Welcome to the end of Week 9, and our final newsletter of Term 1 - crazy!  Last week, 4 Dragonflies presented assembly on the theme of ‘Harmony Day’, with lots of activities going on around the school this week focusing on the Dragonflies message that Harmony Day is about getting on together, about accepting the gifts and talents of each person, about respecting and valuing how we are different, and that together we are stronger and more unified than we could be apart.  Today, the Year 6 Scorpions presented assembly of the theme of Holy Week, which looks at the events that took place in the week of Jesus’ life leading up to his death and resurrection, and asked us all the question, what can we all do to help others, just as Jesus did.  

Stations of the Cross

Over the next week, students will be participating in a prayerful experience with the Stations of the Cross.  

It was in Jerusalem that Jesus suffered his passion and died on the cross, giving his life for us to save us from sin. It was there too, three days later, that he rose from death. 

A short time later, the first Christians started to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem to pray at the place where Jesus died and rose to life. They followed the same way that Jesus had walked as he went to the cross.  In the 14th century some Franciscan monks decided to recreate this ‘way of the passion’ inside churches, for all the people who couldn’t go to Jerusalem. 

That’s why, today, there is usually a way of the Cross in every church.  The way of the Cross has fourteen stages called ‘stations’. Each one is represented by a picture or a statue or a simple wooden cross. Some of the stations are episodes spoken in the gospels, others are not but they come from  a very old tradition. 

This year at St Benedict’s, we have the stations of the cross set out around the Library for students to interact with and participate in.  Part of the prayer experience for our students this year will help our students to be able to make meaning of this journey in their own lives.

Parish Mass Times - Easter Weekend

I have included below the different Mass times over the Easter season for our parish for those looking to attend a service.  Also, the Parish is also currently looking for readers for all of the masses listed below.  If you are able to assist, please contact Kathy at the Parish Office ASAP on 4723 9844

Pax,

Nick