Welcome back to Term 3 and I am sure all our gifted students are excited and ready to tackle the remote learning setting they now find themselves in.

Earlier in the year students in our Newman Religious Education classes participated in the Australian Catholics Young Voices Award. This was an opportunity for students in Catholic schools to have a voice – to use the media to make a difference in the world. They were encouraged to be creative and build their writing skills whilst researching a topic they were passionate about.

We have received wonderful news recently from the Australian Catholics Young Voices Award with Marielena Hawell (Year 8) receiving a Highly Commended in the Intermediate Section of the competition for her entry, ‘Prayer is medicine for the incurable’.

Marielena’s name will be printed with other winners in the upcoming spring Australian Catholics edition. Michele Frankeni, Associate Editor – Madonna said, ‘The time and effort that every entrant spent was obvious, and though that made it particularly hard for the judges, it was rewarding and heartwarming as well’.

Marielena’s article is featured below. Congratulations Marielena!

Miss Brown, Gifted Education/Newman Coordinator

Prayer is a medicine for the incurable

‘Faiz! Faiz!’ yelled my aunty Samira, trying to get her husband to come downstairs for breakfast. Unlike any other regular day, he was not responding. She walked up stairs to find him not breathing. Trembling with fear she gathered her 5 year old daughter to call the ambulance. Whilst the ambulance was on their way she desperately tried to wake up her husband, but he just laid there, as if he were dead. As the hospital crew buckled him up into the back of the ambulance, Samira carried her 3 year old and 5 year old daughters into the car. At the emergency room, the whole family sat there as tears ran down their faces. ‘I’m sorry to tell you, but your husband’s brain has failed and he is currently in a coma’ , said the nurse. As the family gathered to comfort Samira, they sat in the hospital and prayed the rosary. As the stressful and devastating night ended Samira called a priest from Saint Thomas Chaldean Cathedral to visit her husband in the hospital. Faiz is known to be the Choir leader at the Saint Thomas Catholic Chaldean Cathedral and especially known for his generosity by serving the church, without hesitation the priest notified Samira that he will be there for Faiz.

The sun slowly lit up the next morning and the whole family gathered in the hospital to pray with the priest. Watching Faiz lay on the hospital bed with his eyes shut, allowed weeps to flood the room. But, his family did not give up, for 3 days straight Samira and her daughters sat in the hospital praying desperately for God to give them back Faiz. ‘It’s been 4 days, for 4 days I have been watching my husband die’, Samira yelled as if she did not have faith anymore. ‘He will never wake up, my Faiz is gone!’.

As she finally walked through the hospital doors to kiss her husband goodbye, The hospital crew comforted her and directed her to her husband’s room. As she was slowly giving up, she looked up to see an empty bed. ‘What , but how? What did you do to my husband? “ she yelled, which gathered all the nurses. Suddenly a voice of joy comforted her, “ Don’t worry, I’m fine”. As the nurses giggled with joy, Samira took a deep breath and turned around to see her husband standing in good condition. ‘There is no scientific explanation for this’ ‘, the nurse said in a confused tone. ‘However, we believe that it was your strong faith that cured him!’. Samira smiled so hard that she broke into joyful tears.

Never doubt the power of God and the strength of prayer. To have witnessed this event empowers faith and a strong relationship with God. Open up to God with your struggles and believe that faith expressed through prayer is a medicine for the incurable! Do you Believe in prayer?