Religion and Parish News
Prayer
As you walk beside me, Lord,
lead me to recognise you
in all those you place into my life
this day.
The Angelus
At our school, we cherish the moments where we can pause as a community to connect with God and reflect on our faith. Prayer occurs in our school everyday. One of these special traditions is the praying of 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 will be praying the Angelus. In the midst of our busy school day, our students and staff will stop what they are doing, 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.
Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 students pausing in the middle of their busy day to pray The Angelus and spend a few moments with God.
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Tuesday 22nd September, 6pm, St Joseph’s Church (Week 10, Term 3)
Parent Night Thursday 27th August, 5:30pm, at St Joseph’s Church (Week 6, Term 3)
Rite of Enrolment Saturday 29th August (6pm) OR Sunday 30th August (8:30pm), at St Joseph’s Church Gunnedah
Retreat Day Tuesday 22nd September, St Xavier’s Primary School (Week 10, Term 3)
Please note: The Sacrament of First Reconciliation is for students in Year 2 and above who have been Baptised in the Catholic Church.
Feast of St Mary MacKillop
The Feast of St Mary of the Cross is important to us because St Mary MacKillop was the first, and is still the only, Australian person to be canonised. St Mary MacKillop’s work revolved around helping disadvantaged Australians.
When we talk of St Mary of the Cross, we’re talking about Mary MacKillop. She was 24 when she adopted the name Sister Mary of the Cross.
Mary MacKillop was born in Melbourne in 1842. She was a nun who, along with Fr Julian Tenison Woods, founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart and a number of schools and welfare institutions throughout Australasia with an emphasis on education for the poor, particularly in country areas.
St Mary of the Cross led a very busy life. She played a huge role in opening schools across South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, and even in New Zealand!
St Mary of the Cross died in the Josephite Convent in North Sydney on August 8th, 1909. Following two miracles being attributed to her intercession, she was canonised by Pope Benedict XVI on October 17, 2010, making her Australia’s first saint.
Holy God, source of all goodness, you show us in Mary MacKillop a woman of faith who lived by the power of the cross.
Teach us to embrace what she pioneered: new ways of living the gospel that respect and defend the human dignity of all in our land.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Message From Project Compassion
Thank you for supporting Project Compassion 2026. Thousands of schools, parishes, community groups, individuals and workplaces answered the call to Unite Against Poverty, collectively raising over $10.26 million to help create real, lasting change.
With the campaign now officially finished for another year, it’s time to celebrate the generosity, faith and compassion of everyone who stepped up in solidarity with people living in poverty to help build a brighter, more just future. We hope it serves as a reminder of the amazing impact that St Xavier's Primary School - Gunnedah has helped to create.
