Education in Faith News 

Shrove Tuesday 

Thanks to all parents and friends who have volunteered for Pancake Tuesday 21st February we really appreciate your help with a pancake fundraiser. 

Pancake Fundraiser for Breast Cancer Network Australia:

Tuesday Feb 21st

Cost:$2 a pancake and including a topping. 

Toppings are:

Honey, Choc chips

Maple syrup,Strawberries and cream

Butter, Sugar and Golden syrup    

Student leaders will send out a timetable and all other information  

(Reminder please bring correct change) 

What is shrove Tuesday?

Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday which is a period of time, followed by Lent, which is the 40 days that Jesus didn’t have food or water.

Why do we celebrate Lent and Shrove Tuesday?

Shrove Tuesday is the day when people went to confession to prepare themselves for Lent, which begins on the following day, Ash Wednesday

Did you know: shrove Tuesday is also known as Pancake day?

Did you also know: That it is 47 days before Easter? Time to start counting the days!

Pancakes will be $2 each including toppings. All donations will be going to the Women's Cancer Foundation

Ash Wednesday Mass 

Ash Wednesday Mass will be celebrated by the whole school community on Wed, Feb 22, 2023 in our Sacred Heart Church. All community members welcomed. 

Click here to read our Ash Wednesday Mass

Ash Wednesday did you know? 

The ash has biblical significance

The ashes used on Ash Wednesday are meant to represent dust. When receiving ashes on their foreheads, parishioners hear the words: "Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return." This is a reference what God says to Adam when exiling him from the Garden of Eden (in the Christian Bible, Adam is literally formed from dust). On Ash Wednesday, the saying is a reminder to be humble in the face of mortality.

Ashes are recycled from last Lent

The ashes used on Ash Wednesday are surprisingly eco-friendly. On Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, many churches pass out palm fronds like those used to welcome Jesus Christ to Jerusalem days before his crucifixion. Some churches save those palms to burn them and make the ashes that are applied to peoples' foreheads roughly 11 months later.

Lent Basics (The Cheat Sheet) 

Before going into all the fancy “extra” stuff you can do during Lent, I am going to list out the basics for anyone just starting out or not wanting to forget everything. These things are not necessarily required of every age or ability group, so you research further to make sure you’re meeting Lenten requirements, but you can start here. 

The first thing to understand is that Lent is its own season, it is very different in feel and observances than Easter. Easter is also a season that lasts for 50 days, but it doesn’t start until Lent is over. So I fully recommend observing Lent first, and trying some of these Lenten activities rather that going straight for the Easter stuff during Lent. Here is an article I wrote on observing Lent first and then celebrating Easter. 

• “Give Something Up”– I really prefer to call this a “Lenten Resolution” because sometimes it’s better to add extra things rather than only taking things away. I do have several posts to help you set Lenten resolutions including sacrifice ideas from the Catholic Icing community, another article with 50 thoughtful ways to fast technology, and also a sacrifice activity for small kids. 
• Meat Free Fridays! Jesus died for you on a Friday, so every Friday during Lent the Catholic church asks you to abstain from meat as a special sacrifice for him. I have a list of 25 kid friendly and normal meatless meals here. 
• Fasting– Fasting is required only for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
• Add Extra Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving– these are kinda the 3 “buzz words” of Lent. 
• Purple– the liturgical color of the season! 

Printable Lenten Calendar For Kids

This has been the most popular Lenten resource here for a decade now, so if you would like to print one, you can download yours for free here.

Listed below are dates for your 2023 diary as well as some interesting information on all things Religious Education at Sacred Heart. 

Dara Blake 

Religious Education Leader