Dear Parents,
This Sunday we celebrate the feast day of St Mary of the Cross Mackillop- Australia first saint. This morning we joined as a school community in prayer to celebrate her life and the role she continues to play in each and everyone of our spiritual lives each day. Mary lived her daily life, firm in her faith and knowledge and love of Jesus, and she mirrored the same kind of love, mercy, compassion, justice, friendship, forgiveness and understanding to all she met. In the closing prayer of our liturgy this morning we were reminded that “her life Mary MacKillop faced times of worry, anxiety, grief but she was always able to place her cares in the hands of God. There she found peace.” During these challenging times during lock down let us follow that example of Mary Mackillop, let us too through our prayers place our concerns our fears in the hands of our loving Father in Heaven, knowing that he will shower us with his love.
Thank you to Mrs Wynne and the year 6 teachers and students who organised this morning’s zoom liturgy. It was great to see so many of our families on line coming together as a community to celebrate Sundays feast day. Well done to all concerned .
As we continue in lock down and online learning, I would like to thank our students, teachers and parents for the most positive manner in which all concerned has entered into this platform of learning. I understand that this learning platform can be challenging at times. I encourage all students to use the communication channels through google classroom when requesting support from your teachers. I would encourage all students to be online for the morning zoom meetings as they outline the days activities. It is important that students read their feedback supplied by their teachers each day. Teachers and I will continue to contact parents whose children we sense are struggling with the online learning or who have been inconsistent with their online presence each day. Our inquiries are to determine how we can better support a student who is finding the online learning challenging. It is important to note that students who are consistently not participating online with their learning, will be marked on our rolls as absent. If you have any concerns or require any clarification please do not hesitate to contact your children’s teachers via email or myself. [0432 056 959] or via email ahughes@parra.catholic.edu.au
Stay safe and healthy
Tony Hughes
Principal
PLEASE SEE BELOW LETTER FROM Most Reverend Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv Bishop of Parramatta on the COVID-19 vaccination.
Dear brothers and sisters,
As the COVID-19 Delta variant is spreading through Australia, particularly in Western Sydney, with deadly consequences, I am writing to reiterate the importance of vaccination as a means to protect yourselves and others.
It is overwhelmingly evident that the virus is spreading largely among the unvaccinated population. Hence, being fully vaccinated is an important step in not only keeping us safe but also our families and others in the broader community safe, and enabling us to get back to some sort of normality.
I understand some people have concerns about the ethical origins of some vaccines. The Catholic Church, through the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has declared that even the use of such vaccines does not constitute formal cooperation with abortion. Therefore, all vaccines which are recognised as clinically safe and effective may be taken by Catholics in good conscience.
Pope Francis himself has encouraged Catholics to take the vaccine saying in an interview earlier this year, “I believe that morally everyone must take the vaccine. It is the moral choice because it is about your life but also the lives of others.”
Indeed, Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI and many cardinals and bishops have already received their COVID-19 vaccines. For my part, I am fully vaccinated since the end of July.
I call on you to heed this clear and strong message from the Pope. I also alert you to the antivaccination movement and those who spread misinformation on social media, and regrettably even some clergy.
Their opposition to vaccines and public health orders is not in accordance with the Catholic Church.
The pandemic has caused much uncertainty, pain and suffering to the whole world. Let us pray, however, that it can be an opportunity for renewal and transformation for the human family.
May we grow in the spirit of solidarity and compassion for all who are vulnerable, here and beyond. May we emerge out of this crisis a better people for a better world.
The Diocese and partners are working with health authorities in facilitating the vaccine rollout to members of the community in more vulnerable areas. Let us do our part for the common good and work together to end the pandemic.
In Christ,
Most Reverend Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv Bishop of Parramatta
Given at Parramatta on 6 August 2021 The Feast of The Transfiguration of the Lord
