Family Educator News
UPDATE: Playgroup Begins in Week 3 Term 2
Please be advised that due to a newly announced public holiday on Monday 27th April, Playgroup will recommence on Monday 4th May. We look forward to seeing you there.
Invitation to Parents:
Vinnies Bayside Van Outreach Opportunity
During the season of Lent this term, we will be organising another opportunity for parent outreach, making sandwiches for the bayside lunch service at the Eastlakes Community Centre. We will gather in the staffroom to prepare sandwiches and deliver them to the Eastlakes community centre where we will serve them to the community in need there. Last year, we made 120 sandwiches thanks to the generous donations of parents and those who came along to make and serve them. Our dates this year will be:
Tuesday 31st March/ Tuesday 27th May / Tuesday 18th August. Coordinating details will be sent out closer to the dates. In the meantime, please place your name in this form to express interest in assisting.Click Here to Register and add your name to the donation list
Lenten Reflection:
The Eucharist is an Everyday Miracle
This week we prayed the Eucharistic Prayer for the Congress, marking the beginning of our journey toward 2028 as a community. It brought to mind the beautiful words of St Thérèse of Lisieux: “Do you realise that Jesus is there in the tabernacle expressly for you, for you alone? He burns with the desire to come into your heart.”
And yet, so often we approach this miracle with distracted hearts and tired minds. We forget the wonder of what we are receiving. God knows our weakness, and in His mercy He has given the Church Eucharistic miracles...moments in history when the veil is lifted and the hidden reality becomes visible. Across 2,000 years and 22 countries, the Church has documented 142 Eucharistic miracles, each one a sign meant to awaken faith.
One of the most striking is the miracle of Lanciano, Italy. In the 8th century, during Mass, the consecrated host changed into visible human flesh and the chalice into human blood. Modern scientific studies have confirmed that the flesh is real human heart tissue and the blood is type AB, findings no one can fully explain. These signs are not given to replace faith, but to stir it back to life. If we could see the Eucharist with the eyes of heaven, how differently would we approach, and how much more deeply would it shape our lives?
This video is a short clip highlighting some of the most remarkable and scientifically studied Eucharistic miracles in the Church’s history—events that even experts cannot explain in human terms. As we continue our Lenten journey this week, I’d like to invite you to take a few minutes to watch this clip and reflect on what these miracles say about the depth of God’s love and the reality of His presence in the Eucharist.
What might God be wanting to stir or awaken in your own faith as you watch?
Read the Archbishop of Sydney's letter for Lent: Click Here
Upcoming Events:
The Archdiocese of Sydney is offering a series of online formation evenings led by lecturers from the University of Notre Dame Sydney, focusing on the Eucharist and the life of the Church. These sessions are designed not just for those already deeply involved, but for anyone who is curious, searching, or simply wanting to reconnect with the heart of the Catholic faith. Whether you haven’t thought about the Eucharist in years, feel unsure about what the Church teaches, or just want to understand the roots of our tradition in Scripture and early Christian history, these evenings offer a gentle and accessible way to explore. They’re a chance to hear from thoughtful, engaging speakers and to experience the richness of the Catholic intellectual tradition in a welcoming space.
Laura Neeson,
Family Educator