Happy Father's Day!

This coming Sunday is Father’s Day. It is a day to give thanks for the gift of fathers everywhere and the gift they bring to family.

God our Father, we give thanks and praise for fathers, young and old.
We pray for young fathers who are newly embracing their role.
May they find courage and perseverance to balance work, family and faith in joy and sacrifice.
We pray for fathers around the world whose children are lost and suffering.
May they know God of compassion walks with them in their sorrow.
We pray for men who are not fathers but who still mentor and guide us with fatherly advice.
We remember fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers who are no longer with us, but who continue to live in our memory, having nourished us with their love.
AMEN

Our Mother Mary’s Birthday - Friday 8 September

AND

ST MARY’S SCHOOL FEAST DAY

Next Friday we celebrate the Church feast of the birthday of the mother of God, Mary. Mary was the very first saint – the first follower of Jesus - from the moment she said “YES” to God’s request to become his mother on earth. As Jesus was dying on the cross, he made it clear that Mary is also our mother. The Bible records his last words to Mary: “When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.”  John 19:26–27. Jesus established that Mary is the heavenly mother of all of humanity to whom we can turn for help. How blessed our school is to be named St Mary’s.

On this special feast day, we give thanks for Mary (the patroness of our school and Parish).

We are all called to become saints, and so we ask Mary to pray for us that we may follow her example in better devoting our lives to God.

From MARY we learn to be…

HUMBLE – to listen to God and to surrender to God’s will and say “Yes”.

COURAGEOUS – when faced with tough times and decisions

TRUSTING - when all hope seems gone that God is with us and loves us

COMPASSIONATE - to go out of ourselves and reach out to others just as she did with Elizabeth

FAITHFUL - to love Jesus her Son and have faith that we are unconditionally loved and cherished

Our special Feast Day will begin with Mass at 9:30am. All are welcome to attend. Following Mass, the children will join together in stage groups to participate in a number of special activities to celebrate and honour Mary.

The children are asked to wear BLUE clothing to school next Friday.