always easy and she had lots of problems sometimes, but she was happy because she firmly believed in God and that her true home was not here on earth but with God in heaven. She was very cheerful and didn’t want her sisters going around with frowns on their faces.
What a great role model, educator and faithful servant she was to both children and adults!
Wishing you a happy week full of blessings, kindness and love.
I look forward to praying with you at Saturday’s Family Mass!
SCS Parent Conference
A parent conference designed to support, equip and inspire confident parenting in 2025.
If you are interested in attending this SCS Parent Conference, please use this QR Code or email me at E: tracey.bowler@syd.catholic.edu.au and I can give you further information.
Mens Event - Camino Men's Walk Pilgramage
The Camino begins with an 8:00pm Mass, celebrated by Bishop Danny Meagher, on Friday, 5 September, at St Joseph’s Como, and confession is available from 7:00pm.
The Camino will conclude with a 7:00am Mass at St. Aloysius on Saturday, 6 September, followed by a hot breakfast featuring BBQ bacon and eggs.
The entire walk from start to finish will include:
-St Joseph’s Como – Opening Mass
-St Patrick’s Sutherland
-St Catherine’s Gymea
-Our Lady Star of the Sea Miranda
-Our Lady of Fatima Caringbah
-St Aloysius Cronulla – Closing Mass and breakfast
Tickets are $35 per person. There is also an option to travel between churches by bus, departing from Holy Family Menai at 7:00pm. on Friday and returning from St Aloysius Cronulla at 8:30am. (Additional cost of $24). Let me know if you would like to attend or click on the QR Code to register.
We are seeking parent and parishioner volunteers to help cook the BBQ and serve breakfast to the approximately 1,500 participants expected at the event.
Also donations of breakfast items such as muffins, scones, or pastries would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Tracey Bowler if you can donate items or your time to help with the BBQ.
Tracey Bowler | Family Educator
tracey.bowler@syd.catholic.edu.au