Dear Parents and Friends of St Mary’s,

I want to thank all the students, staff and families for all their hard work throughout the term. We have celebrated our learning through many achievements, both big and small; I have thoroughly enjoyed watching our students overcome challenges with a growth mindset and a willingness to learn from mistakes.

Today we celebrated our Easter Story as a school, parish and wider community through song, movement and prayer. I would like to thank Sue Benc for all her hard work in preparing for this special occasion. I would also like to thank Kristen and Xavier for their time editing the final parts of our Easter story.

Have a Holy, Safe and Happy Easter, everyone.

Maria

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

TERM 1 2023

April

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
3rd	4th	5th	6th  12 pm Easter Liturgy End of Term 1 School finishes at 2:15	7th Happy Holidays!
24th Pupil Free Day - Start of Term 2	25th ANZAC DAY - Holiday	26th Term two begins for students	27th	28th

TERM TWO 2023

May

Heavenly Father, we celebrate Eater with hearts full f gratitude for our Saviour, your Son, Jesus.

We give thanks for his sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection. He provides us with the hope of eternal life.

We thank you for your mercy, love and grace, which continually guides us through life's challenges.

Help us always, to remember your love and share it with others.

May the gratitude and joy that fill sour hearts today remain with us.

We ask you this in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.

Our lovely lollypop lady - Kerryn Basset, wants to say a big "Thank You' and Happy Easter to all the students of St. Mary's Primary School,  for being so well-behaved while using the school crossing.

Religion News: Holy Week 

We began Holy Week last Sunday.

Holy week is a very sacred time of the year, it a time when we remember the last week of Jesus’ life on earth.  We remember his love and sacrifice for us. The focus of the week is the Passion (suffering) and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the events that led up to it.

Historical documents tell us that as early as the fourth century the Church celebrated this “Great Week” with a feeling of profound sanctity. 

It begins with Palm Sunday, which marks Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem.  The central feature of the Mass, as it was in the earliest times, is the procession of palms.  The palms are blessed, and then are processed into the church before Mass begins.  Another and very ancient tradition of our present Palm Sunday is the Reading of the Gospel of the Passion by three readers.

Especially, important is the Easter Triduum.  This is the three days before Easter. 

The three days of the Easter Triduum are from dusk on Holy Thursday to dusk on Good Friday (day one), dusk on Good Friday to dusk on Holy Saturday (day two), and dusk on Holy Saturday to dusk on Easter Sunday (day three). Each of those days "tells" a different part of the story of Jesus' saving action.

On Holy Thursday, we re-enact the Lord’s Supper, which he shared with his apostles on the night he was betrayed and arrested.  This is one of the most beautiful liturgies of the Liturgical year.  At the Mass, the priest will wash the feet of twelve people, just as Jesus did. 

On Good Friday, the day of the crucifixion and death of our Lord, we have the veneration of the Cross.  A service is held at three o’clock in the afternoon (the hour Jesus is believed to have died).  We go forward and kiss the cross in order to show honour and respect for Christ’s sacrifice for us all. 

Holy Saturday is the vigil.  We keep watch for the expectant rising of our Saviour.  The Service of Light begins in silence outside of the church building in the night time and there, a new fire is kindled and each member of the congregation is given a candle; a greeting, opening prayer and lighting of the Paschal Candle from the new fire then solemnly occurs.  The Paschal candle is the first candle to be lit with a flame from the sacred fire, representing the light of Christ coming into the world. This represents the risen Christ, as a symbol of light (life) dispelling darkness (death).

Everyone then processes into the Church in darkness before Mass begins.

Easter Sunday is a Mass of Celebration of the Risen Lord.

As a school we reflected today on the last week of Jesus’ life.  Our Easter Story was shared with our parents, families and our Parish Community.  Thank you for everyone support and special thankyou to the students of St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School.

May you find time during Holy Week to reflect and give thanks for the love and sacrifice of a man called Jesus.

Kind Regards

Sue Benc

Please note the Mass times for HOLY WEEK - YARRAM

LENTEN RECONCILIATION

March 28th 11:00 AM

PALM SUNDAY

April 2nd 11:00 AM

HOLY THURSDAY

April 6th 7:00 PM

GOOD FRIDAY

April 7th 3:00 PM

EASTER VIGIL

April 8th 7:00 PM

EASTER SUNDAY

April 9th 9:00 AM