God with us,  

You have made us in your image and filled us with your love  

Through the life of Jesus you show us the way to be merciful  

As you are merciful.  

Where people are ‘put down’  

May we shine the light of your strength.  

Where there is dishonesty and denial  

May we shine the light of your truth.  

Where there is fear  

May we shine the light of your peace.  

Where there is judgement  

May we shine the light of your compassion.  

Where there is disrespect  

May we shine the light of your love.  

Where people feel silenced   

May we shine the light of your word.  

Where people feel excluded  

May we shine the light of your acceptance.  

Where there is sin  

May we shine the light of your forgiveness.

Perpetual Day of Remembrance  

As part of The Atonement: Lina’s Project, Bishop Bill established September 15th as a Perpetual Day of Remembrance throughout our Diocese. Such a day holds before us our history of child sexual abuse and the reality of its continual unfolding in the lives

of those directly and indirectly affected.  We have been asked by Bishop Bill to commemorate this day: 

"The Perpetual Day of Remembrance is an act of solemn remembrance of a great human tragedy, marked by sadness for those who suffered, certainly, but also an occasion to commit ourselves to remembering what happened so as not to allow those things to be repeated. It is, in that respect, not unlike Remembrance Day itself, or Anzac Day: ‘Lest we Forget’." 

It is equally important that the Church mark this day with prayer, ritual and worship. As a people of faith, commissioned by Jesus to live in remembrance of him, we know the importance of remembering. Our remembering not only functions to ensure that such abuse never happens again, more than that, it is penetrated with the light of Christ’s Paschal Mystery and so becomes the source of our ongoing conversation and hope.  

St. Paul articulated it this way: when one member suffers in the body of Christ which is the Church, all the members suffer with that member (1 Cor 12:26). Our place as baptised members of the Body of Christ is to stand with them and against all forms of abuse. Our responsibility is to pray with and for them, and for the change of heart that is necessary to stop abuse of any kind.   

 (Catholic Diocese of Maitland Newcastle, Church Community Resources, Shine the Light of Christ, 2019, p. 3).  

Each class will hold a special prayer and blessing on Monday 16th September to commemorate the Perpetual Day of Remembrance. St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School believes it is best for our students to participate in  prayer and blessing designed to remind children that God is always with them and will always love us regardless of anything that we say or do and is with us throughout everything we experience and encounter in our lives. 

Our role as faithful followers of Jesus is to Shine the Light of Christ in our everyday actions towards one another. To be strong and peaceful people who identify when another is hurting and to help them, to empathise with them and to support them.   

We further display our understanding of our faith by loving and caring each other; by respecting each other and showing this in the kind and thoughtful words we say; by placing others and their needs ahead of our own; by praying for people who need us to remember them; by putting time aside to help another even when it seems too hard.    

This prayer and blessing will not be explicit in naming the time of Child Sexual Abuse as the thing being commemorated. The focus of the Word is on the Mercy Of God, that tender compassion of our God for all his creatures, his concern for those who suffer. 

On Saturday evening, September 14, we encourage you to leave a light on, to shine the light of Christ, a light of solidarity and hope https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0_leAHMz2M 

Year 6 Religious Education Literacy Test

In Week 10 this term, children from Year 6 will participate in the Year 6 Religious Education Test.  The assessment of Catholic Religious Literacy takes place annually across all schools in the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese. This year the students will be completing the new test that has been devised by Religious Education & Spirituality team from the Catholic Schools Office here in our diocese. This means, the questions have been specifically designed around the RE curriculum taught here in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. It focuses on students’ knowledge and understanding of key concepts that are addressed in the Religious Education program, the achievement of the outcomes set out in the Diocesan Religion Education syllabus, and the ability of students to communicate this knowledge and understanding about the Catholic tradition.  The data produced from the various testing instruments is designed to give Religious Education teachers meaningful feedback about the students’ learning and to assist in developing effective Religious Education lessons. 

Term 3 Class Mass Timetable 

Parents and family are warmly invited to join Parish Mass each Friday at 10:15am. The timetable below indicates when each grade will attend Parish Mass this term.

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Newcastle Inner City Catholic Community - Weekend Mass times  

Sacred Heart Cathedral – Vigil Saturday 5:30pm, Sunday 9:30am and 5:00pm 

St Joseph’s, The Junction – Sunday 9:00am 

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Tighes Hill – Sunday 8:00am 

St Mary’s, Newcastle – Sunday 7:30am 

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