Catholic Identity 

Whole School Mass

Last Wednesday, 16th November, we celebrated our first whole school Mass since Term 2.  It was a great opportunity to gather together again and the celebration was wonderfully enhanced by our school choir. A massive thank you to Marilyn, Tina and the choir, as well as all of our readers and altar servers. Father Anton also blessed the new Sports Centre floor and our new Multicultural Garden. 

Vinnies Food and Gift Drive

We have begun our 2022 Vinnies Food and Gift Drive. Throughout Weeks 8-10, you are encouraged to bring in items to create Christmas hampers for those in our community who are struggling at this time. 

Items you may like to contribute include:

• Christmas pudding, cakes, biscuits or other treats
• Long life milk
• Custard powder
• Pasta, rice or noodles
• Cordial or juice/fruitboxes
• Preserved fruits/jams
• Tinned vegetables or fruits

We have also set up our Giving Trees for our gift drive (as part of this appeal). If you are able to, we invite you to bring in a wrapped gift. Please label the gift according to the gender it is intended for as well as the suitable age range. We encourage students to bring in their giving tree gifts on our Nativity dress-up day (see below). Gifts can be placed under the tree in the front office or in the hallway near LC3. 

We have already received some very generous donations of food and gifts. Thank you to those who have already given!

Advent 2023

On Thursday this week, we celebrated a brief liturgy to ask God to bless our Advent wreaths. It was an opportunity to prepare ourselves for Advent and reflect on the theme of waiting. 

Advent" means "Coming," and in the Gospel of Matthew (8:5-11), we find 5 forms of this seasonal word: 

1. "...a centurion CAME up..." Past tense of "come" - in Advent we recall Christ's coming as Saviour long ago. Here in this Gospel passage we see him, on earth, doing his saving work for a pagan person of authority. We learn from Jesus, who was happy to engage with a Gentile, to treat all people equally. Do we treat all people with respect? We can also learn much from this centurion: what an exemplary leader he was! Despite being in charge of 100 soldiers, he cared deeply about a grievously sick individual servant, actually coming to Jesus and pleading for his restoration to health. Do we plead for the "little ones"? 

2. "I WILL COME myself." Future tense of "come" - in Advent we recall Christ's Second Coming in glory when he will take us to where there will be no more sickness and pain. Here, it's Jesus himself speaking, and showing his willingness to heal. We learn, then, to come to Jesus with confidence in our own need, or on behalf of someone we love. Let's remember especially our Lord's eagerness to come to us when, before receiving Holy Communion, we repeat the centurion's words: "Lord, I am not worthy." 

3. "COME here!..." Imperative form of "come" - this Advent, let us heed God's command. Where does he need us to come today? 

4. ... "and he COMES..." Present tense of "come" - this Advent, let us be aware of Christ's daily coming to us. Let us be like those obedient soldiers, ready to do God's bidding on the instant! 

5. "Many WILL COME from East and west..." - and, now, the great promise of the Lord: a welcome feast for us with him in the Heavenly Kingdom! 

Come, Lord Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Advent, everyone!

Below is a variety of Advent wreaths created by our learning groups to help mark the Season of Advent at school. 

Sacramental Program 2023

It is time for us to begin turning our attention to our 2023 Sacramental program. The other week, all students from Years 2-5 received a paper note asking parents/carers to indicate their intention for sacraments in 2023. If you would like your child to receive a sacrament in 2023, please ensure this form is returned by Friday, 25th November (Week 8). If you do not have a copy of the note, please ask me for another copy. Alternatively, you can access the note below, print it out then fill it in and return it. 

To participate in the Sacramental program children must be a baptised Catholic or have been welcomed into the Catholic Church. Children may receive more than one sacrament in the school year but only if the sacrament is celebrated in a year level lower than their current year:

Year 3 - Reconciliation; 

Year 4 - Reconciliation and Eucharist, 

Year 5 - Reconciliation and Eucharist, and 

Year 6 - Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation.

The OLSC Sacramental Program includes family sacramental evenings and practices. Attendance at each relevant time is compulsory, as the program is designed to deepen the faith of all within the family. This is to allow the celebration to occur with reverence and understanding.

The following students have so far indicated that they intend on receiving sacraments in 2023. If you intend on your child receiving a sacrament next year and cannot see their name on the list, please contact me: jdini@olscwyn.catholic.edu.au 

Upcoming Catholic Identity Events...

Nativity Character Dress Up Day

On Thursday 1st December (Week 9) we will be having a "Nativity Character Dress Up Day". Students are invited to come to school dressed as a character from the story of the birth of Christ, for example Mary, Joseph, an angel, a shepherd, a Magi, even the star or donkey! On this day, we also encourage students to bring in their gift for the giving tree. 

Graduation Mass

Our 2022 Graduation Mass will take place in the OLSC Sports Centre on Thursday 15th December at 6:30pm. This will be a wonderful was to celebrate the end of our Year 6 students' primary education. All from our school community are also invited to attend the celebration.

Christmas Liturgy

To end our school year and reflect on the blessed Feast of the Nativity of  Our Lord, we will gather together as a school community on Thursday 15th December at 10am in the OLSC Sports Centre. All families are invited to attend this special Christmas liturgy.  

John Dini

Catholic Identity Leader