Catholic Identity
St Mary's School Mooroopna
Mercy Prayer
We pray for the Sisters of Mercy, who established our school and for the priests who have served at St. Mary’s.
It is through their vision, determination and strong faith that we enjoy the benefits of a Catholic Education here in Mooroopna.
We are proud to be a Mercy School, where the values of love and justice are taught and lived every day.
Shrove Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday is a Christian festival celebrated in many countries across the globe. It falls on the Tuesday before the beginning of Lent – a period of around six weeks leading up to Easter. During Lent, Christians give up luxuries to remember when Jesus went into the desert for 40 days to fast and pray.
The exact date of Shrove Tuesday changes from year to year. But one thing stays the same — it’s always 47 days before Easter Sunday. And yes, you guessed it, it’s always on a Tuesday!
Shrove Tuesday has another name… Pancake Day! Traditionally during Lent, Christians would give up rich, tasty foods such as butter, eggs, sugar and fat. Shrove Tuesday was the last chance to eat them – and what better way to do so than with a delicious pancake!
The word 'Shrove' means to be cleared of one's sins by confession and penance.
Today students were asked to bring a gold coin donation for Caritas and Project Compassion.
For over 55 years, the Catholic aid agency, Caritas, has assisted the world’s most vulnerable people. Caritas work with communities to help them achieve their development goals and build a better future for all community members.
Each year, Catholic schools in the Sandhurst Diocese support the work of Caritas through Project Compassion.
Today the Project Compassion boxes will be sent home with each student. It is hoped that loose change and financial contributions will be placed in the boxes before they are returned to school by the end of Term One.
Thank you to our P&F for cooking our pancakes today while our students learnt about the importance of Shrove Tuesday in their classrooms.
Shrove Tuesday in Grade 1
Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.
Ash Wednesday signifies the beginning of the Church season of Lent - a forty day period where we are asked to reflect on our lives and make changes to become the best people we can possibly be.
During Lent, we are asked to focus on THREE main actions:
PRAYER - making prayer a part of our daily lives.
FASTING - giving up something that may be stopping us from letting our light shine.
ALMSGIVING - taking up something that will help us to live life to the fullest and be our best selves.
We will celebrate our Ash Wednesday Mass and the beginning of the Lenten season on Wednesday, 18th February at 10am in the Marian Centre. All families and friends are most welcome to join us for this celebration of the Eucharist. Grade 1/2 students will have their own Ash Wednesday Prayer Liturgy on this day and the Prep students will celebrate Ash Wednesday on Thursday, 19th February.
Cradles of Hope - Along the Track article
The latest edition of Along the Track entitled “Cradles of Hope” is attached to today’s newsletter.
The school bell has been silent for these last weeks but now it is inviting this community to gather for another year, another adventure, to more challenges. A school doesn’t work, it can’t fulfil its purpose without a community, students, parents, carers, teachers and those who make it a place of welcome, support and adventure.
Kind regards,
Ann-Margaret Carroll