APRE NEWS
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to Catholic Education Week, which is certainly being "celebrated" quite differently this year, with many of the usual larger gatherings of staff and/ or students cancelled. Knowing this, with us able to only have up to 100 people gather at St Patrick's Cathedral, Fr Michael and I came up with a plan (with much syncronising and rearranging of diaries) so that each year level was able to revisit the church in the first two weeks of this term. For most of us, it was our first church visit since Term One.
To make it more of an "occasion", and an acknowledgement of St Pat's as a "sacred space" we gathered with the students and their teachers in the sanctuary, behind the altar. There, we celebrated Mass with Yrs 4-6, Liturgy of the Word with Year 3s and Prayer Gatherings with Prep to Year 2. Each occasion was very special, with Fr Michael reinforcing the message that it is the people, that makes a place sacred, with the emphasis that St Saviour's Primary is a sacred space, because of the students, staff and families and the way we treat and care for each other.
Class gatherings at St Pat's (photo gallery)
Prayer Life of the Family
to Celebrate 175 Years of
Catholic Education in Queensland
Prayer is a way for families, communities and individuals to come together, and show solidarity and be there for each other. We lift our hearts and minds to God when we pray. Everyone can pray and one only has to have the will to pray. There are many ways we can pray alone and also with our families and communities across our Catholic communities in Queensland.
One easy example of family prayer...
Gratitude Prayer
At the dinner table, share a moment of your day that you are grateful for with another.
SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM: All students and families who are taking part in the St Pat's Sacramental Program for 2020 are now busy preparing for their First Eucharist Celebration, which will be on either Friday August 14 or Friday August 21. Please let the parish know which date you would like to attend.
Seminarian Visit: Last week we had two 4th year students from the Holy Spirit Seminary at Banyo spend a few hours with us. Dave Nightingale and Minje Kim spent time talking with students and staff about life in the seminary, why they wanted to become priests and what their life was like before they entered the seminary.
Both men engaged easily with the students and happily answered quite a barrage of questions from students who, for the most part, didn't know what a seminary was. We all thoroughly enjoyed having Dave and Minje visit and have invited them to come back if they can. We wish them all the best in their studies.
Year One Service Activity puts a smile on Fr Michael's face.
At the conclusion of their Prayer Gathering, the Year One students presented Fr Michael with 2 jigsaws for him to complete in his "spare time"...to help him relax. Of course the jigsaws had a religious theme! See photos below.
