OUR FAITH

PRAYER 

Sustaining God, caretaker of life, you are always present. You live in us. Watch over our school community during the break, and keep us safe in your watchful gaze. 

Bless our school community as we celebrate our holidays. 

We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. 

Amen

We pray for ... 

For........ all Year 12 students, in particular the McCarthy Catholic College students, as they complete their final days of schooling, and for all who are travelling in the holidays. 

THE ANGELUS

At our school, we cherish the moments when we can pause as a community to connect with God and reflect on our faith. Prayer occurs at our school every day. A prayer for students and the school to pray together is the Angelus. Traditionally prayed at noon, the Angelus is a beautiful, centuries-old Catholic prayer that commemorates the Incarnation, the moment God became man in Jesus Christ through Mary's "yes." As a school, we have started by looking at the history and meaning of the prayer as a staff. For students, we are also introducing the prayer's background and meaning and guiding them through the words and responses. Over the coming weeks, students will become familiar with the Angelus. As a school community, our aim is for our students and staff to pause, quiet their minds, and spend a few moments in shared prayer. It is a wonderful daily reminder for all about God’s constant presence in our lives, teaching the value of mindfulness, gratitude, and daily reflection.

LITURGY NEWS

Reconciliation

Over the past two weeks, our Year 4 students have had the opportunity to attend Reconciliation. We thank Fr Chris and Fr Clarence for their time.  

SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION

RECONCILIATION

On Thursday evening, Confirmation candidates attended Reconciliation at St Nicholas Church. We thank Fr Ross, Fr John, Fr Max, Fr Damien, Fr Vic, Fr Roel, Fr Clarence, and Fr Chris for supporting the students before their confirmation.  

CONFIRMATION RETREAT DAY

Last Friday, 18th September, Year 6 and the Confirmation candidates for St Nicholas and the Parish attended a special retreat day at the school. The day gave the candidates a valuable opportunity to prepare for their upcoming Confirmation, focusing on prayer, personal reflection, and community building.

Throughout the day, attendees had the privilege of meeting Bishop Peter Murphy, who spoke to the candidates about the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the virtues. The retreat encouraged students to reflect on their personal faith journeys and share their stories and experiences with peers. A big thank you to the Year 10 students from McCarthy Catholic College and the Parish Sacramental Team who helped facilitate the retreat. 

CONFIRMATION

Over Saturday and Sunday, September 19th and 20th, Bishop Peter Murphy confirmed 62 candidates in two separate Masses at St Nicholas Church.

The retreat and Masses were a testament to the dedication of everyone involved, from the candidates and their families to the teachers, parish sacramental team and volunteers who helped make this week so special. Thank you to everyone who contributed to these meaningful spiritual events. 

CATHOLIC MISSION

October is Mission Month - Advance Notice

This year we are raising awareness and funds for communities in Malawi. In recent years, Malawi has faced severe hardship. Devastating floods have destroyed homes, farmland and entire communities, forcing thousands of families to flee. To support Catholic Mission Month, our school will be having a 'Crazy Socktober Day on Friday 23rd October, where the students will be allowed to wear colourful and outrageous socks to school for the day. Students are asked to bring a gold coin donation to school that day to help raise funds. 

OCTOBER - MONTH OF THE ROSARY

October - Decade a Day

Beginning the first day of Term 4 each grade will take turns in praying a decade of the Rosary. You too may like to do this in your homes. The Rosary helps us to see our human lives in the light of Christ. It is a prayer that can be prayed at any time; however its simplicity and repetition make the Rosary particularly helpful in life's pauses, journeys and moments of waiting. 

PARISH NEWS

ST NICHOLAS PARISH MEN'S BREAKFAST

The Men’s Breakfast is usually held on the 4th Saturday of each month – please see the Bulletin each week for any changes to that. It is held at 7am in the Outdoor Function Area. Admission is by donation (to cover the cost of Breakfast), and it is necessary to ‘book-in’ if intending to attend (for catering purposes). Patrick Mahony can be contacted by text or call to his mobile 0427 851 651, or contacted via email - patrick.mahony@mahonygroup.com.au

The program is a mixture of prayer, a reflection, some humour & nonsense, and a time to chat. Sometimes, they have a guest speaker.

ST NICHOLAS PARISH YOUTH GROUP

The Youth Group is for youths in Years 6-12 at school and is held in the St Nicholas Outdoor Function Area on Friday nights, 7-8.45 pm. For more details, please contact Henry Buckman on 0406 361 272. The dates for the youth group are 5th June, 31st July, 14th August, 28th August and 11th September.