As mentioned in the last issue of the newsletter, we have been doing class liturgies in place of Masses this term. The first one was with Year 4/5 Bello on Friday 21^st August. It was truly beautiful to be with the students in one of their safe places: their class. The liturgy revolved around the Parable of the Good Samaritan; unpacking the attributes we need to develop in ourselves in order to “see a need and do something about it”.

WORLD REFUGEE DAY

I draw your attention to World Refugee Day on the 26^th August. A refugee is any person who is too afraid to live in their own country because they are persecuted for the colour of their skin, for what they believe, for their nationality, for what they think and, because of this fear, feel too scared to return.

As followers of Jesus, we pray that we

• educate ourselves and others about the plight of refugees around the world
• understand the challenges that refugees face
• celebrate the contribution that refugees make to our communities
• welcome refugees and create a safe environment for them
• act with commitment and compassion to make a difference in the lives of refugees
• reflect on what services are provided and consider what else could be done to help refugees

We stand together with all those who have no country, no home, and no hope of a future. 

WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR CARE OF CREATION

As winter slowly approaches its end, we approach the celebration World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation on the first day of Spring. During this time, I invite you to focus on the Creator and the created world, and our prayerful response to the ongoing work of creation. Caring for creation means just that - caring for all the created world, people and nature. There is no conflict between caring for the earth and caring for the poor: to care for the earth is to care for the poor. The sustainable use of water and oceans, agricultural land and forests is the only way to protect the rights of vulnerable people and future generations. Scientists call for long term planning rather than short term profits. Long term visioning and planning calls for patience. In the larger scheme of creation, we know how the universe is immensely old and its evolution and ongoing existence more complicated than we have yet imagined. The earth is patient, the universe is patient, God is patient: we too must be in tune with our God, with our universe, with our earth, with life and nature around us.

SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM

Current Candidates: Please be on the lookout for an email from Sr Jasmine Lawrence.

The Application Form for the new sacramental program is now available. A hard copy of the application form can be obtained from the school Admin office, or is available to download by clicking the link here.

Many blessings

Christine Farrugia

APRIM St Joseph’s School | Kingswood