Religious Education

St Dominic’s Day 2023

Last Friday our College community including the Dominican Sisters, students, staff, parents and ex-students came together to celebrate St Dominic’s Day. During the liturgy, our Year 4 Dominic the Adventurer students helped to retell the story of Saint Dominic.

Our Year 3 students helped to bring our theme ‘Share your light with the world’ to life in a beautiful ribbon dance. We gathered in celebration of all that has shaped our school and our proud history and reflected on what we are being called to do.

Our students have spent the last week retelling the story of St Dominic using our beautiful Dominican dolls designed and created by the women of Kopanang. Sr Sheila and Sr Judy were instrumental in the development of the Kopanang Community Trust to help women in South Africa. Some other symbols that represent St Dominic de Guzman are sunflowers and oranges.

St Mary of the Cross-Mackillop Feast Day 8 August

Mary MacKillop was born 15 January 1842, in Brunswick St, Fitzroy, Melbourne. With the support and spiritual guidance of Fr Julian Tenison Woods the Parish Priest of the South-East of South Australia, she opened the first St Joseph’s school in Penola in 1866. It was in an old stable. Her brother helped her make it habitable for a school room.

Mary MacKillop had a deep connection to God, whom she loved so much in the person of Jesus. Even in times of intense hardship, disappointment, loss of friendship and even betrayal, Mary MacKillop always welcomed the movement and wisdom of the Holy Spirit within her.

Mary was beatified on 19 January 1995 at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, in a Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II. She was canonised as St Mary of the Cross at a Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI in St Peter’s Square in the Vatican on 17 October 2010.

Feast of the Assumption of Mary Feast Day 15 August

The Feast of the Assumption of Mary is a special Feast Day of the Catholic Church. God chose Mary to be the loving mother of God’s son, Jesus. On this day, we specifically remember that Mary is the mother of Jesus, that she believed in Jesus and was one of his faithful followers and believers. She was the first disciple. From the very first moment of her life, Mary loved God. Mary said ‘Yes’ to everything that God asked her to do. On this day, the Church acknowledges that Mary, the mother of Jesus, has a special place in the life of the Catholic Church as the Mother of God. Today we celebrate the holy day when, at the end of her life, Mary was taken to heaven, by God, to be with her son, Jesus.

Holy Mary,
help those in need,
give strength to the weak,
comfort the sorrowful,
pray for God’s people,
assist the clergy,
intercede for religious.

Mary all who seek your help
experience your unfailing protection.

Amen.

Tina Nicotina
Religious Education Coordinator P-6, Acting Co-Assistant to the Head of Primary Campus P- 4 and Year 3 teacher.