Religious Education 

Mary Help of Christians Feast Day 

On Tuesday 24th May the Catholic community will be celebrating the Feast Day of Mary Help of Christians which has been celebrated in Australia since 1844. 

The infant church in Australia had a special reason for turning to Mary. No priests were sent to the colony in its early days and Mass was not allowed except for one brief year until 1820. It was largely the Rosary in those early days that kept the faith alive. Catholic Australia remained faithful to Mary and was the first nation to choose her under the title Help of Christians, as principal Patroness. St Mary’s Cathedral was dedicated in her honour by the Irish pioneer priest, Fr John Therry, who arrived in Sydney in 1820 and assumed responsibility for the planning and initial construction of the Cathedral. 

When Australia became the first country to have Mary Help of Christians as Patroness, it became the first country to have a mother cathedral under the same title. In fact, the altar at St. Mary’s, with its statue of Mary Help of Christians, was erected as a memorial to Fr. Therry’s name. Traditionally, the Church has focussed on two aspects of Our Lady’s help on this feast day. Firstly, the role of Our Lady’s intercession in the fight against sin in the life of a believer. Secondly, Our Lady is one who assists Christians as a community, through her intercession, in fighting against anti-Christian forces. 

Confirmation 

Please pray for our Year Six students who are currently preparing to make the Sacrament of Confirmation. This is an important step on their faith journey as they become adult members of the Catholic Church. 

Family Masses 

Our Year 6 Family Mass is held this weekend Saturday 21st May at 5:30 pm. These Family Masses will give our students the opportunity to develop their faith and enable our families to make connections with the parishioners at Our Lady of Fatima. 

Here are the Mass dates over the year for your diary:

Year 6 Family Mass this Saturday 21st May, 2022 at 5:30pm 

Year 1 and Year 4 on Saturday 18th June, 2022 at 5:30pm

Year 3 Family Mass on Saturday 30th July, 2022 at 5:30pm

Year 2 Parish Mass on Saturday 22 October, 2022 at 5:30pm

Year 5 Family Mass Introducing Kindergarten 2023 on 26th November, 2022 at 5:30pm

We hope to see you there!

Miss Liz O'Brien | Religious Coordinator