You can log on to Mass at Home or St Columbkille’s Church to watch the live recordings of these weekend masses and other masses.
Sunday 22 August: 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time – Gospel of John 6:60-69 “Many disciples desert Jesus”
Sunday 29 August: 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Gospel of Mark 1-23 “Jesus confronts the Pharisees”. This Sunday is also called Social Justice Sunday.
This is when the Australian Catholic Bishops release their annual Social Justice Statement, which is this year titled: Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor. This Statement calls us to listen, hear and respond to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor through practical action. When one part of the Body of Christ is wounded, the other parts care for the afflicted part so that all can be healed and made whole. What affects one affects all, as everything and everyone is connected. We are invited to be lifegiving agents in the transformation of our communities in ways that reflect the mercy freely offered by our loving God. As people of prayerful contemplation, dialogue, and action, we commit to right relationships in our covenant with God. It is clear that the signs of our times call for urgent action to defend, protect, and restore the earth and the dignity of the human person, especially those places, creatures, and people who are most vulnerable. In following God’s law of living a moral life from the inside out, we upend and transcend any worldly standards that would diminish the sacredness of any part of God’s creation. People are more important than profits, and the beauty of our natural world is a precious gift to us and to the generations who will follow. In transitioning to sustainable and just economic systems and practices, we commit to partnering with the work of the Spirit in renewing the face of the earth.

Season of Creation

Each year from September to October the Christian community celebrates the Season of Creation by praying and acting together to protect our common home. During this time Catholics unite with others in the global family to pray and protect every creature in God’s beautifully complex web of creation. The theme of this year’s Season of Creation celebration is “A Home for All? Renewing the Oikos of God”

The Season of Creation begins on September 1st, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, which we celebrate at school with a liturgy. This annual day, established by Pope Francis in 2015, is an opportunity to pray, reflect and act to care for God’s creation. All of us, both those who most contribute to climate change and those whom it most affects, pray today for better stewardship of the Earth.
Pope Francis in his announcement for the World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation said, "The annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation offers to individual believers and to the community a precious opportunity to renew our personal participation in this vocation as custodians of creation, raising to God our thanks for the marvellous works that have been entrusted to our care, invoking God’s help for the protection of creation and God’s mercy for the sins committed against the world in which we live."
We continue to raise to God our thanks for the marvellous works that have been entrusted to our care, and we ask for God’s help as we take action to protect our planet and all of its creatures.

Video - Pope Francis and the Season of Creation

Father’s Day

On Sunday 5th September we honour the men who are role models in our lives. Unfortunately, our celebrations for Father’s Day cannot be the same due to the COVID-19 restrictions. (Can you believe this happened last year as well!) Our school community will highlight our wonderful fathers, grandfathers, pops, uncles etc with a zoom liturgy. Details of this will be sent out via Compass. For many of us Father’s Day will feel very different with zooming, face-timing and messaging. However, our male figures will be especially remembered on this day for teaching us about life and all its challenges and loving us unconditionally. Happy Father’s Day to all!

In preparation for our Fathers Day slide show please send in your fathers day photos to info@sccdow.catholic.edu.au

Reconciliation/First Holy Communion

We are still waiting for confirmation from NSW Health and the NSW Government as to when students will return to school. If and when this occurs, we will finalise details for the sacrament of Reconciliation. Watch this space!