Religious Education & Pastoral Care

Mrs Trish Mitchell
Assistant Principal & Religious Education Coordinator

Dear God,
we thank You for the gift of Advent,
a time of waiting and hope.
Help us to prepare our hearts for the coming of Your Son, Jesus.
May we share love and kindness with others as we wait for His birth.
We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.

Advent Wreath

The Advent wreath is a circular arrangement of evergreen branches that is used as a symbol of the Advent season, which is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas. The wreath typically holds four candles, with one being lit each Sunday of Advent, leading up to Christmas.

Here are the key elements and symbolism of the Advent wreath:

Shape: The circular shape of the wreath represents God's eternity and the unending love and faithfulness of God.

Evergreens: The evergreen branches symbolise eternal life, as they remain green throughout the year, reminding Christians of the hope of eternal life through Christ.

Candles: The wreath holds four candles, which are lit progressively. There are 3 purple and 1 pink candle.

Christ Candle: A fifth white candle is placed in the center of the wreath, symbolising Christ. This candle is lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to celebrate the arrival of Jesus, the Light of the World.

The Advent wreath serves as a visual and prayerful way for Catholics to mark the time of Advent, helping them focus on the themes of hope, peace, joy, and love, while preparing spiritually for the coming of Christ.

We came together as a school community to light the first candle of Advent to symbolise our theme of hope and the anticipation of Christ’s coming into our lives. As we lit this candle, we are reminded of the hopeful expectation that fills our hearts during this season of preparation. It is a time for us to reflect on the promises of God, to look forward to the joy of Christmas, and to renew our faith as we await the birth of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

Staff Faith Formation

Our staff welcomed Mr Darryl Martin, Subject Matter Expert: Mission & RE from the Armidale Catholic Schools Office last Tuesday to our staff meeting. A part of our own professional development and faith formation is to connect with the expertise of Darryl and the Spirituality Team to strengthen our own knowledge, understanding and spirituality.

Christmas Appeal

Cathedral re-opening

Altar Servers

If anyone is interested in being trained to be an Altar Server at school and weekend Mass, please contact Mrs Trish Mitchell via email: tmitchell1@arm.catholic.edu.au

HOPe Outreach

HOPe Outreach are looking for additional volunteers to join their team to assist in HOPe’s ministry to the Rural Fire Service. HOPe, will use their food truck to provide meals to fire fighters, support staff, incident controllers & evacuees in fire emergencies around the Diocese. Training in food handling and the operation of the truck is provided free of charge to volunteers.

Can you assist as a volunteer? If you are interested in joining this amazing team, or to make an enquiry about the work of HOPe, please contact Deacon Paul Manvell.

Please follow the link for more information or contact Deacon Paul Manvell - 0418 667 329