Sacrament of Confirmation

Last Sunday, twelve children from our Parish received the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. Anthony’s Church in Harden. 

Confirmation Weekend

We were delighted to welcome Vicar General, Fr. Tony Percy to St Anthony’s to confirm our 12 candidates along with Fr Joshy. It was a blessing to hear Fr. Tony speak to the children about their chosen Saints and the importance of Confirmation in their Spiritual Journey in Faith. We came together in prayer to celebrate a beautiful Confirmation Mass with families and friends.

Afterwards we gathered at the back of the church for the Confirmation cake. Many thanks to Penny Lucas for the beautiful cake to share. Grateful thanks to those who contributed to the wonderful morning tea. Many thanks to Mrs Doolan for all her preparation of candidates and  Confirmation Day, Mrs Jill Parker for the wonderful decorations in the Church and teachers from Trinity for support in the mass and preparation of the candidates. Special thanks to the choir for their amazing singing throughout the mass.

We wish God's blessings on each of these children. May God in all His goodness bless them with true happiness, and may they always keep the memory of their Confirmation day and let the Holy Spirit guide them in their Faith.

Please pray that our young people, strengthened by the Holy Spirit through the Sacrament of Confirmation, will be true witnesses of Christ to others. May they spread and defend the faith by word and deed.

World Refugee Day

Yesterday was ‘World Refugee Day.’ Around the world, communities, schools, businesses, faith groups and people from all walks of life are taking big and small steps in solidarity with refugees. Pope Francis has made numerous appeals to promote the culture of encounter in an effort to combat the culture of indifference in the world today. It means seeing through the eyes of others rather than turning a blind eye. “Not just to see but to look. Not just to hear but to listen. Not just to meet and pass by, but to stop. And don’t just say ‘what a shame, poor people,’ but allow ourselves to be moved by pity.” – Pope Francis

On World Refugee Day we think about people who have become refugees, their hopes and dreams, and how we can show that we care about them. Caritas Australia has a word for this: solidarity. We sometimes say that we “walk alongside” people. That doesn’t mean we actually walk with them, but we do things that show we care about and want to help them. Pope Francis has asked all of us to experience God’s love and compassion by welcoming the outcast. Finding ways to support refugees in building better lives is one way that we can welcome the outsider.

Thought for the Week

Wishing everybody a wonderful week

God Bless

Donna Wade