Liturgy

Community Liturgy

Thanks to all the students who volunteered to prepare today’s Community Liturgy.

Change of day next week

Next week, Community Liturgy will be celebrated on Thursday 30 July, and will be prepared by Loyola House for the feast of Saint Ignatius. It is appropriate that, to help us celebrate this important feast, we have a Jesuit guest presider, Fr Tom Scirghi. Students and families from Loyola House are especially encouraged to attend – and everyone is always welcome at our Community Liturgy. Mass begins at 8:00am and finishes at 8:30am. (Please note that Mass will be on Thursday instead of Friday – as Secondary will be off-campus for the Kevin King Cup.)

Friday 7 August, instead of Community Mass, the whole College will gather in the St Louis Sport Centre to celebrate John XXIII Day. Parents are welcome to attend. Mass begins at 9:00am.

SACRAMENT PROGRAM

Phase-4 – Important update for students in Years 3 and 4

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe has advised that “the celebration of First Reconciliation (school-aged children) and First Holy Communion (school-aged children) may recommence.” When the Phase-5 Roadmap is adopted there will be further updates from the archdiocese. The Archbishop’s statements may be viewed here.

What does this mean for my child in Year 3 or 4?

The students have completed the required units of work in the Religion curriculum and have received certificates so they may be enrolled in parish sacrament programs.

My parish is not offering a sacrament program yet.

Each parish within the archdiocese is a unique community, responding to the pastoral needs within the parish.

I have a child in Year 6: will there be Confirmation this year?

The Archbishop has advised “Confirmation (school-aged children) remains temporarily suspended.” You are advised to enroll in your parish, pending further easing of restrictions

I need more information; where can I get it?

See below for updates provided by some of our ‘local’ parishes;
If your nearest parish is not listed, search the Archdiocesan website;
Check the information available on the College website.
Contact Mary-Anne Lumley mary-anne.lumley@cew.edu.au on 08 9383 0513.

Updates from local parishes

STAR OF THE SEA, COTTESLOE

First Communion 2 August 10:00am

Contact: cottesloe@perthcatholic.org.au

SAINT THOMAS APOSTLE, CLAREMONT

First Communion 30 August 9:30am

Reconciliation 4 & 5 November, 3:30-4:30pm

Contact: silvia.kinder@cewa.edu.au

OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY, DOUBLEVIEW

Dates for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion will be available early in Term 3.

Contact: Kaye Shervington, doubleview@perthcatholic.org.au

OUR LADY OF GRACE, NORTH BEACH

Reconciliation 27 October

Contact: Sheralee Allen, north.beach@perthcatholic.org.au

IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, SCARBOROUGH

Reconciliation To be advised

First Communion 23 August

Contact: Fr Grant Goddard, scarborough@perthcatholic.org.au 08 9341 1124

SAINT CECILIA, FLOREAT

Contact: Rita Morgan, floreat@perthcatholic.org.au

ST JOSEPH, SUBIACO

Contact: sacraments@stjosephssubiaco.org.au

HOLY SPIRIT, CITY BEACH

Reconciliation 22 August

First Communion 29 & 30 August

Contact: delattrecn@yahoo.fr or phone Parish Priest, Fr Emmanual-tv Dimobi, 08 93413131.

GOOD NEWS for Families

The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network addresses the challenges facing humanity and assists the mission of the Church.

For the month of July, Pope Francis invites the whole Church to pray for families. Pope Francis’ prayer is: We pray that today's families may be accompanied with love, respect and guidance. The short video can be accessed here.

Australian Jesuit theologian and Media Officer for Jesuit Social Services, Fr Andy Hamilton, has given us the following reflection to accompany the Pope’s prayer intention.

This year many families are doing it hard. Refugee families struggle to live day by day. Others are continually anxious about a roof over their head and where the next meal will come from. Others worry about how to pay mortgages, school fees and other expenses. And the many pressures under which families live will surely affect their relationships with one another.

Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month is well timed. It is significant that he does not pray directly for families, but prays that they may be accompanied. This suggests that families cannot do it alone, but need support in their living. They do not want people to tell them how they should live, nor people to criticise them for their failures, nor people to fuss over them. He prays they will find companions: people who will share a cuppa with them, listen, muck in when they want to do something together, share their happiness, their grief, and the mess of their lives without judgment. Pope Francis surely includes priests and religious among these potential companions, but whatever their status, companions are to be people who walk with them and eat with them.

He spells out further what families might hope for from their companions. Companions are led by love. Love has hopes but not expectations, can withdraw but will not depart, and prefers to smile rather than frown, to eat in the kitchen rather than in the dining room, to dress casually rather than formally. To accompany is to be a friend.

Families might also hope for respect. Love, of course, naturally shows respect. But the respect that we show to people we accompany has a special flavour. Frustration and anxiety can often lead people who are frustrated and anxious to speak and act disrespectfully to one another. Words are said and actions taken that leave wounds and feed further disrespect. To be able to rely on someone who is always respectful to each person in the family, can listen without taking sides, and makes peace not war, is very precious. Such a companion can soothe tensions and model a good way of living.

Finally companions can offer guidance that has a chance of being accepted, because it comes from a friend. Guidance shows a way forward, sometimes by talking about it but more often indirectly through casual conversation and by a way of being present. It is about showing and not telling.

Accompaniment expresses well the relationship between Jesuit Social Services and the people for whom it works. Its programs focus on building sustained relationships with vulnerable people that in turn help them negotiate the relationships in their own lives.

It is a privilege to have a companion in hard times. That is why Pope Francis prays that families will find one. It is also a privilege to be a companion. At the end of Pope Francis, intention, one question is left hanging. Who will be a companion if I won’t?