RE News with Laura Matchett

RE Newsletter Term 1 Week 9

Easter Prayer Reflection

My transforming Lord, help me to cling to You in Your Resurrection.  Help me to let you transform every cross and burden in my life into joy.  Lord, may Your joy fill my life and be my strength in all things.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Source: https://catholic-dailyreflectionscom/2022/04/16happyeaster-2/ 

Project Compassion

Today was the final day of donating to our Project Compassion fundraiser. Project Compassion is a majorfund raisingg  campaign for Caritas Australia. Caritas Australia has worked hand in hand with the most marginalised and remote communities in Australia and overseas to confront the challenges of poverty for over 60 years. Thank you to everyone who was able to contribute money to this worthy cause. The winners of our Easter Egg Guessing Competition will be announced after our Easter Sunday Prayer Celebration on Tuesday 2nd April.

School Masses

As a school, we regularly attend the Wednesday morning 9:30 am Mass at St John Vianney’s Church. The choir sings at this Mass and sometimes our students have a role in other parts of the celebration. Parents and friends of our school are welcome to join us alongside parishioners at this Mass. Dates the school will be attending Mass term and next term are as follows:

Term 1 Week 11 - Monday 8th April: Annunciation Feast Day Mass, 9:30am, St Jude’s Church (Years 3-6)

Term 2 Week 2 - Wednesday 8th May: Parish Mass, 9:30am (led by 5/6J)

Term 2 Week 7 - Wednesday 12th June: Parish Mass, 9:30am (led by 5/6P)

Term 2 Week 9 - Wednesday 26th June: Parish Mass, 9:30am (led by Year 2)

Prayer Celebrations

Our students lead our school in Prayer Celebrations marking significant events in both our religious and secular community. Prayer Celebrations which will occur this term and next term are:

Term 1 Week 10 - Tuesday 2nd April: Easter Sunday, 2:40pm (led by Kindergarten)

Term 2 Week 1 - Friday 3rd May: ANZAC Day, 2:40pm (led by Year 4)

Term 2 Week 4 - Friday 24th May: Reconciliation Week, 2:40pm (led by Year 2)

Prayer Celebrations are held in our hall and all parents and friends of our school are welcome to attend.

Our Lady of the Annunciation Feast Day

You should have received a notification on Compass about our upcoming excursion to St Jude’s to jointly celebrate the Parish feast day of Our Lady of the Annunciation on Monday 8th April. We will be travelling to and from St Jude’s by bus in the morning, with Years 3-6 arriving shortly before 9:30am for Mass at St Jude’s Church, while Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 will arrive shortly before 10am for a Prayer Celebration in the St Jude’s school hall. After this, everyone will be coming together to eat lunch (please send your child to school with lunch boxes and water bottles as usual) then enjoy some shared play time. Students will then participate in some buddy activities and return to school by 1pm.

Parents and friends are welcome to join us for either the Mass at 9:30am or the Prayer Celebration at 10am. We are looking forward to spending some time with our friends at St Jude’s to celebrate this wonderful feast day.

First Eucharist 2024

A reminder for parents who would like their child to receive the Sacrament of First Eucharist this year that there is a Reflection Evening on Tuesday 9th April at 5:30pm at St John Vianney’s Church. Registrations for First Eucharist will close on Wednesday 10th April and can be made through the Parish QKR! Account. Please contact the Parish Sacramental team via email: SacramentalOLA@cg.org.au  with any questions.

Sacraments 2024

Registrations for First Eucharist and Confirmation for 2024 are open and we encourage families who would like their child to receive these Sacraments this year to register as soon as possible via the Parish QKR! account. It is possible to receive more than one Sacrament in the same year, however, the Sacraments usually need to made in order (i.e. Reconciliation, followed by First Eucharist, then Confirmation). These questions and other general enquiries about the Sacramental program are best directed to the Parish Office via email: SacramentalOLA@cg.org.au 

Eligibility for each Sacrament is as follows:

Reconciliation - open to students who have been baptised Catholic and who are in Year 3 or above.

First Eucharist - open to baptised Catholic students who have made their Reconciliation and are in Year 4 or above.

Confirmation - open to baptised Catholic students who have received their First Eucharist and who are in Year 6 or above.

Key dates for each Sacrament are as follows:

First Eucharist

Tuesday 9th April: Reflection Hour, 5:30pm, St John Vianney’s Church

Wednesday 10th April: First Eucharist registrations close

Tuesday 21st May: Reflection Hour, 5:30pm, St John Vianney’s Church

Tuesday 28th May: Reflection Hour, 5:30pm, St John Vianney’s Church

Saturday 1st June/Sunday 2nd June: Gathering Masses

Tuesday 4th June: Reflection Hour, 5:30pm, St John Vianney’s Church

Saturday 15th June: Sacrament of First Eucharist, 5pm, St Jude’s Church

Sunday 16th June: Sacrament of First Eucharist, 9am, St John Vianney’s Church

Confirmation

Saturday 1st June/Sunday 2nd June: Gathering Masses

Tuesday 2nd July: Reflection Hour, 5:30pm, St John Vianney’s Church

Tuesday 23rd July: Reflection Hour, 5:30pm, St John Vianney’s Church

Wednesday 24th July: Confirmation registrations close

Tuesday 30th July: Reflection Hour, 5:30pm, St John Vianney’s Church

Tuesday 6th August: Reflection Hour, 5:30pm, St John Vianney’s Church

Saturday 24th August/Sunday 25th August: Gathering Masses

Tuesday 27th August: Reflection Hour/Preparation Hour, 5:30pm, St John Vianney’s Church

Wednesday 28th August: Sacrament of Confirmation, 6pm, St John Vianney’s Church, (celebrated by Father Richard Thompson)