Welcome back to the final term of the year. I hope you all had an enjoyable break. This week at Holy Spirit we value mercy. Mercy is all about a combination of compassion and forgiveness. In fact, being merciful involves being compassionate and forgiving when someone else does not deserve it. It is very important to discuss with children what mercy is so they can show it to those around them. This week we pray our students be merciful towards other by encouraging them to show compassion and take the time to show kindness to others.

Catholic Mission began with the vision of one woman. Two-hundred years ago, a young Frenchwoman, Pauline Jaricot, had the vision of an international network of prayer and support for the work of mission.  From the commitment of this one woman, the global mission of the Church found sustenance and support.  In May 2022 Pauline Jaricot’s
beatification took place, a key milestone on the journey towards being recognised as a saint.

2022 marks the 200th anniversary of the Foundation for the Society of the Propagation of the Faith, which in Australia is known as Catholic Mission, and still today a worldwide network of lay missionaries and church leaders are working together with communities most in need.

October is Missions Month. The World Mission Month of October is a time when we can teach our children to respect people from other cultures and reach out to those people, particularly children who live in poverty. It is an opportunity for reflection, prayer and support for the missionary efforts of individuals, communities and the whole Church. This year, students across Australia are encouraged to not only learn about Ethiopia and the work of the Church there, but to do something extraordinary for Mission through the fundraising, advocacy and prayers. For more information, please visit https://www.catholicmission.org.au/

When we look at the world at times, we can see that it is not very fair. Some people have lots of food. Some people don’t have enough. Some people have clean water in their homes. Some people have to walk a long way to collect water for their families. Catholic Missions gives hope to communities so that real changes can be made for people in need around the world. On Friday 4th November, our school will hold our annual Mini Fete where all proceeds go to Catholic Missions. More information will be given in our next newsletter and by teachers closer to the date.

The month of October each year is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. This is primarily due to the fact that the liturgical feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated annually on October 7. The feast of the Holy Rosary was established by Pope Saint Pius V on the anniversary of the naval victory won by the Christian fleet at Lepanto, October 7, 1571. The victory was attributed to the help of the Mother of God whose aid was invoked by praying the Rosary. This month we are encouraged to pray the Rosary to make a request to God, to thank God for blessings received or for requesting a special favour, for example if someone is sick to help them recover.

Welcome back to Term 4 and God bless.
Caroline Fuller