Our Catholic Community
Shrove Tuesday
Tuesday was Shrove Tuesday, the last day before Lent, which is a time when people traditionally fast and avoid food containing eggs and dairy products. Families would have a feast on Shrove Tuesday, a time to eat food that contained these ingredients so that meals would not be wasted. Pancakes became associated with Shrove Tuesday because they were a dish that could use up perishable food such as eggs, fats and milk.
Students from K-10 enjoyed sharing pancakes for Shrove Tuesday, served by our fantastic Mini Vinnies Crew.
Ash Wednesday
Lent begins today with Ash Wednesday. A day on which Catholics traditionally resist eating between meals (fasting) and avoid eating meat (abstaining). Our K-10 community gathered in the hall this morning for our Ash Wednesday Liturgy.
Lent is a forty day period preparation for Easter. It reminds us of the forty-days that Jesus spent in the wilderness before he took up his ministry. During this time he fasted and prayed. Lent is a time of self-denial and prayer for us as well. During this period, we are called to focus on becoming closer to Jesus by praying a little more, doing good deeds for others, going without something we like and giving generously to others in need.
Caritas Australia's Project Compassion is a great way to give generously to others in need this Lent.
Project Compassion 2020 Go Further Together
St Philomena's Moree Fundraising Page:
Our Mini Vinnies crew kicked off St Philomena's Project Compassion Lenten Appeal by selling pancakes. We are reaching out to our community to support the work of Caritas Australia by giving generously to our fundraising appeals.
Students from K-10 have been given a donation box . We are asking for students and families to give generously by placing small spare change in the boxes and returning them to school at the end of Term 1.
On Friday the 20th of March students K-10 will walk together in solidarity with those who do not have access to clean water by participating in our Caritas K's Water Walk.
Coinciding with Harmony Day (Saturday the 21st) students will wear orange to school and bring a gold coin donation. Leading up to the Water Walk, raffle tickets will be available to purchase 1 ticket for $1 or 10 for $5, the lucky winners will be called onto the stage to cut a section of Mrs Davison's hair (which will be donated to make a wig).
Rituals for Lent
The word ‘Lent’ means ‘springtime’ and of course in the northern hemisphere, Lent occurs during, or just before Spring. It is intended to be a time of preparation for energetic growth. It is a time set aside to renew and prepare ourselves to receive the fullness of the resurrection. Yet before there can be the joy and exuberance of new life, first there must be death – death to selfishness, death to mean-spiritedness, death to anything that serves us rather than others.
To prepare our minds and hearts for the joyous celebration of new life and energy of Easter, we can use Lent as a kind-of spiritual makeover time. Personal pledges to forgo favourite foods, to fast, to give to charity and to extend our prayer time are simple and effective ways to re-orientate our hearts from selfishness towards life and love. The Stations of the Cross is an ancient prayer tradition designed to to do just this. While it can seem sombre and gloomy to meditate on Jesus’ suffering and death, the essence of this prayer is to recognise the ‘cross’ in our own lives so that we too may participate in Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Students from K-10 will participate in a role play of Stations of the Cross with ritual and prayer. Our Stations of the Cross will be in the hall on Holy Thursday, the 9th of April at 2:10pm. Parents and friends are most welcome to attend.
Sacramental Programs
Above is information regarding sacramental programs for this year. Please contact the Parish Centre (6752 2886) if you require any additional information.