Religious Education News

Project Compassion - Third Week of Lent

During the Third Week of Lent, students across the school have been exploring the story of Janice, a Wagilak woman from the Northern Territory. 

Sometimes you hear Indigenous people refer to Jesus as a ‘person of Country’. What might this mean? It is hard to imagine the Gospels without the connection of Jesus to the sea, the river, the desert, the fields and the mountain. His teaching often featured seeds and birds and sheep and corn. In Sunday’s Gospel, we hear the parable of the fig tree. The impatient person wants to cut it down. A wiser person is prepared to work with nature by putting manure on the tree and looking after it. This is a story of growth. God is creative. God is patient with us. God gives us another chance.

We have so much to learn from the depth and resilience of Australian Indigenous culture and spirituality, both of which are intimately linked to Country. This week, Project Compassion featured the story of Janice, a Wagilak woman from the Northern Territory. Janice, who lives in a remote community, is part of the DjilpinArts Aboriginal Corporation, supported by Caritas Australia. Janice is among those overcoming many obstacles to keeping their culture strong. She does this through dance. She honors the generations who have come before her and taught their community how to respect the land and live in harmony with it. Our response to Project Compassion is providing practical support for the blossoming of Indigenous culture for all future generations.

In Sunday’s reading, Moses is in the wilderness, a place of surprising possibilities. Like the Australian landscape, the wilderness in scripture is subtle; it is a place of encounter with God. Moses thinks he is having a regular day in the family business, looking after his father-in-law’s sheep. But a voice comes from a bush that is blazing without being burnt up. The voice tells Moses to take off his shoes because ‘the place on which you stand is holy ground.’ This is the beginning of the freedom story of his people, the start of their journey out of captivity. 

May our journey to the freedom God wants for us also begin with the realisation that we too are standing on Holy Ground. God calls us all to be people of Country.

Family Mass Reflection

It was wonderful to join St Mary’s for the second time in 2022 to celebrate our Family Mass on Sunday at the St Mary’s and St Joseph’s Cathedral. Fr Kingsly’s homily to students and families encouraged all to “be the Moses of your time, be the Moses of your school, and be the Moses of your family”. He reminded all that God is with us, calling us to believe in ourselves to step up and be leaders of change in an ever changing and uncertain world. 

                 WELCOME TO MASS: Leaders greet the parisioners

Thank you to the O’Connor musicians Nick Troon, Georgia MacMahon (LYM), Sophie Troon (LYM) Maya Teegee (Yr 9), Jessica MacMahon (Yr 8), Rachael Ward (Yr 7), Marisa Suluma (Yr 7) and Joachim Rice (Yr 7) contribute to the BEATitudes, and to see so many O’Connor students, teachers and families in attendance. We look forward to welcoming more families of our communities to the next Family Mass Sunday 15th May 2022 5:30pm. 

Year 10 Mass

Year 10 came together on Wednesday 16th March to celebrate Mass as a year group for the first time in 2022. 10.2 RE assisted Mr Healey and myself in preparing for the mass. Congratulations to Tara Flett, Iniana Ramage, Jenna Alkalaldeh, Manon Perrin and Georgina Schultz who lead the First Reading, Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation and Prayers of the Faithful. 

Reflection on Fr Dileep’s Homily by Mr Andrew May

The Gospel reading for today's Mass was taken from Mark's Gospel, Chapter 10, verses 32 to 45. In this reading Jesus predicts his death, and then challenges the Disciples to humble themselves and make themselves the servants of many, rather than be the masters of many. 

In his homily, Father related the Buddhist story of the boy who goes to seek wisdom from a guru (a teacher). The guru tells the boy to bring a bowl of water to him, which the boy does. The guru then pours more water into the bowl so that the water overflows. When the boy protests, the guru tells him that, like the bowl which is full of water, the boy is full of opinions. In order to gain wisdom, the boy must first empty himself of all his opinions. He has to do this by humbling himself. 

Father's homily was all about gaining wisdom by humbling ourselves. We cannot learn if we don't humble ourselves and are prepared to listen to others and accept their guidance. We are often like the boy - so full of our own opinions that we cannot (or will not) listen and learn. 

It's a great message to consider in our lives this Lent. 

A Pastoral Letter from Bishop Michael Kennedy

Miss Melita Roach

Our Founders - St Angela Merici and St John Baptiste De La Salle

Saints Mary and Joseph Cathedral Parish

Keeping in touch with what is happening in the Cathedral Parish is easy through their website and Facebook pages.

With such a difficult year and a half it has been harder for parishioner's to give to the parish through the plates, particularly when the church is closed as it is at present. The Parish account details are available on the Parish bulletin. 

Cathedral Parish Website

Information about our founders

La Salle Website

Ursuline Sisters Website