Religious 

Education News

Sacrament of Confirmation

On Friday, 29th August, Year six students from St Francis Xavier will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. Confirmation is the second of the three sacraments of Initiation. This sacrament completes Baptism, where we are confirmed with the fullness of the Holy Spirit. 

The Year six students have been preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation through sessions with Father Richard, and have taken part in a Confirmation Reflection Day. We ask that you please keep these students in your prayers. 

2025 Winter Sleepout

A Community Sleepout is an experiential event where participants are given nothing more than a piece of cardboard, a cup of soup and a slice of bread for dinner, braving the cold for one night while learning about the harsh realities faced by people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage.

On Tuesday, 26th August, our St Francis Xavier community took part in the Winter Sleepout to deepen our understanding of homelessness and raise awareness for those who are ‘doing it tough’. The evening began with a prayer led by Father Richard, followed by a guest talk from Mark from St Vincent de Paul. The students and father figures then begin their experience of ‘homelessness,’ building shelters from cardboard boxes and sharing a simple meal of soup and bread.

Together, our community also reflected on the statistics and realities of homelessness. More than 122,000 Australians are without a home each night, a reminder of the importance of compassion and action.

On behalf of St Francis Xavier, we extend our gratitude to all the father figures who joined us on the evening. We look forward to another meaningful and successful Sleepout in 2026.

Father's Day breakfast and prayer service

On Sunday 7th September, we celebrate our fathers, grandfathers, uncles and fatherly figures in our lives. We acknowledge fatherhood, paternal bonds and the efforts they put towards their families and society. We also think of Saint Joseph, Jesus’ Father, who models faithful fatherhood. 

The students at St Francis Xavier are looking forward to creating something special for all our father figures at St Francis Xavier on Friday, 5th September. The morning will commence at 8am on the PRIMARY playground with breakfast served by K-2 teachers, followed by a prayer service prepared by Years 3-6. 

We look forward to this special occasion! 

‘God took the strength of a mountain,

the majesty of a tree, 

the warmth of a summer sun, 

the calm of a quiet sea, 

the generous soul of nature, 

the comforting arm of night, 

the wisdom of the ages, 

the power of the eagle’s flight, 

the joy of a morning in spring,

 the faith of a mustard seed, 

the patience of eternity,

 the depth of a family need, 

Then God combined these qualities 

When there was nothing more to add, 

He knew His masterpiece was complete, 

And so, He called it … Dad’

R U OK Day & Charitable Works Fund - Thursday 11th September

On Thursday, 11th of September, St Francis Xavier will be acknowledging R U OK Day. R U OK Day is a national day of action held annually on the second Thursday of September. IResearch has shown that those who are regularly asked ‘are you OK?’ report increased feelings of wellbeing !

To recognise this event, we will commence the day with a prayer service, followed by R U OK Day themed activities in the classroom. Students are allowed to wear mufti in support of R U OK? Day and are also asked to bring a gold coin donation to simultaneously support the Charitable Works Fund.

Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney in partnership with Sydney Catholic Schools, is calling all schools to host a Fundraiser for our major Archdiocese charity, the Charitable Works Fund (CWF), in the spirit of St Mary Mackillop. The Charitable Works Fund (CWF) is an annual Archdiocese charity, serving families and those most in need across our Sydney community.

Wear mufti, show you care, and help us support those who need it most!