Mission and Identity

Christmas Appeal
Timor-Leste Immersion 2027
Saint of the Week
Parish Praise & Worship Night
Landcare Afternoon

Christmas Appeal

For many families, Christmas brings strain rather than plenty. This year’s College Christmas Appeal takes its name from 1 Peter 4:10: 'Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace.'

Each year group is supporting a different organisation:

Years 5 & 6 – St Vincent de Paul Chatswood: non-perishable food and Christmas treats for local families and the Vinnies Van, packed into hampers by the Edmund Rice Society.
Year 7 – St Mary’s Bowraville: a toy, clothing, sports equipment or a book for a primary-aged child, labelled with age and gender (no need to wrap).
Years 8 & 9 – Mary Mac’s Place, Central Coast: staple foods such as rice, lentils, pasta, cooking oil, long-life milk and canned meals.
Year 10 – Centacare: a hamper and handwritten card personalised for a Centacare employee. Further details will come through homeroom.
Year 11 – St Michael’s Meals, Darlington: a family hamper in a reusable enviro-bag with non-perishable meals, snacks and toiletries.

Donations can be brought to homeroom on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from Week 3 to Week 6 this term. Thank you for your generosity and support.

Timor-Leste Immersion Online Meeting

Attention all students currently in Year 9 and 10.

In 2027 we are offering an immersion experience to Timor-Leste. This will take place in the July school holidays and is open for all students who will be in Year 10 or 11 in 2027.

Please join us for a parent information evening at 7:00 pm on Monday 26 October by registering your attendance here: Timor-Leste Immersion 2027 – Fill in form

Saint of the Week

On 22 October, the Church celebrates the Feast Day of Saint John Paul II. A modern saint, he served as Pope from 1978 until his death in April 2005, making his 26-year papacy one of the longest in Catholic Church history. He was also the first non-Italian Pope in 455 years.

Born and raised in Poland, John Paul II experienced the loss of both his parents before the age of 21. During the Nazi occupation in World War II, he pursued his vocation by studying for the priesthood in a secret seminary in Kraków.

Saint John Paul II is remembered for his deep love for the Church and its people, as well as his steadfast commitment to Catholic teaching and Scripture. He was also the first Pope to formally apologise for historical wrongs committed by members of the Church, including actions associated with the Crusades.

After the sudden death of Pope John Paul I, he chose the name John Paul II to honour his predecessor and continue the legacy he had little opportunity to establish.

Perhaps the most powerful lesson from his life is his example of forgiveness. In May 1981, John Paul II survived an assassination attempt and immediately forgave the man responsible, saying from his hospital bed, 'I pray for the brother who struck me, whom I have sincerely forgiven.' Two years later, he visited his attacker in prison and spoke with him privately, describing him as 'a brother whom I have forgiven.'

The attack occurred on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, and John Paul II credited the Blessed Virgin Mary with saving his life. In gratitude, he placed the bullet in the crown of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima.

His forgiveness extended even further. After years of the Pope’s appeals on his behalf, the attacker was eventually released. In 2014, he visited Saint John Paul II’s tomb and laid white roses there, a lasting reminder of the transformative power of forgiveness.

Saint John Paul II was beatified on 1 May 2011 after the verification of a miracle where a French nun was cured of Parkinson's Disease after her religious community prayed intensely to John Paul II. He was Canonised on 27 April 2014 after the verification of a second miracle, when a Costa Rican lawyer was cured of a terminal brain aneurysm. These two verified cases allowed Pope John Paul II to experience one of the fastest journeys to sainthood in modern Catholic history.

Praise and Worship

Please see information sent by the Parish for their Praise and Worship evening which is a wonderful night of prayer and song.

Landcare Afternoon

Mrs Gabby Scanlon - Assistant Principal, Mission & Identity