Faith and Mission

WYD Pilgrims - Althea and Bryce: 

Ola! 

It’s Althea and Bryce and we just got back from WYD! We had an incredible transformative experience that we shared with around 1.5 million young people of the Catholic Church and we can’t wait to tell you all about it. 

Our pilgrimage kicked off in Paris, where we witnessed the body of St Vincent De Paul and the Sacre Coeur. We then moved on to Lourdes where we got the full Marian experience through the candle-lit procession and celebrated mass at the grotto where Our Lady appeared to St Bernadette. 

We then crossed through Spain and encountered 3 amazing saints, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, St Teresa of Avila and St John of the Cross. Visiting other places like Burgos and Salamanca which holds the 3rd oldest university in the world.

Then finally we reached Lisbon, Portugal where we were immersed in the greatest experience which is World Youth Day week, having met so many people from other countries and hearing Pope Francis’ message at the masses.

It was inspiring to see so many young people coming together because of a shared love for God. It was encouraging to see that the people all around us were essentially the future of the church. In a day and age where the Christian faith is challenged, World Youth Day allowed me to see that there are still so many people that are able to keep that faith in God alive. Seeing this motivates me to share that love and faith with all of you and we both hope we can use our experiences to empower the church’s future, the youth in the community, to be enriched in Christ

Going on pilgrimage, and having travelled with 5 priests we experienced mass every single day. During these reverent moments of mass is where not just me but I’m sure that all pilgrims travelling with us heard God’s voice. And just like Elijah who stood on the mountain, it was the gentle whisper that filled the ears of all the pilgrims at mass. This pilgrimage was truly transformative not just for us but for all who embarked on this journey with us, now with the things we have learned and discerned, in the words of Father Chris  “We are to witness the kingdom of God to then bring that Kingdom to our Church.”

We’d like to thank everyone that donated because without all of your generous support, we would not be able to go on this life changing journey. 

Though we went on this trip to be transformed, there is no need for a special trip like this to allow Christ into your heart, to really be the people that bring the Kingdom of God to this community. So in the words of Teresa of Avila “Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

Obrigado!

Last call for Operation Christmas Child!!

This year we are participating in 'Operation Christmas Child'. This initiative involves us packing shoe boxes full of items an underprivileged child from overseas can receive during the Christmas period. 

If your family would like to participate in this, it will require an initial cost of $12.50 through the QKR app to cover the labelling and shipping of your box. In addition, you will need to consider sourcing your own shoe box and the cost of filling up the box with items. 

Please note the close off date for purchasing through QKR cuts off on September 1 - Please get in as soon as possible to avoid disappointment!!

You will need to select through the QKR app whether you would like to fill a box for a boy or girl and their specific age group for the purpose of labelling the boxes. If you have not yet, could you please also fill in this google form to confirm your decision for cross-referencing purposes. 

As labels need to be ordered and delivered to us to place on boxes, you will need to process your selection and payment through the QKR app no later than Week 7 Term 3. The box can be returned to school, to your child’s classroom anytime until Friday Week 9 ready for delivery. 

As always, thank you for your support and generosity! 

Vinnies Winter Sleepout 

Thank you for your generosity for our Vinnie’s Winter Sleepout opoortunites for all students.  Whether it was wearing Pyjamas to school, attending an activities evening or the sleepout itself we were able to raise awareness of the plight of those in our community who are less fortunate then ourselves.

As a school we have collected a number of donations as well as over $1000 for Vinnie’s.

As always, thank you for your support and generosity!