Our Faith - Religion - Prayer
St Patrick's Church Walcha
For Baptism or Marriage enquiries phone Monsignor Ted Wilkes 67784070.
Monsignor Ted Wilkes would like to invite parishioners to Sunday Mass 10am.
Covid-19 restrictions for Mass are in place.
Sacrament Dates for 2021
2021 First Reconciliation Year 2 Catholic Students - A date to be confirmed in Term 4.
2021 Confirmation for our Catholic students in Year 5/6 will take place on Sunday 7th November 2021 10am Mass in St Patrick's Church.
Bishop Michael Kennedy Visit (TBC - COVID restrictions)
On Friday the 5th November Bishop Michael Kennedy will visit St Patrick's School to meet with the candidates for Confirmation. We are looking forward to his visit in November.
CONFIRMATION
On Sunday 7th November Campbell Smith & Elizabeth (Ellie) Hoy will be Confirmed at the Parish Mass. Bishop Michael Kennedy will confirm our two candidates. Please keep the children in your prayers.
OCTOBER - World Mission Month
In Australia and around the world, October marks World Mission Month, a celebration of the global work of the Church and the dedication of missionaries, both religious and lay, as they reach out and support children and communities in need around the world.
We are all challenged to be missionary disciples and to put our faith into action, and World Mission Month is a time of special focus on this in schools across the Armidale diocese.
A special video Catholic Mission has created in recognition of WMM 2021. It is a short, uplifting, reminder of the amazing work of our Church, and the call of all the baptised to mission.
You can watch it on youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8h8HXNBskc
Diary Dates for your calendar,
- World Mission Sunday is October 24th
- Children’s Mission Day is Wednesday October 27th
Each year in October we participate in fundraising for Catholic Mission. Catholic Mission is a fundraising aid agency for Pope Francis. This year funds raised will be going to support the development of a Kindergarten Centre in Thailand with the Good Shepherd Sisters in Bangkok.
Our Mini Vinnies students are currently planning some fun activities to enjoy during Mission Month, we are looking forward to hearing about these events next week.
Plenary Council - General Assembly at last!
The First General Assembly of the 5th Plenary Council of the Church in Australia is under way, a year later than first envisaged. Most of the 280 members are attending by virtual means. This phase lasts only one week, till 10 October. Our Diocese’s Plenary Council members are Bishop Michael Kennedy, Monsignor Ted Wilkes VG, Ms Alison Hamilton of Somerton and Mr John Bishton of Bingara. You can learn more about the Plenary Council here.
Our Lady of the Rosary - 7th October
The Diocese of Armidale has as its patron Mary the mother of Jesus under the title Our Lady of the Rosary. The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated each year on 7th October.
The month of October is dedicated to Mary, our Lady of the Rosary. The Rosary is often the go-to prayer for groups and families, young children can take turns at leading the Hail Mary and the Lord’s Prayer.
The Rosary is useful for other reasons too:
- It suits beginners as well as experienced rosary prayers, since you don’t need to know all the traditional prayers, which can be read out.
- There is no creativity involved, no thought required except for a gentle calling to mind of the mystery being prayed.
- It is a vocal as well as a mental and contemplative prayer. It can be spoken or sung, it suits people at any level of prayer and who are comfortable with very different ways of praying.
- It engages the senses. It includes visual, auditory and tactile elements; the images you call to mind or look at in a booklet or on a screen, or statues, the sounds of the prayers, and the counting off of the beads.
“The rosary is a contemplative and Christ-centred prayer, inseparable from meditation of the Sacred Scripture. It is the prayer of the Christian who advances in the pilgrimage of faith, following Jesus, preceded by Mary,” Pope Benedict XVI.
PRAYER
Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death
Catherine McAuley
A quote from the writings of Catherine McAuley -
You should remember that not to advance is to go back, and reflect each day what you can do more to attract God's love and friendship than you did the day before.
Catherine McAuley
