Religion and Parish News
Prayer:
Prayer for a New Bishop
God our Father, in Jesus, your Son,
You have given to your Church
The perfect model of priest, prophet and king,
And so you have blessed us through His sacrifice,
Taught us through His Word and guided us through His rule.
We ask You, Father, to guide and enlighten those
Who will be tasked with helping to choose the next bishop of our diocese.
May the man they choose be a man of deep and true prayer, a man of compassionate heart and firm resolve, and a man of joy and peace, who desires above all to do Your will.
We entrust our prayers to our Patroness, Mary, Queen of the Most High Rosary, and ask this through Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
2023 St Joseph’s Parish Sacramental Dates:
Confirmation - 9am, Sunday 4th June, 2023 at St Joseph’s Church
Final Enrolment - Saturday 13th May (6pm)
Rite 2 Reconciliation - Tuesday 30th May, 5:30pm, at St Joseph’s Church (Week 6, Term 2)
Retreat Day - Friday, 2nd June, St Xavier’s Primary School (Week 6, Term 2)
First Eucharist - 8:30am, Sunday 20th August, 2023 at St Joseph’s Church
Parent Night - Thursday 20th July, 6pm, at St Joseph’s Church (Week 1, Term 3)
Rite of Enrolment - Saturday 22nd July (6pm) OR Sunday 23rd July (8:30am), at St Joseph’s Church
Rite 2 Reconciliation - Friday 18th August, 11.45am at St Joseph’s Church, Gunnedah (Week 5, Term 3)
Retreat Day - Friday 18th August, St Xavier’s Primary School
First Reconciliation - 6pm, Tuesday 19th September, 2023 at St Joseph’s Church
Parent Night - Thursday 24th August, 6pm, at St Joseph’s Church (Week 6, Term 3)
Rite of Enrolment - Saturday 26th August (6pm) OR Sunday 27th August (8:30pm), at St Joseph’s Church
Retreat Day - Tuesday 19th September, St Xavier’s Primary School (Week 10, Term 3)
2023 Sacrament of Confirmation:
Last weekend, St Joseph’s Parish hosted the Enrolment Mass for those Year 6 students celebrating their Sacrament of Confirmation early next month. Fr Daleep, from Inverell, filled in for Fr Abmar, who was required to make an urgent (but brief) trip back to the Philippines. Fr Abmar will be back in our Parish this weekend for the final enrolment of those candidates who were unable to attend Mass this past weekend.
If any families of Confirmation candidates are available to help with cooking the Retreat Day BBQ on Friday 2nd June (approximately 11:30am-1:00pm), please register your availability by emailing mfrend@arm.catholic.edu.au or calling the St Xavier’s Office on (02) 6742 1136.
Please keep the 2023 Confirmation candidates in your prayers as they prepare to make their last Catholic Sacrament as primary school students.
2023 Catholic Schools Week
Across Week 5, the Catholic Diocese of Armidale will be celebrating Catholic Schools Week. As part of this celebration, St Xavier’s (and other schools across our diocese) will be sending some staff and student representatives to the 2023 Catholic Schools Week Mass which is being held at the Saints Mary and Joseph Cathedral in Armidale.
Parish News
Altar Server Roster for April:
Saturday 13th April (6pm): Katie & Josh Spinks, Rupert Frend
Sunday 14th April (8:30am): Abbey & Bianca Bayliss
Saturday 20th April (6pm): Katrina Martin
Sunday 21st April (8:30am): Volunteers required
To read about what’s happening in our parish, please visit this link to read the Parish Bulletin for the week starting Sunday 7th May.