Catholic Identity
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.
Term 3 Week 8 - Catholic Identity Newsletter
NEW NEWS!
Season of Creation
The Season of Creation begins on September 1st, which is the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and ends on October 4th, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology beloved by many Christian denominations.
The theme for this year’s Season of Creation is, “Let Justice and Peace Flow.”
The Season of Creation is a time set aside each year to focus on God’s gift of creation and our responsibility to care for it, our common home.
Please see the Season of Creation Prayer attached below.
During this year’s Season of Creation, focus on looking after one aspect of our environment that will help make a difference to the future of our planet!
No matter how small your action, “from little things, big things grow!”
NEW NEWS!
The Birthday of Mary - Friday, September 8th.
The birthday of Mary, also known as the Feast of the Nativity of Mary, is celebrated on Friday, 8th September.
Mary was Jesus’ mother, and the Feast of the Nativity of Mary has special significance in Christianity, as the birth of Mary prepares the path for the birth of Jesus. The celebration of Mary’s birthday makes her feast day different to that of other saints. Normally, Catholic Christians celebrate feast days on the day that saints died.
A whole school Mass for Mary’s birthday will be celebrated on Friday, 8th September at 9.45am in the Marian Centre. Families are most welcome to join us on this day. The students will lead the readings and singing at this Mass. Each class will make some flowers that will become a part of the prayer focus at this Mass. These will be carried forward in the Entrance Procession by a representative from each class.
NEW NEWS!
Scripture Religious Education Professional Development.
On Friday, 25th August, staff gathered in the Marian Centre to attend a Scripture Professional Development Day led by David Walker and Colleen Hampson from the Catholic Identity Team at Catholic Education Sandhurst Ltd.
Staff focussed on the Christmas story, as presented in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, in readiness for our Term Four Religious Education units of work. We looked at the symbols and traditions of the Season of Advent (the four weeks before Christmas) and the Christmas Indigenous ritual of using a coolamon as a symbol of the Nativity and waiting for the birth of Jesus.
We learnt about some of the Jewish laws regarding kosher foods, their origins in the bible and how these relate to teaching Scripture in the classroom.
Staff also updated our “Godly Play” resources. It was a very informative and productive day!
NEW NEWS!
The Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated in Term Four for some of our Grade Six students. A date is to be decided upon shortly for the celebration of this important final Sacrament of Initiation and families of those enrolled will be contacted regarding further details.
A Parent Information Night for the Sacrament of Confirmation candidates will be held next term on Tuesday, 10th October at 7pm in the Marian Centre. A representative from all families involved in the preparation for this sacrament need to attend.
New News!
Sacrament of First Eucharist.
Congratulations to the following students who celebrated the Sacrament of First Eucharist recently:
Olivia McCabe, Bella Walsh, Dakota McCabe, Julian Mandaradoni, Cristina La Gamba, Jensen Ferrari, Tyler Irwin, Isaac Lagana and Will Ryan.
Important dates:
Friday, 8th September - Feast of Mary’s Birthday - Whole School Mass at 9:45am in the Marian Centre.
Tuesday, 10th October - Sacrament of Confirmation Parent Information Evening at 7pm in the Marian Centre.
With thanks,
Michelle Hicks