Mini Vinnies
This week our Year 5 Mini Vinnies held their first fundraiser for the year. This wonderful group of students organised a St Patrick’s Day Lent Event where they baked sweet treats and sold them at the lunch break. We raised $290 which will go towards Project Compassion. A big congratulations to the Mini Vinnies team and thank you to all of our families for supporting this event.

Mini Vinnies is an initiative of St Vincent de Paul which empowers primary school students to become advocates within their school and local community by putting Vinnies Values into action. They meet regularly to learn about social justice issues, develop leadership skills and engage with the local community. Mini Vinnies is about young people meeting to talk, share ideas and concerns, to have fun and support each other, while doing ‘good works’ in the community to help people who are struggling. 

Journey With Jesus Retreat
Last Friday, Year 6 attended a ‘Journey with Jesus’ Faith Formation Retreat at Carroll College, Broulee. The Journey with Jesus retreat is a faith-filled experience for our Year 6 students, who combine with Year 6 students from St Bernard’s to take part in the day which is led by Luke Maher and the Carroll College Faith Ministry students. 

The retreat offered participants a peaceful environment to deepen their spirituality, explore their faith, and connect with their peers through meaningful discussions and activities. With guidance from the Carroll College students and retreat leaders, students were encouraged to reflect on their personal faith journeys. Using the symbolism of a backpack; students learnt that on a journey they need to bring many items with them to explore different obstacles and enjoy different opportunities. The day was filled with moments of prayer, contemplation, and inspiration, helping everyone take important steps in their spiritual growth. It was a powerful reminder of the importance of faith, community, and inner peace in the midst of daily challenges.

“We really enjoyed the Journey with Jesus Retreat. We got to play fun games and then in our small groups we learned about the significance and meaning of certain objects. We really liked the part where we got to write a letter to Jesus. Plus we got yummy hotdogs for lunch!”  - Abbie H and Bella S

Christian Meditation
Meditation is an important part of our prayer formation at St Mary’s Primary School. Each week, classes have dedicated time to this intentional form of prayer in their classrooms.

In 2001, Pope Francis stated: “We all need to meditate, to reflect, to find ourselves,” he said. “Especially in the voracious Western world, people seek meditation because it represents a high barrier against the daily stress and emptiness that is everywhere.”

As part of our commitment to develop opportunities for prayer and faith formation for all of our students, we provide time daily in classrooms for Christian Meditation. We hope that this provides an opportunity for students for connection, calm and community. This is not something that only occurs in the classroom, the St St Mary’s staff also start each Thursday with Staff Prayer before school.

There is a great opportunity to use this as part of your child’s daily routine. Perhaps as a calming and prayerful moment as they settle into bed in the evening as an alternative to traditional prayer routines.

This week our newest St Mary’s members began their experience with Christian Meditation and taking the chance to invite Jesus into their hearts. Well done Kinder!

Year 3 Reconciliation Retreat 
Next Wednesday, March 26, our Year 3 students will travel to Carroll College to participate in their Reconciliation Retreat Day. These opportunities to come together with their peers from St. Bernards and be guided through activities by the Carroll College Faith Formation students always result in a memorable and enriching experience. We look forward to sharing more about the retreat with you next week.

Combined Schools Mass
The Combined Schools Mass is always a highlight on our calendar each year. This year, Carroll College celebrates 30 years of service since its opening in 1995. All students and staff will travel to Carroll College on Tuesday 1 April to take part in this Mass, which will begin at 10:30am in the Carroll College Hall. We warmly invite all families, parishioners and friends to join us in celebrating this special occasion, alongside the St Bernards and Carroll College communities. 

2025 Jubilee Year of Hope

As we continue in the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, we join Catholics around the world in celebrating this sacred time of renewal and grace. Catholics have been invited to embark on a journey of faith and transformation as the Jubilee Year of Hope begins around the world. 

A Jubilee Year, proclaimed every 25 years, is a special year set aside to encourage pilgrimage, repentance and spiritual renewal. The Jubilee began on Christmas Eve, 2024, and concludes on Epiphany, 2026, marking a special period of reflection, prayer, and community.

Pope Francis has chosen the theme “Pilgrims of Hope” to remind us that, even in the face of global challenges such as war, climate change, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are called to embrace the unwavering hope of Christ. This theme encourages us to see ourselves as pilgrims on a journey—one that leads us closer to Jesus, who is both our destination and our guide.

Throughout the Jubilee, St Mary’s will engage in activities that reflect this spirit of hope and faith. Together, we will embark on a journey of prayer, service, and learning, deepening our connection to God and one another. This week a prayer card was given out to each student and staff member in the school. It was developed by the diocese as a special memento for this Jubilee year.

May this Jubilee Year fill our hearts with hope and inspire us to be beacons of Christ’s light in the world.

The Jubilee Prayer
Father in heaven, may the faith you have given us 
in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, 
and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, 
reawaken- in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom. 
May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. 
May those seeds transform from within both humanity
and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of 
a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil 
vanquished, your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, 
a yearning for the treasures of heaven. 
May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our 
Redeemer throughout the earth. 
To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever.
Amen

Mrs Jessica Afflick
Religious Education Coordinator