Family & Faith

OLF Stations of the Cross Invitation

Parents/carers are invited to pray at the Stations of the Cross here at OLF with their child(ren) who are in Years 3 - Yr 6. I will be conducting the prayer sessions and the children will be called from their classroom to join parents and carers on Burns Paddock. If it is raining the events will be postponed. 

Stations of the Cross at Sutherland Memorial Park Woronora

Thank you to the parents, carers and parishioners who were able to attend the Stations of the Cross organised by the Sutherland Shire Network of Family Educators.

It was a beautiful opportunity to come together in faith, reflection and prayer.

Here is a photo of the people who attended and a separate photo of the Sutherland Shire Family Educators (I’m one of them!) with Father Mani from Menai Parish.

We celebrated St Patrick’s Day yesterday.

Saint Patrick was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Ireland and also the author of this famous prayer. St Patrick’s Breastplate is a beautiful prayer to pray with your family. 

The Season of Lent

Why do we have Liturgical Seasons?

Among the Seasons of the Church, the great season of Lent calls us to the grace of perseverance. Modern family life is busy. The constant stream of events and activities shuttling kids around, work, parish or community commitments… It’s a constant drone that makes it difficult to maintain our focus on the things that really matter. Our Church calendar is a great antidote to the constant busyness, punctuating our year with seasons of penance and plenty, sorrow and joy.

Lent: a Season to Persevere

The word ‘lent’ means spring. At this time of year in the northern hemisphere, the food stores are running low from the dormant winter months and families grow weary of the cold days and long dark nights. As the ground begins to thaw and come back to life, a sense of quiet anticipation pervades.

Lent parallels this natural reality with a spiritual season of limited physical comfort and prayerful penance. More than any other season, Lent calls us to reconnect with our earthy reality through the tangible practices of penance, fasting and almsgiving. Although they are spiritual practices, they are experienced and expressed in and through the body.

Lent, Holy Week and Easter Videos

From Sydney Catholic Schools we are lucky to have the talented John Burland and Cheryl Fernandez who have made beautiful Faith Fun Celebration Videos on Lent, Holy Week and Easter. A wonderful opportunity to review our knowledge and understanding of the important events through song and dance during these times. 

Please click on the links.  

LENT

HOLY WEEK

EASTER

Don’t forget when buying chocolate Easter Eggs to buy slavery-free ones! 

From ACRATH (Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans)

Slavery-free chocolate is chocolate that is certified. Look for chocolate with one of the four logos below on it – Fairtrade, UTZ or Rainforest Alliance.

Read more about Slavery free chocolate here.

Fatima Friends Invitation

Come and join in the fun - Fridays at 9:10am                

Pre-schoolers, toddlers and babies along with their parents and carers are warmly invited to attend Friday Fatima Friends in the Library on Friday mornings after Prayer Assembly.

Two weeks ago we made beautiful Lenten prayer streamers and then last week we had sporty  fun on Fatima Forum. This week we will be making “Everyone Belongs” crowns to wear in celebration of Harmony Week. The official day for Harmony Day is Saturda 21st March.

I look forward to more families joining our group. See you next week!

Sunday School for Little Fatima Friends 2026

• 29 March
• 5 April – Special Easter Morning
• 26 April
• 3 May
• 31 May
• 7 June
• 28 June
• 26 July
• 2 August
• 30 August
• 6 September
• 25 October
• 1 November
• 29 November
• 6 December

Wishing all our families a harmonious week celebrating cultural diversity, respect and peace.

Tracey Bowler | Family Educator