News

On behalf of the St Vincent de Paul Society, thank you for your generous support of the Vinnies Christmas Appeal. It was wonderful to see our homeroom and classroom hampers bulging with all sorts of Christmas goodies, and we are very impressed once again with the way our students and families have embraced this appeal. Your generosity will provide urgent relief for a family doing it tough this Christmas and give them hope for a better future. [easy-image-collage id=20076] We held our final College mass on Friday, the 2nd of December. It was wonderful to be able to come together to give thanks to our God for the many blessing and opportunities we have experienced this year. We are also grateful to Father Separovich for leading our beautiful Thanksgiving mass. As we look to the Second Week of Advent and continue to prepare for the birth of Jesus Christ, there is an emphasis on peace, represented by the second purple candle in the Advent wreath. May we pray and strive for peace and harmony within ourselves, our families, our communities and our world. I wish you all well and hope you have a Happy and Holy Christmas and that the New Year brings much happiness.   Caterina Dwyer

On the last day of Term 3, we celebrated Mercy Day – a wonderful observance celebrating our Mercy Heritage and raising awareness (and funds) for Mercy Works, which runs world-class programs that engage in partnership with challenged communities to enjoy the right to basic resources. We began the day celebrating Mass with Fr Michael McMahon OMI and listening to a reflection by Sister Joanne Dickson RSM on how we might ‘Light the Way’ in our world today. [easy-image-collage id=19801] Our main fund-raising event was the running of stalls by each house, including a sausage sizzle, donuts, lolly bags, cans of drink, etc. After our Cultural Festival, celebrating the many talents of our students, we concluded the day with the Colour Run. Thank you to all who contributed goods for our stalls, including Lesmurdie IGA, who donated cans of drinks and ice for the day. Our Mercy Day Stalls and Sleepout for Mercy Works raised a total of $3600.00 – a brilliant effort by all! [easy-image-collage id=19805] This term, we are collecting goods for the St Vincent de Paul Christmas hampers, ensuring all families in our community have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas even though they may be struggling financially. Further information regarding what is needed for the hampers will be distributed soon.

Sleepout for Mercy Works On Thursday, 4 August over 100 volunteers braved a very cold night to participate in the Mercy Works Sleepout 2022 at Mazenod College. These volunteers consisted of staff and students from both Mazenod and St Brigid’s Colleges. They were sleeping out for two reasons: One was to educate themselves about the plight of people who find themselves homeless in Australia. The second reason for the evening was to raise money for the various Catholic agencies who work with the homeless in the Perth metropolitan area. These agencies include Vinnies, The Shopfront and Mercy Works. Assumption Mass & Commissioning of Ms Veronica Parker On Monday, 15 August we were honoured to have Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB celebrate Mass for the feast of the Assumption. At the conclusion of Mass, Ms Veronica Parker was commissioned as Principal of St Brigid’s College. First Holy Communion A number of our Year 4 students were prepared and received their First Holy Communion this term. Parents and students have had the opportunity to attend workshops run by 24/7 Youth Ministry.   Year 8 & Year 10 Retreat Days Our Year 8 cohort joined the 24/7 Youth Ministry Team for their Retreat Day, which focused on God’s Creation. Our Year 10 cohort enjoyed their Retreat Day with the Youth Mission Team, exploring the topic of Social Justice. Mercy Day – Wednesday, 21 September Mercy Day is a community-building day, combining fun, a celebration of our heritage and the provision of support for those in need through fundraising.  We celebrate and work together and we build community, which in turn builds an environment that is supportive of learning and spiritual development. Important aspects of the day: All students are invited to wear blue and white for a gold coin donation. We begin the day with the celebration of Mass at 9.15am in the College Grotto. Families are invited to support Mercy Day Stalls with various donations. Cultural Festival will be held after Mass. The day concludes with the Colour Run (2pm – 3pm). Our fundraising will support the work of Mercy Works. Mercy Works is the development arm of the Australian and Papua New Guinean Sisters of Mercy. Their mission is inspired by Catherine McAuley’s vision of change for the poor and disadvantaged. Mercy Works are financed by donations from the four Australian congregations of the Sisters of Mercy, charitable trusts & foundations, various organisations & groups and individuals.

Praise & Worship Celebration On Thursday, 21 July, Tayla (Yr 12) and Carys (Yr 6) represented SBC at the opening celebration for the Catholic Performing Arts Festival. The celebration, held at St Mary’s Cathedral, was led by the Very Rev Father Vincent Glynn – Episcopal Vicar for Education and Faith Formation. We prayed for all our students involved in the Catholic Performing Arts Festival this term – may they enjoy sharing their God given gifts and talents with each other. Sacrament of Reconciliation Our Year 3 students are currently preparing to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time during this term. Parents and students have had the opportunity to attend workshops run by 24/7 Youth Ministry. Sleepout for Mercy Works Next Thursday, 4 August students will have the opportunity to experience the realities and complex issues of homelessness on a personal level by ‘sleeping rough’ for a night. This experience will be conducted in conjunction with Mazenod College staff and students at Mazenod College. Sponsorship money raised from the evening will support Mercy Works. The focus for Fundraising – Term 3 Our fundraising for Term 3 will support the work of Mercy Works. Mercy Works is the development arm of the Australian and Papua New Guinean Sisters of Mercy. Their mission is inspired by Catherine McAuley’s vision of change for the poor and disadvantaged. Mercy Works are financed by donations from the four Australian congregations of the Sisters of Mercy, charitable trusts & foundations, various organisations & groups and individuals.   Thank you. Mr Adrian Martino Head of Faith and Mission

Thank you! Last Term, SBC raised a total of $2 322.85 via Project Compassion Boxes and the Easter Raffle. This money will support projects coordinated by Caritas in Australia and neighbouring countries. Thank you for your support! LifeLink – Winter Appeal 2022 This term our fundraising efforts will support LifeLink agencies. The LifeLink organisation was established in 1994 to provide for the ongoing financial and promotional support of agencies established or assisted by the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Perth. ‘The Shopfront’, a LifeLink Agency supporting needy families in the Archdiocese of Perth, is currently very low on stock for food hampers. With the coming of winter, many needy families attend Shopfront to collect a food hamper. We request that each family in our school community donates non-perishable cans or goods that will assist Shopfront in putting together and supplying food hampers. We will create a ‘hamper wall’ in the Wandju Room and then donate the goods to ‘The Shopfront’. Please send items to school with your child by the end of Week Five. Towards the end of this term, we will conduct a Gold Coin Challenge, where each student is asked to bring a gold coin donation to contribute to LifeLink Money Collection. Each House will have an opportunity to collect as many coins as possible (House points to be awarded for the most coins collected).   Young Mercies for Vinnies All students with a passion for social justice are invited to join this group – please see Notices in SEQTA Learn for further information.   MIA MAD 2022 All Senior School students (Years 10 & 11) have started their MIA MAD program for 2022. Students are reminded that all information regarding the program can be found on SEQTA Learn in the course: 2022 Year <Level> Community Service MIA MAD – Mr Adrian Martino   Mr Adrian Martino Head of Faith & Mission

LENT Most of this term has been spent in the Church season of Lent. The forty-day season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes on Holy Thursday evening with the celebration of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. It is a time for Christians to commit to strengthening their faith through the three pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. SBC has raised vital funds regarding almsgiving via Project Compassion Boxes and the Easter Raffle. We are most grateful for the generosity of our College families, who supported and donated items for the raffle. All money raised will support projects coordinated by Caritas in Australia and neighbouring countries. We appreciate your support! Stations of the Cross We will conclude the term with a prayerful reflection on the Stations of the Cross led by our primary school students (live-streamed via Teams). We remember the path Jesus took on Good Friday. On the way to his death, Jesus showed us how to live and how to die. We cannot rise with Christ unless we walk the path with Him. “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here but has risen.” [Luke 24:5] Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, in his Easter Message 2022, reminds us that the risen Jesus of Easter “…enables us to be the instruments of healing, of hope and of new beginnings which we, our families, our communities, our country and our world so desperately need.” Happy Easter to all SBC families!   Mr Adrian Martino Head of Faith & Mission