Our Catholic Identity

St Francis of Asissi Awards 2020

Last Friday, at our school prayer and assembly, we celebrated the feast of St. Francis of Assisi (1182–1226). Students and staff not only celebrated the life of St Francis but acknowledged the important work of tending to our small patch of God’s creation we know as St Joseph’s.

Francis of Assisi is well known for his love of nature. Pope John Paul II named him the Patron Saint of Ecology in 1979. Pope Francis’ encyclical about caring for our common home was titled Laudato Si meaning “praise be to you,” a phrase which Francis used repeatedly in his Canticle of the Creatures.

Father Richard Rohr OFM, is a Franciscan Priest and writes,

Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of ecology, animals, non-violence, and peacemaking—because he understood that the entire circle of life has a Great Lover at the center of it all. In Francis’ world, the sun, moon, animals, plants, and elements are all shown reverence and even personal subjectivity as “brother” and “sister.” He refused to exclude anything. He went to the edge, to the bottom; he kissed the leper, he loved the poor, he wore patches on the outside of his habit so everybody would know that’s what he was like on the inside. He didn’t hide from his shadow. He wasn’t an intellectual; he didn’t begin with universal philosophies and ideas and abstractions. For Francis, there was one world and it was all sacred. 

In the spirit of St Francis, the following students and teacher were presented with the St Francis of Assisi Award for their care of God’s creation at St Joseph’s:

I invite you to read and prayer the Prayer of St Francis with your children.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

Catholic Mission Month 2020 - October School Fundraiser

This year’s World Mission Month experience provides an opportunity for us to focus on the 'exchange of gifts ' that takes place on the margins. Catholic Mission receives our financial assistance to support initiatives that promote human dignity and our participation in outreach presents valuable lessons in resilience and compassion and reminds us that we are part of a global Catholic community. A project focused on 'the other' during this time can bring wellbeing benefits for our communities.

Jesus calls us at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Bulli to be ‘Mission People’. On Thursday 29 October we as a school community will participate in a crazy sock, gold coin donation ‘Sock it to Poverty’ Fundraising day. Together we can make a difference through compassionate action and loving service. Teachers will provide opportunities for students to focus on World Mission Month during their Religious Education lessons.

Ripples

Paige Bullen is the Community Engagement Coordinator at Grief Care, in Sydney. She is passionate about Visual Arts as a way of embodying and expressing difficult to describe experiences. Paige has witnessed and experienced its potential to foster a sense of wellbeing and community, even amidst life's pain. In this Episode Paige generously shares moving stories from her own life and from her experiences with others and creative elements. She reveals the gift of art, the way in which the Spirit speaks to us deeply through this medium and the way it has the capacity to embody, restore and transform us.

"Creativity is life-giving, it's vital."

Paige Bullen 

Sacramental  Program for 2020

First Holy Communion 

Our thoughts and prayers are with all the other Yr 3 students as they prepare to make the Sacrament in November.  God Bless!

First Holy Communion Mass Booking/Registration

Candidates and their parents have been registered for these masses. A reminder that additional bookings enquiries need to be made via the Parish Office on 42 84 3000. Please be aware of the limit of 60 at each mass due to restrictions.

Sacrament of Confirmation Change of Date

Thank you to all who have booked and finalised payment.  

It is with regret that Father Patrick has had to change one of the dates for Confirmation. The Confirmation Liturgy that was to be held on Monday 2 November will now be held on Tuesday 10 November at 7:00 pm. All previous bookings for 2 November have automatically been transferred to the new date. If you have any inquiries please contact the parish office.

The other two dates and bookings remain the same but please note the change of time to 7:00 pm for both Tuesday 3 November and Wednesday 4 November.