Shove Tuesday

Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Lent – the 40 days leading up to Easter – was traditionally a time of fasting and on Shrove Tuesday, Anglo-Saxon Christians went to confession and were “shriven” (absolved from their sins).

Shrove Tuesday was when the eggs, butter and fat was used to ensure it was all gone for Lenten season. The tradition of celebrating Shrove Tuesday and eating pancakes began because people wanted to use up the tempting food that they were giving up for Lent.

On Tuesday 25^th February, we will begin the day with our Shrove Tuesday Liturgy at 9am. During this liturgy we will burn the palms from last year’s Palm Sunday service and these ashes will be used on Ash Wednesday.

At lunch time we will be selling pancakes for 50c for a small pancake with toppings or $1 for a large pancake with toppings so please send in some money on this day so your child can participate in this activity.

Lent is coming!

ASH WEDNESDAY

Ash Wednesday is a Christian holy day of prayer and fasting. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and falls on the first day of Lent, the six weeks of penitence before Easter. Ash Wednesday is traditionally observed by Western Christians. It is observed by Anglicans, most Latin rite Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Moravians, Nazarenes, Indendent Catholics, as well many from the Reformed faith.

As it is the first day of Lent, many Christians begin Ash Wednesday by marking a Lenten calendar, praying a Lenten daily devotional, and making a Lenten sacrifice that they will not partake of until the arrival of Eastertide.

Ash Wednesday derives its name from the placing of repentance ashes on the foreheads of participants to either the words "Repent, and believe in the Gospel" or the dictum "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." The ashes are prepared by burning palm leaves from the previous year's Palm Sunday celebrations.

Please join us for our Ash Wednesday Mass at 9:15asm in the church.

SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM

Parent of children who wish to be involved in the parish Sacramental Program should note that the Information Meeting for families will be on Monday 2 March at 7pm at Wallsend. All the children in the Parish will be prepared as one with one ceremony at the end of preparation. No dates for the Sacraments to be conferred have bene set as yet.

MONDAY LITURGIES

We had a lovely start to this week with Year 1 leading us in our Monday morning liturgy. Our Year 6 Leaders have taken over the introduction to our Monday Liturgies. They will conduct the formalities of starting the week and hand over to the class teacher for an introduction to the week’s liturgy. Please stay after dropping you children on Monday morning for the week’s reflection if you are able.

TERM LITURGIES

Week 5-Listening Liturgy led by Year 2, 24/02/2020

           - Shrove Tuesday 9am 25/02/2020

           - Ash Wednesday Mass 9.15am 26/02/2020

Week 6-Catholic Schools Liturgy led by 5/6

Week 7-Project Compassion Liturgy led by Year 3

Week 8-St Joseph’s Liturgy led by Year 1

Week 9-Annunciation Liturgy led by Year 4

Week 10-Palm Sunday Liturgy led by Year 2

SCHOOL CHOIR, ALTAR SERVERS AND MINI VINNIES GROUP

During the week, primary students were given the opportunity to join at least one of the following groups, School Choir, Altar Servers or Mini Vinnies. There were a number of students interested in participating in these groups which was fabulous.  It is great to see that our students are community minded.

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

Jennie Nolan is our Family Ministry Co-ordinator. Jennie’s role is to provide and run programs to assist families in O.L.V. She works throughout the region of Shortland / Wallsend / Glendale and is employed by the Catholic Schools Office.

This note is to gauge your interest in Jennie running sessions for our parents and carers.

1. Seasons for Growth Parent Program.

This is a program we will be offering for the children, later in the year to support children who are dealing with separation / divorce or other losses. It is recognised that it helps if you, the parents, learn how to communicate with the children using the Seasons language the children are using.

More about SFG later.

2. A parent retreat…….”all about you. “

In the busyness of life kids, partners, school drop offs and pick ups……Jennie would like to provide a couple of hours of “me time – for you.” We would make sure if you had little ones they were looked after.               

AFTERNOON TEA

This year we have a new member to our staff Sr Milla. She will be helping out in the classrooms, doing some pastoral care work, running the Mini Vinnies group, choir and training altar servers. Sr Milla will also work with Jennie Nolan in continuing to offer afternoon tea for our parents and friends twice a term. Dates will be advertised in the newsletter and via compass later on in the term for our afternoon cuppa. 

Patty Dunn – REC