R.E News - Assistant Principal / Mission

Socktober!

October is Missions Month. Every year O'Connor and Catholic schools across Australia focus on the work of Catholic Missions and become involved in charitable works to assist those less fortunate in a number of projects around the world. Although money raised still supports the many global projects, this year the focus is on Thailand and "The Good Shepherd Sisters in Thailand who, through their Kindergarten Centre, are bringing about generational change to some of the poorest communities in Bangkok" (Catholic Missions Website). O'Connor students have the opportunity to register for Socktober and help raise money for Catholic Missions. What's more, money raised will contribute toward house points for the House Trophy. A letter will be arriving home shortly giving details on how students can register. There will be plenty of fundraising events at school as well including the portable wheelbarrow shop staffed by our newly appointed House Captains, the annual Big Handball competition and a mufti day. RE classes will be learning about the work of Catholic Missions, the people it touches and very importantly the concept of Catholic Social Teaching. The website is really worth exploring!

Ursuline Global Project

O'Connor has a proud Ursuline tradition. As a result O'Connor will be networking with Ursuline Schools all around the world to undertake a global project. Caitlin Honeysett, one of our Youth Ministers will be helping facilitate O'Connor's involvement in this project. Caitlin gives details here;

This Friday students Heather Bassett (Year 9) and Lily Moore (year 10) will participate in the first global meeting of the Ursuline Global Education Project. This is an exciting opportunity for Ursuline schools around the world to collaborate as agents of change by promoting peace, dignity, and inclusion of all people. The core goal of this global project will be to strengthen the fraternity and care of our world.  

Over the next year, Heather and Lily will work alongside a cohort of 9 - 15 sharing passions, ideas, and creativity to formulate a school-based action plan in response to Pope Francis’ call for a more fraternal and connected world community. This Action plan will then be carried out within the O’Connor community in response to Pope Francis’ call to action. 

Taking part in the Project are around 50 schools from 18 different countries located in Asia, America, Europe and Australia.  In today’s current pandemic situation, Pope Francis urges us to come together on global education, forming an educational covenant. 

‘Amid the present health crisis – and the poverty and confusion it has caused – we believe that it is time to subscribe to a global pact on education for and with future generations. A different world is possible and we are called to learn how to build it. This will involve every aspect of our humanity, both as individuals and in our communities.’ 

Pope Francis 

Heather and Lily have been a part of the project over the last term, undertaking several smaller projects in preparation for the meeting on Friday. The Ursuline Global education project is predicted to end in October of next year. The girl’s hopes for this project are to further the influence of the Ursuline tradition within our school and to connect with the global community of Ursulines. 

October The Month of Mary

In the Catholic Church May and October are generally regarded as months to honour Mary. October 7 is the Feast of our Lady of the Rosary. This title for Mary serves as the patroness of the Armidale Diocese. Why is October the Month of Mary? Thomas Nash from Catholic Exchange explains;

Regarding the month of October, October 7 is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The Church chose that day and, apparently by extension, the month of October to honor Our Lady of the Rosary because a great victory took place on October 7. In October 1571, the Church in Europe faced a seemingly hopeless challenge. The Muslim Turks had already conquered the Middle East, slaughtering millions and forcing the survivors to convert to Islam. They then moved across the Mediterranean Sea, taking the crucial islands of Crete and Cyprus. From these islands, they set their sights on the Christian kingdoms of the central Mediterranean, threatening Sicily, Venice, and even Rome herself.

Pope Pius V called on the Christian princes of Europe to rally to defeat the Islamic threat. In addition, he called on rosary confraternities in Rome and all over Europe to undertake special processions and public recitation of the Rosary, asking the intercession of the Blessed Mother. What ensued was the famous Battle of Lepanto. The Christian fleet was far outnumbered and appeared to have no human hope of winning. On the first Sunday of October 1571, the Christian fleet met the invading Muslims off the coast of Greece in the Gulf of Lepanto.

As Christians all over Europe prayed for Our Lady’s intercession, the Turks surrounded the Christian ships. But the European fleet broke through. By days’ end, almost all of the Turks were driven to shore or drowned. Europe was saved. Pope Pius established an annual commemoration to honor Our Lady of Victory, and his successor, Gregory XIII, decreed that the first Sunday in October would be the feast of the Holy Rosary.

In summary, the decision to designate October as the month of the Rosary apparently stems from the Church’s desire to extend its thanksgiving to Our Lady for victory in the Battle of Lepanto from one Sunday to a whole month. In addition, when Our Lady appeared in Fatima in May 1917, she identified herself as Our Lady of the Rosary.

In RE classes students have been praying the Rosary, learning about this very traditional Catholic prayer. In the next newsletter, there will be more about the Rosary and indeed how to pray it.

Damian Roff

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

Year of St Joseph

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