Education in Faith
Sacrament of Reconciliation
On Tuesday night, 8 of our Year 4 students received the Sacrament of Reconciliation at Our Lady's Church. Two more will do so tonight at OLGC, Deepdene. Congratulations to Jack C, Zac C, Freddie H, Summer L, Arlo M, Evan M, Lizzie R, Lauren S, Lucy S and Atticus W. This is a quiet and special step in their faith journey, where they experienced God’s mercy and forgiveness. As a school community, we give thanks for this moment in their lives and ask God to bless them, guide them, and continue to fill their hearts with peace and grace.
Project Compassion
Project Compassion, Caritas Australia’s annual fundraising and awareness-raising appeal, brings thousands of Australians together in solidarity with the world's poor to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. The theme this year is ‘Unite Against Poverty ’
The RE Leaders, have signed OHR up on Caritas’ website and are planning a few things. Firstly, they have again decided that they want to give everybody a chance to see the staff of OHR dunked with icy cold water.
In order to do this, they have set the students a challenge. The challenge is to show some initiative and organise a fundraiser to raise as much money as they can for Project Compassion. They can do this by themselves, with their family or a group of friends. It might be as simple as asking family and friends for donations or a much bigger idea - whatever they like. As you may have read in the newsletter, some of our Senior School students have already organised a bake sale for after school today.
Last year, for every $300 we raised as a school, another staff member got dunked. This year, we have a few extra volunteers, so when we raise $250, the first staff member is added to the dunk list, when we get to $500 the next one goes on the list and so on.
We did a draw at Monday's assembly and the dunk list is as follows:
$250 - Mr Byrne
$500 - Mrs Pettinato
$750 - Mrs Jackson
$1,000 - Mrs Mitchell
$1,250 - Mrs Gill
$1,500 - Mrs Hollow
$1,750 - Ms Mackay
$2,000 - Mr Gulavin
$2,250 - Mrs Hansen
$2,500 - Mrs Hautot
$2,750 - Ms Dening
$3,000 - Fr Sang
$3,250 - Mr Dame
To make donations, simply click the link below.
If you get cash donations, you might be able to give the cash to your parents and they donate that amount online. The last date to donate money will be the first day of Term 2, Monday 20th April.
The second event the students at OHR will complete is to show solidarity with some of the people we are fundraising for. All students at OHR will undertake the Big Water Walk with their buddies. This involves walking around our school while carrying large buckets of water. This will take place on Monday 30th March which is the last Monday of this Term.
Finally, the money raised will be combined with the money in the Project Compassion boxes as well as what the RE Leaders have raised from selling zooper doopers on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They will stop selling these at the end of this term.
Thank you and don’t forget, we all need to “Unite Against Poverty” this Lent.
End of Term One - Whole School Mass
We will be having a Whole School Mass to celebrate the end of Term One on Friday next week (27th March). This will be at 9.00am in the OHR Church and everybody is most welcome to join us.
Rite of Christian Initiation of Children
Invitation for Primary School Families. Does your child want to become a Catholic?
The parish is offering a Rite of Christian Initiation of Children (RCIC) for primary school–aged children. See flyer below.
Sacramental Dates for 2026
Please see the letter from the Parish linked below in regards to Sacramental dates for 2026. Further details can be found on the Parish website.
Nick Byrne
RE Leader
RE Learning in 3/4DG
We have been learning about the seven sacraments. Baptism, Reconciliation, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, Holy orders and Eucharist. The year fours are about to receive Reconciliation. The year fours have been writing in their Reconciliation booklets. Reconciliation is an opportunity to be forgiven by God for all your sins that you have made in the past. For some families it's a time to reflect on what you've done. When you walk up the church stairs they will meet with you and say a few words quietly about what you are sorry for.
By Harvey, Stella and Frank 3/4DG
Sunday Gospel
The liturgy of the Catholic Church provides a framework for reflection which is used by Catholics throughout the world. Each week in the Newsletter, you will find the Sunday Gospel as well as some discussion questions to have with your child/ren.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
The sisters Martha and Mary sent this message to Jesus, ‘Lord, the man you love is ill.’ On receiving the message, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will end not in death but in God’s glory, and through it the Son of God will be glorified.’
Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, yet when he heard that Lazarus was ill he stayed where he was for two more days before saying to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judaea.’
On arriving, Jesus found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days already. When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet him. Mary remained sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you.’ ‘Your brother’ said Jesus to her ‘will rise again.’ Martha said, ‘I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said:
‘I am the resurrection and the life.
If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live,
and whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.
Do you believe this?’
‘Yes, Lord,’ she said ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.’ Jesus said in great distress, with a sigh that came straight from the heart, ‘Where have you put him?’ They said, ‘See how much he loved him!’ But there were some who remarked, ‘He opened the eyes of the blind man, could he not have prevented this man’s death?’ Still sighing, Jesus reached the tomb: it was a cave with a stone to close the opening. Jesus said, ‘Take the stone away.’ Martha said to him, ‘Lord, by now he will smell; this is the fourth day.’ Jesus replied, ‘Have I not told you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted up his eyes and said:
‘Father, I thank you for hearing my prayer.
I knew indeed that you always hear me, but I speak
for the sake of all these who stand round me,
so that they may believe it was you who sent me.’
When he had said this, he cried in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, here! Come out!’ The dead man came out, his feet and hands bound with bands of stuff and a cloth round his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, let him go free.’
Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and had seen what he did believed in him.
Discussion Questions
1. Can you remember a time when you went away from home for a few days or more?
2. What was it like when you returned home? What did your family do?
3. In today’s gospel Jesus brought Lazarus back to life after he had been buried in a tomb. How would Lazarus’ sisters Mary and Martha have felt?
4. The Spirit of Jesus gives us life. How can we give life and hope to others?