RE News
St Joseph’s Parish is blessed to host the relics of Saint Therese of Lisieux and her
parents on the 27th of March at St Joseph’s O’Connor church. Saint Therese of Lisieux had two great desires in life: to be set on fire with the love of God and to make God deeply loved. She wanted to spread this message to the ends of the earth.
Shortly after her death, at the age of 24, she was given this grace as her diary was published and she showed that anyone could come to God by simply trusting Him and relying on Him at all times. Many miracles were quickly attributed to her and she is known as the little flower because roses often appear when one finishes a novena to her and she answers the prayers of those seeking her intercession. This is not surprising, because she said she would spend her heaven doing good on earth. She will be visiting our parish with her parents, St Louis and St Zelie.
On Friday 27 March, as a school, we will visit the relics in the Church between 1:30pm - 2:45 pm. This is an opportunity to seek the intercession of Saint Therese and her parents with prayers, especially for family. We are invited to bring along roses and our intentions as we welcome the little flower and her parents. All are invited to join us in the welcome and devotions.
As we journey through Lent we are called to have a change of heart and spend more time in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. When we think of almsgiving we often think of giving physically with donations of money or food to those less fortunate than us. As a St Joseph’s community, we are currently raising money for Project Compassion.
Project Compassion
Twenty-seven-year-old, Phany lives in a village in western Cambodia. Struggling to earn a living as a farmer, she was forced to leave her daughter behind in the village, to take up construction work in the city. In 2016, Phany joined the Upholding Community Dignity Together program, run by Caritas Australia, in partnership with the Environment Protection and Development Organisation (EPDO). Phany learned new farming techniques, such as a drip irrigation system, which enabled her to get a better yield from her vegetable crops and to conserve water for drier periods.
Did you know that if each child in our school were to donate just $2 we could help set up a rice bank to feed 40 families in Cambodia?
At St Joseph’s we are working on almsgiving through acts of kindness. At school, each day classes will focus on one simple act.
Ethos and Charism
Our strategic priority to deepen our St Joseph’s identity means to deepen our understanding of our Josephite Charism. As a staff, we have been collaborating to understand what following the example of Saint Mary Mackillop looks like at St Joseph’s O’Connor. Together we have developed 4 core values of what it means to ‘Be a Joey.”
Prayer and Worship
Student Led Christian Prayer
Each Friday after the first break Year 6 lead classes in prayer.
Liturgical Season: Third Sunday of Lent, Year A
Liturgical Season Colour: Purple
This week the focus is on the Gospel: John 4:6-11, 13-19, 28-29,39-42
Jesus had been walking all morning and was tired and thirsty. He stopped to rest beside a well when a Samaritan woman came to fill her water jug at the well.
Jesus asked her, “Will you give me a drink?” The woman was very surprised because the Jews and Samaritans hated each other and rarely spoke. “Surely, sir, you are a Jew. Why should I share my water with you?” Jesus said, “If you knew me, it would be asking me for a drink, for I would give you the water of life.”
The woman was puzzled, “The well is deep and you have no bucket, so how could you reach this ‘living water’?”
Jesus said, “When you drink the water from this well, your thirst always returns. Anyone who drinks the water that I can give will never be thirsty again. This water will become a spring inside them and fill them with eternal life.”
The woman said to him, “Sir, share this water with me.” Then Jesus told the woman many things about herself that no other person knew, and she believed that he truly was the son of God.
When she told the people of the town what had happened by the well, they too, came to believe that this man was the son of God.
At home, we invite you to sing our focus song for 2020, “Be God’s” by Danielle Rose and discuss how we can Be God’s Love. You can view a version with the lyrics at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvddWibgS2E
Celebrating Liturgy and Sacraments
Term 1 Prayer Celebrations and Class Masses
Week 6
Friday 9.15am Class Mass: Year 3, Foundation Red and 4 Green
Week 7
Thursday 9.15am St Joseph’s Feast Day Whole School
Friday 9.15am Class Mass: Year 3, Foundation White and 4 Gold
Week 8
Friday 9.15am Class Mass: Year 3 and ELC Frogs
Week 9
Friday 9.15am Class Mass: Year 3 and ELC Geckos
Week 10
Monday 9.15am Palm Sunday led by 1 Purple
Wednesday 9.15am Holy Thursday led by 3 Black
Thursday 9.15am Good Friday led by 5 Orange
Sacrament Dates 2020
As we are a growing community we are asking families to help us be as prepared as possible by enrolling now. Please use the following link to enrol in Sacraments for 2020.
Reconciliation
Wednesday 11 March: 5.30-6.30pm Sacrament of Reconciliation Formation Session 1
Wednesday 18 March: 5.30-6.30pm Sacrament of Reconciliation Formation Session 2
Wednesday 1 April: Reconciliation Retreat Day
Wednesday 1 April: 6.00pm-7.00pm: Sacrament of Reconciliation
First Holy Communion
Wednesday 13 May: 5.30-6.30pm Sacrament of First Holy Communion Formation Session 1
Wednesday 27 May: 5.30-6.30pm Sacrament of First Holy Communion Formation Session 2
Friday 12 June: First Holy Communion Retreat Day
Sunday 14 June 9.00am: Sacrament of First Holy Communion
Confirmation
Wednesday 14 October: 5.30-6.30pm Sacrament of Confirmation Formation Session 1
Wednesday 21 October: 5.30-6.30pm Sacrament of Confirmation Formation Session 2
Friday 30 October: Confirmation Retreat Day
Sunday 1 November 9.00am: Sacrament of Confirmation
Yours in Christ,
Melanie Stratford
Religious Education Coordinator
melanie.stratford@cg.catholic.edu.au