APRE News
….experiencing FAITH in the Mercy Tradition
Dear families,
I hope this finds you well and warm.
The feel of Winter has come upon us this week. It is always a timely reminder of those who won’t have enough warm clothing or bedding this Winter. Please consider giving to our Mini Vinnies Winter appeal. Anything clean, in good condition and warm will be very welcome. We look forward to your generous donations over the coming weeks. Please bring your donations to the office. Thanks for your support.
Given that students don’t have a Winter uniform, to stay warm, I encourage them to start wearing warmer pieces ie the girls can wear the long navy socks or tights and the boys are able to wear the long navy pants and long-sleeved formal shirt. The warmer jumper can be worn with the spray jacket over the top if needed. NAME ALL BELONGINGS as there are a number of jumpers in lost property. School Locker is also available for all uniform requirements. St Saviour's Primary - Shop By School - School Locker (theschoollocker.com.au)
Congratulations to a number of our Year 4 students who made their Confirmation last week. It was a great privilege to witness them receive such a special Sacrament that it is very closely related to their Baptism. Thanks to Bishop Ken and Fr Michael for presiding. It was wonderful to see so many of our families there.
Please join us for our School/Parish Family Mass this Sunday 26 May at 9am in St Patrick’s Cathedral. We’d love to see as many of you there as possible. Your attendance brings our community together. Children’s Liturgy will be on. This is a time when students can listen to a “child friendly” version of the Gospel and complete a related activity with adult supervision during the usual Liturgy of the Word. Thank you to Mrs Harris and Miss Logan for taking the children. This Mass will also be a time to farewell Fr Nathan who is relocating to Stanthorpe. Thank you to Fr Nathan for often celebrating Mass with our students on a Tuesday. His engaging and compassionate nature is very much appreciated and we wish him well for the move. St Joseph’s Primary in Stanthorpe will be lucky to work with you. And a third reason to come to Mass is to celebrate World Children’s Day! Pope Francis has decreed the Catholic Church's World Children's Day 25-26 May. Pope Francis has decreed the Catholic Church's first World Children's Day will occur this coming weekend. The event focus will take place in Rome on 25-26 May, but Pope Francis has called on Catholics around the globe to celebrate the day in their own diocese. His letter is addressed directly to children. He speaks of the need to pray, to pray a lot, to pray every day, because prayer connects us directly to God. In particular he asks children all over the world to pray the Our Father. He also advises that with Jesus, we can dream of the renewal of our human family and work for a more fraternal society that cares for our common home.
'This starts with little things, like saying hello to others, asking permission, begging pardon, and saying thank you. Our world will change if we all begin with these little things, without being ashamed to take small steps, one at a time,' Pope Francis said. To read more click on this link: First World Children's Day, 2024 | Francis (vatican.va)
Sunday 26 May is also National Sorry Day which leads into National Reconciliation Week 27 May – 3rd June. This is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. “Now More Than Ever #NRW2024” is a reminder to all of us that no matter what, the fight for justice and the rights of our First Nations people will – and must – continue. Take a look at Share Our Pride via the Reconciliation website to get a glimpse of how life looks from an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspective. I encourage you to continue on an awareness-raising journey, so we can all share these traditional cultures and learn about our shared history.
Biggest Morning Tea – Join us to raise funds for Cancer by donating a gold coin at our afternoon tea on Friday 31st May from 2.30pm – 3.30pm in the Mercy Centre. Thanks to our hosts, Mrs O’Brien and the Yr 6 Service Learning team.
Interested in joining the “Faith” sub-committee of our PEN? Send me an email and join me as we work together, with our students, towards engaging our community in sharing our faith and being of service to others.
Friday this week sees us celebrate a very special Feast day – Our Lady Help of Christians on 24 May. This feast day has been celebrated in Australia since 1844. Australia was the first country to have Mary Help of Christians as Patroness and her statue stands in the Chapel of the Sacred Heart in the Cathedral in Sydney.
Let us pray:
Almighty God, deepen in our hearts
our love of Mary Help of Christians.
Through her prayers and under her protection,
may the light of Christ shine over our land.
May Australia be granted harmony, justice and peace.
Grant wisdom to our leaders and integrity to our citizens.
Bless especially the men and women
of the Australian Defence Force and their families.
We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Mary Help of Christians, pray for us.
Have a great week! Thanks for reading,
Ann-Maree