Faith and Mission News – 9 February 2023

College Opening Mass

On Tuesday 21 February, the College will celebrate its Opening Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral with Bishop Shane Mackinlay and our priests, Father Brian Boyle, Father DJ Sugitan and Father Junray Rayna. As a community of faith in the Mercy tradition, the Opening Mass focuses on our College identity, launches our theme for the year and marks the official beginning of our academic year. 

All students from our Coolock Campus and our Year 12 students will be attending the Opening Mass. Coolock students will travel by bus to Sacred Heart Cathedral. St Mary’s students will walk to the Cathedral accompanied by staff. A wonderful tradition of the College is for students from Year 7 and Year 12 to process into the Cathedral together prior to the entrance of the clergy symbolising the journey from beginning to end of their time at Catherine McAuley College. 

At the Opening Mass, the 2023 College theme will be announced. At every major College occasion this year, the theme will be referred to. It is hoped too, that in Veritas and the senior years’ Religious Education program, that students will become familiar with the theme and study how it can be an anchor and a map for their own growth throughout the year. 

Shrove Tuesday 21 February

Shrove Tuesday has an interesting tradition. It comes from the word ‘shrive’, which means to give absolution after hearing confession. So Shrove Tuesday is the day when people went to confession to prepare themselves for Lent, which begins on the following day, Ash Wednesday.It was the last chance for a spot of indulgence before forty days of fasting, and also an opportunity to use up food that couldn’t be eaten during Lent. This included eggs, fat and milk, which were made into pancakes and eaten on that day. This is where the term ‘mardi gras’ derived – “fat Tuesday”. 

To recognise this day of ‘indulgence’, a few lucky Year 10 and Year 11 students will gather in the Mall to launch Project Compassion and perhaps enjoy some pancakes too!

Project Compassion, themed “For all future generations” in 2023, is our major fundraiser for Term 1. We are aiming to raise significant funds for Caritas at our Caritas Ks day on the last day of term. Details about the structure of the last day of term will be published closer to the date. 

Ash Wednesday 22 February

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent – a period of time where we can reflect on our lives, focus on the needs of others and demonstrate a commitment to being less materialistic. This period of time acknowledges Jesus’ forty days in the ‘desert’ – that place where he wrestled with the very human emotions that we all encounter. We too can learn from the desert experience of Jesus to focus on those aspects of our lives that we know need to be pruned, nurtured, tended. Lent concludes with the most important celebration in our Church calendar – Easter. 

On Ash Wednesday, we mark ourselves with ashes derived from the palms from the previous Palm Sunday. The wearing of ashes was a sign to others that the relationship between God and the person was in need of repair. We know in our own lives that relationships require continuous work otherwise they deteriorate. It is no different in our relationship with God. It requires work and care if it is to flourish. Let’s make this Lent a time to develop our relationships with one another and with our God. 

Mercy Works Update

Mercy Day last year was a fantastic opportunity for our students to focus on how Mercy supports vulnerable communities in our region. In their most recent newsletter, Mercy Works congratulated Catherine McAuley College on its outstanding fundraising achievements.

A special congratulations to the extraordinary efforts of our TOP 3 SECONDARY SCHOOL FUNDRAISERS for 2022: Catherine McAuley College, Bendigo, VIC ($17,494), Mount Lilydale Mercy College, VIC ($16,234) and Santa Maria College, Melville, WA ($15,000) and our TOP 3 PRIMARY SCHOOL FUNDRAISERS:  St Michael’s, Baulkham Hills, NSW ($11,822), St Keiran’s Catholic Primary School, Tuart Hill, WA ($3,700) and Padbury Catholic Primary School, Padbury, WA ($2,846)!!!

Congratulations again to our amazing students, staff and families for their contribution to this great cause!

Mr Michael Goss, Director of Faith and Mission