John XXIII College Newsletter

Faith and Mission

As we journey through Lent, we are called to reflect on our faith and take meaningful action to support those in need. At John XXIII College, our Lenten almsgiving focuses on two key causes: Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion and ACRATH’s advocacy for slavery-free chocolate.

 

Caritas Australia, the Catholic Church’s international aid and development agency, works to uphold human dignity and alleviate poverty in over 20 countries. Through Project Compassion, we are invited to stand in solidarity with vulnerable communities, raising funds and deepening our awareness of their struggles. The 2025 theme, 'Unite Against Poverty,' reminds us that our choices today shape the future for generations to come.

 

This year is particularly significant as we celebrate the Jubilee Year of Hope, a time of renewal and justice. Grounded in biblical tradition, the Jubilee calls us to restore hope, freedom, and reconciliation—values that resonate deeply with our Lenten journey. As Pilgrims of Hope, we are challenged to work together for a more just and compassionate world, aligning perfectly with Lent’s call to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

 

In addition to supporting Project Compassion, we also stand with ACRATH (Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans) by raising awareness about ethical purchasing. Many chocolate products are made using child labour and exploitative practices. As we prepare for Easter, we encourage our community to choose slavery-free chocolate, ensuring our celebrations do not come at the cost of others' suffering. Looking for Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance-certified chocolate is a simple yet powerful way to act for justice.

 

Our Lenten almsgiving is a practical expression of our faith. By donating to Project Compassion, making ethical choices, and praying for those affected by poverty and exploitation, we put our College mission into action. Together, we can help create a more just and hopeful future for all.

 

 

Janeen Murphy

Deputy Principal Faith and Mission

 

 

 

 

 

Community Mass

Thank you to the students in Campion House who prepared this morning’s Community Mass. A special thanks also to our Jesuit presider, Fr Ramesh Richards. Fr Ramesh is based in Sydney and is in Perth to run a retreat for young adults this weekend. He kindly agreed to celebrate with the College community, especially apposite as Campion students honoured their Jesuit House patron, Saint Edmund Campion. 

 

It will be Year 12s who prepare the Community Eucharist next Friday, 21 March. Everyone is invited! Just come to the Chapel in time for an 8:00am start. The bell rings at 7:50am as a reminder! After Mass, there is coffee in the Circle of Friends Café for those able to stay.

 

If you have any questions about Community Mass, please contact Mary-Anne Lumley: 

mary-anne.lumley@johnxxiii.edu.au

 

Community Mass Details

  • College Chapel
  • Fridays in term time
  • Starts: 8:00am and concludes 8:30am.

Sacraments

Do you have a child in Years 3, 4 or 6?

Students in these classes are respectively preparing for the sacraments of Reconciliation, First Holy Communion and Confirmation. It is imperative to enrol in a parish program as soon as possible as some parishes have already closed their enrolments for 2025.

 

Each parish has their own unique Sacrament program. Information from some local parishes is provided below and on the College website. 

 

CLAREMONT – ST THOMAS APOSTLE 

Currently accepting enrolments.

Contact: Silvia.kinder@cewa.edu.au

 

COTTESLOE – ST MARY STAR OF THE SEA

First Holy Communion – enrolments close Monday 24 March

Confirmation – enrolments close Monday 25 August.

Enrol online here: Sacramental Programme | St Mary Star of the Sea & Corpus Christi Churches

Full details are available on the College website.

Further queries: Natasha Colli, sacraments.cottesloe@perthcatholic.org.au

 

Parents often have questions about the Sacrament program, so don’t be afraid to ask:

Good News for the 2nd Sunday in Lent

The Church gives us some rich scriptural texts during the seasons of Lent and Easter. Every year, on the Second Sunday of Lent, we receive the Gospel of Jesus revealed in his glory in the ‘transfiguration’. 

 

The Scripture 

Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up the mountain to pray. And it happened that, as he was praying, the aspect of his face was changed and his clothing became dazzling white. And suddenly there were two men talking to him; they were Moses and Elijah appearing in glory, and they were speaking of his departure which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were heavy with sleep, but when they were fully awake they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As these were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah,’ not knowing what he was saying. While he was saying this, a cloud came and covered them with shadow; and as they went into the cloud the disciples were afraid. And a voice came from the cloud saying, ‘This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.’ And after the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. The disciples kept silence and, at that time, told no one what they had seen. 

Luke 9: 28-36

 

 

The Reflection

Today we are made conscious of the polarities within which all of us live, and which Jesus also experienced. There are moments of transcendence in our lives; moments when we are conscious of being drawn into God’s mystery, even though these moments may be fleeting. In such moments, we can be taken out of ourselves and our senses can be finely tuned into the awesome silence and beauty of nature. Like the disciples, we want to hold on to these moments, to prolong the experience, to ‘build tents’ and stay. The reality of our humanity demands that we move from such moments of transcendence back into the dailiness of life. We cannot stay on the mountain of light forever.

 

Jesus too knew such moments of transcendence and moments when the starkness of his life was very present. On the mountain, like Moses and Elijah, he has an encounter with God, symbolised in the light, the cloud, and the voice from heaven. But the reality of his death in Jerusalem is present even in this moment of glory, for the great prophets of Israel speak to Jesus of his exodus, which he was to complete in Jerusalem. Jesus’ passing over to the Father cannot happen on this mountain in Galilee but must happen on the hill of Golgotha. Living out the truth of his identity as Son demands that Jesus go down the mountain, leave behind the consoling presence of God, and take the road to Jerusalem.

May the journey of Lent lead us into a deeper knowing of the polarities in our lives and may we find the courage to live them in truth.

 

© Dr Mary Coloe ibvm

 

Mary Coloe is a Presentation sister and teaches in the field of New Testament studies at the Yarra Theological Union. She was Associate Professor in New Testament at the Australian Catholic University and has taught at Boston College, the Jesuit School of Theology Berkeley, and at the Ecce Homo Biblical Institute Jerusalem. She has also written a number of books. Mary Coloe’s home page is http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/staffhome/macoloe/