APRE's Report
Dear Families,
It’s been another wet week across the district, but despite the rain, we were still able to come together for a beautiful school Mass in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day earlier in the week. It was a joy to see our school community gather in faith. It has also been wonderful to witness the dedication of families supporting their children on their sacramental journey by attending Mass on the weekends. Just a reminder that Children’s Liturgy takes place on Saturday nights during the first part of Mass, providing a wonderful opportunity for our young ones to engage with the Word in an age-appropriate way.
This year, it is the Jubilee Year, a special time in the Catholic Church for forgiveness, renewal, and reconciliation. The theme, “Pilgrims of Hope”, calls us to walk in faith, strengthen our connection with God, and share His love with one another and all of creation.
Jubilee Prayer of Hope
God, our loving Father
In this Jubilee year, you remind us of our call to love creation. Help us to work together to replant, repair and renew. Guide us on our journey as pilgrims of hope.
Amen
Harmony Week – Monday 17th to Sunday 23rd March
Harmony Week is a celebration that recognises our diversity and brings together Australians from all different backgrounds. It is about inclusiveness, respect, and a sense of belonging for everyone.
Project Compassion Fundraising Boxes
At the beginning of Lent, students received a Project Compassion box. If your family has donated to Project Compassion, please return your box to the office by the end of this term.
Pray for all our sisters and brothers in need throughout the world:
Act as an ambassador for justice, modelling Jesus’ message of love and compassion
Promote justice and uphold dignity;
Use your gifts and resources to stand in solidarity with those who are vulnerable.
Jesus brought the promise of home to all people so that everyone may, ‘have life and have it to the full’ (John 10:10)
Lent Reflection
Lent is not about keeping score on how well you live out your daily fasting, prayer, and almsgiving commitments. Instead, reflect on how our Lenten commitments lead us closer to our relationship with Christ. What a great message for us to share with our children!
Across the six weeks of Lent, Caritas Australia share stories of resilient people trying to ‘be more’ for their families and communities.
Second Week of Lent (Week beginning Monday 17 March)
Toefuata'iga - (Toy-foo-ah-tah-ing-ah) is a 13-year-old primary school student from Samoa. Samoa may be a country surrounded by water, but access to clean drinking water is scarce in some areas, with many families facing extreme hardship as a result.
Toefuata’iga’s school community struggled without reliable access to clean water, which impacted students’ education and hygiene. Teachers often had to leave the school to fetch water from nearby homes, disrupting lessons and adding strain to the community. When the water ran out at the school, students were sent home which meant they missed out on valuable learning time.
Thanks to the support of Caritas Australia in partnership with Caritas Samoa, Toefuata’iga’s school now has a 10,000 L water tank through a Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) program. Teachers and students are now able to focus on education and improved hygiene.
“Now that we have the water tank, things are so much better, we can stay at school all day, and I get to spend more time learning and playing with my friends. I’m happy that we don’t have to go home early anymore.” – said Toefuata'iga.
This transformative story is just one example of how Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion creates waves of change around the world.
Watch Toefuata'iga’s story here.
Will you stand with students like Toefuata'iga this Lent?
You can support Project Compassion 2025 through the donation boxes, envelopes or by scanning the QR code above.
Have a wonderful weekend!
God Bless,
Moris