Prayer & Catholic Identity
NAIDOC Week 5th-12th July
As we prepare to celebrate NAIDOC Week (National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee) in the second week of the school holidays we reflect on the origins of the "Aboriginal Our Father" sometimes referred to as the "Aboriginal Lord's Prayer".
The Aboriginal Our Father is an adaptation of the traditional Christian prayer created to make worship more accessible and culturally meaningful for Indigenous Australians.
The origin of the prayer is heavily tied to remote Indigenous communities in Western Australia.
Father Kevin McKelson worked closely with aboriginal elders to learn local languages to translate the mass and the Lord's Prayer.
Aboriginal Our Father
You are Our Father, you live in heaven
We talk to you, Father you are good (repeat)
We believe your Word Father
We your children, give us bread today (repeat)
We have done wrong, we are sorry
Help us Father not to sin again (repeat)
Others have done wrong to us
And we are sorry for them, Father today (repeat)
Stop us from doing wrong, Father
Save us all from the evil one (repeat)
You are Our Father, you live in heaven
We talk to you, Father you are good (repeat)
Catholic Identity Awards
We congratulate Niyah M. and Anastasia K. for being our most recent recipients of our Catholic Identity Awards. Niyah and Anastasia received the award for being wonderful examples of the principle of 'Care for Creation - We need to care for the earth and all life in it. It is a gift from God'. They put this Catholic social teaching into action through showing kindness and respect for all people and the environment.
Catholic Social Teaching Principles
Our catholic social teaching focus for the coming weeks is based on preferential option for the poor. It states 'We must put the needs of the poor and vulnerable people first'.
We encourage the children to do as God as taught us and 'put the people who do not have what they need first and help them'. Ways that the children might do this at school include:
Helping a classmate with their learning
Letting someone have a turn first on the slide
Inviting someone to play, who is left out
Helping to assist your teacher carry equipment
Action for the Week
Choose one small sacrifice that puts God or others first. It might be setting aside time for prayer, helping at home without being asked, attending Mass, or reaching out to someone who needs encouragement and support. (Antony Sidone Australian Catholics 22 June 2026)