Religion News:  12th October 2023

We celebrated our First Mass for Term Four with Father Antony on Tuesday.  Thank you to all our students and teachers.

World Mission Month:  In Australia, October marks World Mission Month.  It is a celebration of the global work of the Church and its dedication of missionaries, both religious and non-religious, as they reach out and support children and communities in need around the world.

‘Socktober’ provides young people in Australia with the opportunity to lead in mission, encouraging them to think not only of what they will do to help but why they do it.

Traditionally, at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, we have a Crazy Sock Day to raise awareness and money for these programs. 

On Tuesday the 24^th of October our students are invited to be part of ‘Crazy Sock Day.’ You wear them in your hair, on your feet, around your waist, around your wrist.  Colourful, not matching etc.  Children are also asked to bring a gold coin donation on that day.

Each year ‘Socktober’ focuses on a country and the focus is on assisting them to be sustainable.  This year the focus is on Timor-Leste.

One of Australia's closest neighbours, Timor-Leste is a small island republic just under 700kms from Darwin, which shares its western border with Indonesia. The country secured its independence from Indonesia in 2001, after an oppressive and violent occupation. Today, the scars still linger as the people grapple with the effects of poverty, low-quality healthcare and infrastructure, corruption and inequality. It is why the presence of missionaries like the Salesian Sisters, especially in regional parts of the country, is so important.  We can help the work of the Salesian Sisters by raising money throughout October.  Some of the ways our money can assist the work of the missionaries is listed below.

Fifty dollars can provide milk and food for children with malnutrition.

Eighty dollars can help provide life-saving medication for sick children.

One hundred and fifty dollars can help provide nutritious meals at the Children’s homes.

World Mission Sunday is on October 22, 2023. Pope Francis, in his message for World Mission Sunday 2023, reflects on the theme “Hearts on fire, feet on the move," based on the story of the disciples who encounter Jesus on their way to Emmaus (cf. Lk 24:13-35).

So let us set out once more, illumined by our encounter with the risen Lord and prompted by his Spirit.

Let us set out again with burning hearts, with our eyes open and our feet in motion.

Let us set out to make other hearts burn with the word of God, to open the eyes of others to Jesus in the Eucharist, and to invite everyone to walk together on the path of peace and salvation that God, in Christ, has bestowed upon all humanity.

Kind Regards,

Sue Benc