Sharing The Story at Holy Cross

Reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:56:00 +0000

During the past fortnight 100 children have received the Sacrament of Reconciliation at Blessed John XXIII Parish at Stanhope Gardens. It has been a wonderful demonstration of the power of the faith of the parents of these children who firstly enrolled them in the programme and then worked with them at home, through the booklets provided, to prepare them in the knowledge and understanding needed to participate in this programme. We thank particularly the parents, priests, the Sacramental Co-ordinator and her helpers and the teachers of the two parish primary schools in preparing the children for such an important milestone in their journey of faith.

Kids Congress 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 05:37:00 +0000

This year four children and two teachers from Holy Cross attended the Kid's Congress 2007 held at the Australian Catholic University, Strathfield. It seeks to combine social justice issues and communicate them through various technologies. This year’s theme, ‘Kids Care – Earth Share’ had delegates focused on environmental issues such as climate change, drought and water conservation, pollution and energy alternatives.

The students who attended on 22nd-23rd November were from Years 5-8 from over 50 Catholic schools in the Parramatta, Broken Bay and Sydney Dioceses.

The congress, which is a joint initiative of the Catholic Education Office, Parramatta and the Australian Catholic University, is an event ‘for kids run by kids’. Students as young as 10, hosted technology workshops and others acted as media representatives. Even the technical support for the congress was provided by students. Artwork created by the students on the theme, which this year included digital art, decorated the main auditorium.

Over the two days young people shared their ideas for making the world a better place. Workshop sessions had students working in groups to complete a multimedia project on the issue that most concerned them. Applications such as Legomation, voice threads, podcasts, Design Studio and Google Sketchup were utilised, allowing students to create a presentation that could then be used within their own school communities to raise awareness of social justice issues.

The keynote address, ‘It takes just one to make a difference’, was given by Jenni Downes, a young arts graduate who has been working in a slum area in Nairobi and who will be returning to Kenya next year to continue her work. The great debate featured students from Parramatta Marist Westmead and OLMC Parramatta. As usual the rock band from Terra Sancta College delighted the children with their music.

It was a great experience and one the six of us from Holy Cross will remember!

The Feast of Holy Cross

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 10:26:00 +0000

On September 13th we gathered together as a community to celebrate Mass to commemorate the Feast of the Holy Cross. The cross is a wonderful symbol of God's love for us. Fr. Istvan celebrated the Mass for us and gave a special homily on the history and importance of the cross in our lives. Each class prepared a part of the Mass and the choir ably led us in song. It was an especially memorable day as it came the morning after our successful Creative Arts Presentation. Many parents were able to attend our Eucharist with us and we thank them for participating in such an important event in our school year.

Spiritual Reflection Day for Staff

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 01:54:00 +0000

Click to play Make your own Smilebox

Father's Day Mass

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 01:25:00 +0000

Last Friday the fathers and children of the three schools in the Learning Community of Blessed John XXIII Parish combined to pray together for fathers. A Mass was held at 7am followed by a breakfast which mothers from the schools catered for. It was wonderful that so many fathers were able to schedule this event into their otherwise busy working lives and we thank Fr Istvan for his moving homily. We have featured a Mass and breakfast like this at Holy Cross for several years and it is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on fatherhood especially its importance in the lives of our children.

Reception of First Eucharist

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 01:14:00 +0000

Over 100 children received the Sacrament of Eucharist on the weekend of the 24th and 25th August at Blessed John XXIII Church at Stanhope Gardens. It was an historic weekend for the Parish as it was the first time that First Eucharist had been in the new church. The Friday previous the children receiving the Sacrament attended a Eucharist Reflection Day at Holy Cross Primary School at Glenwood. The Sacramental Team from the Parish, parent helpers and teachers from Blessed John XXIII School and Holy Cross School planned the day together. It incorporated several activities which the children rotated around. These included making bread and tasting grape juice, watching a DVD on the parts of the Mass, receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation and practising hymns for the First Eucharist Mass, craft activities for the symbols used in Eucharist and meditation and prayers. The day began with Fr Paul praying for its success and ended with the children's prayers of thanks and a slideshow of the day's events. We thank all those involved especially the children and Fathers Paul and Istvan who contributed so much of their time. The children also appreciated very much the pizza lunch!

Spiritual Reflection Day- Friday 21st September 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 05:44:00 +0000

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

Confirmation 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 02:45:00 +0000

Last Wednesday and Thursday nights, Fr Robert McGuckin together with Frs Paul and Stephen celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation in the new Church of Blessed John XXIII. Much prepaaration had gone into this with special groups meeting in the preceding weeks to come to a deeper knowledge of the Sacrament and its meaning for them. Families and friends from near and far came to join with the children in this special ceremony. The rain and cold did not dampen anyone spirits neither did the fact that the State of Origin match was on the Wednesday night! It was a great occasion as Fr Robert recalled with photos his confirmation and spoke to the children about what it means. Fr Paul also reminded the children how special it was they they had been blessed with the same oil that only a week before was used to bless their new church.

Opening and Blessing of New Church for Stanhope-Glenwood

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 02:06:00 +0000

On Saturday 2nd June the Parish Church of Blessed John XXIII was officially opened Stanhope Gardens. The Rite of Dedication was a wonderful ceremony that incorporated the ritual and tradition associated with services such as these while incorporating much of the spirit of the community of Stanhope-Glenwood. Many people were involved in the ceremony and the Liturgy of the Eucharist including parishoners, choir members, drummers, altar servers, readers and acolytes. Many priests and deacons from the Parramatta Diocese as well as local dignitaries were present. After the ceremony a reception was held in the grounds of the nearby parish primary school. Congratulations to Frs Paul and Stephen and the parish community fro making it such a memorable occasion for everyone who attended.

Celebrating The Easter Season

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Sun, 06 May 2007 09:01:00 +0000

Last Friday the school community came together to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord with a liturgy. There was a welcome and the symbol of a fishing net was brought in to remind us that Jesus urged his followers to be "fishers of men", people who would bring the message of joy and hope to others. It was followed by a song then Mrs D read from the gospel of Mark and Year 3 responded to it using words and pictures they had created in their classroom. After Prayers of Intercession the Assembly left singing the "Easter Hallelujah" song.

Harmony Day

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Sun, 06 May 2007 08:54:00 +0000

On March 21st we celebrated Harmony Day at our school. We had a liturgy of the Word in which many people participated. Mrs G welcomed us on behalf of the traditional owners of the land and the children and teachers joined in by singing, praying, miming and acting. Mr J spoke about the differences between Canada where he lives and Australia where he is living for this year.

At the conclusion of the liturgy we had a group of our children who had been trained by Chris and Lisa from the Jarara Indigenous Centre perform a traditional Aboriginal dance for us.

Later each grade spent time learning to dance with Chris and paint in an Aboriginal style with Lisa. They continued with this theme in their classrooms later during the day. We extend a special thank you to Chris and Lisa who went home very tired after a long day and to all our children, teachers and parents who participated so willingly in the events.

Celebrating Catholic Schools Week 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 04:55:00 +0000

On Sunday 11th March the three schools that comprise the Learning Community of the Parish of Blessed John XXIII joined in a Eucharistic celebration with their families, teachers and other parishoners to officially begin Catholic Schools Week. The new church was overflowing with people who came to participate and it was a special event to see the three school communities of Holy Cross, Blessed John XXIII and St Marks together.

After Mass the staff of Holy Cross returned to school where they opened their classrooms to present and prospective students.

Further activities for Holy Cross this week include a Liturgy of the Word on Wednesday 14th followed by open classrooms until 11am and a Spellathon/Skillathon on Friday 16th March.

Blessed John XXIII Parish Church for Glenwood-Stanhope Gardens

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 08:11:00 +0000

On Saturday March 3rd the first Mass was held in the new Church of Blessed John XXIII. This is the parish church of the children who attend Holy Cross Glenwood and there was much excitement last Monday when the children told us of being at Mass in their new Church. Previously Masses were held in the library of Holy Cross Primary School so it was beneficial for the parishoners that the move came as the library was proving a small space for the growing numbers attending Mass there.

We congratulate the parishoners of Blessed John XXIII on their beautiful new church and wish them and Fathers Paul and Stephen a place where they will really feel "at home" with the Lord.

On Sunday 11th March the three schools of the Parish, Holy Cross and John XXIII Primary and St Mark's Secondary College, will celebrate with Fathers Stephen and Paul and the parish community the beginning of Catholic Schools Week in their new parish church.

2007 Opening School Year Mass for Holy Cross Primary School

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 10:08:00 +0000

On the Feast of Sts Cyril and Methodius, February 14th, we celebrated our Opening School Year Mass with the children, parents and teachers of Holy Cross. Various grades prepared different parts of the Mass with Year 6 and their dramatic interpretation of the story of Noah encouraging us to trust in the Lord.

Mrs R was joined on the keyboard by Mr J with his electric guitar and Mrs P and the choir led us in the singing. Father Stephen and many parents were able to join us on this occasion as were the new Kindergarten children who were welcomed into Mass after Communion.

Fr Paul bestowed a special blessing on the new Kinders, other children and staff new to the school. All the teachers were invited forward and received a poster of a prayer for their classrooms. The Mass concluded with the singing of the school song, "This Holy Cross". After Mass the children joined their parents for a picnic in the school grounds.

Opening School Mass for the Learning Community of Blessed John XXIII Parish

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 09:30:00 +0000

On Monday 29th January 2007 the staffs of the three schools who comprise the Learning Community of the Parish of Blessed John XXIII, Glenwood-Stanhope Gardens gathered together to celebrate the Beginning of the School Year with Mass which was concelebrated by Fathers Paul and Stephen.

This was an historic occasion and Mass was celebrated in the library of Blessed John XXIII School, Stanhope Gardens. After Mass morning tea was hosted by the Stanhope Gardens staff and the three school staffs were taken on a tour of the new church by Fr Paul who explained the various parts and vessels within the new Church. We were then led down to St Marks College and shown around the new school which was preparing for its Year 7 intake of 80 students.

Year 2 Reflection Afternoon

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 08:42:00 +0000

Just recently the Year 2 teachers with their children came together in the library one afternoon to reflect on the celebration of First Reconciliation that was to occur a few days later. After an opening prayer and explanation about the activities that would be covered, the children watched a short video on the Sacrament of Reconciliation produced by John Powell.

The children then discussed in groups elements of the film that resonated with them especially the story of "The Lost Sheep". They then produced scripture think pads that described to them the story in words, pictures and symbols and as groups reflected on them orally to all the assembled children.

The thoughts and words of the children demonstrated a depth of understanding of the Sacrament which was a credit to their parents and teachers who have engaged them in learning and understanding about the wonder of God's love for us. To conclude the afternoon the children were given cut-outs of sheep which they could write their name on, edge in cotton woool and place on a banner next the a picture of the Good Shepherd for display at their First Reconciliation.

Year 6 Reflection Day

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 07:12:00 +0000

In mid November Year 6 had their Reflection Day in preparation for their Graduation. The theme taken was from St Paul's 2nd letter to the Corinthians, verses 4-7, "We are like clay jars in which His treasure is stored..."

The children assembled early in the morning and joined their teachers in the library where they were informed what the timetable would be for the day.

After the opening prayer the children viewed two biographical films on Mother Teresa and Fred Hollows and were asked to reflect as a group on
*How do these people inspire us?
*What qualities do these people have that we would like to emulate?

After this followed individual reflection and journalling on

*Who has influenced me in my life?
*What have they taught me?
*What strengths have they recognised in me?

The children then completed a reflection on passages from the Bible on the theme of the potter and the clay using scripture think pads. Afterwards the children make ‘pinch pots’ from clay specially purchased for the occasion and heard the story of “The Cracked Pot”. Recess then followed after which the children prepared for the celebration of Mass which Fr Stephen then led. After Mass the children and Fr Stephen enjoyed a pizza lunch.

In the afternoon the children used the time to prepare for their Graduation liturgy and the day was completed with a concluding prayer. It was a most enjoyable and productive day.

Reception of First Eucharist

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 23:29:00 +0000

At Holy Cross some children recently received the Sacrament of Eucharist. Beforehand, children of the Parish of John XXIII were invited to a Reflection Day. On that day the children were divided into groups and rotated around five different activities. These included watching a video and reflection, creating decorations for the sacred space, making Rosary Beads, attending the Sacrament of Reconciliation and using their Mass booklets to follow the Mass. The day ended with a Liturgy where all the children, teachers, parents and priests involved came together to express thanks for all they have and to ask God's blessings for the First Communion Day. A special highlight of the day was the pizza lunch which one child described as "paradise".

Feast of the Holy Cross

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 10:00:00 +0000

On Thursday 14th September we celebrated the Feast of the Holy Cross. It was a special day where we remember the life Jesus gave to us by his death and resurrection and how he asks us to be His presence in the world today to all people.

Our Eucharistic celebration was very special as this year we had veneration of the cross and three people from our school spoke about what being part of the Holy Cross community means to them.

After Mass we celebrated with a picnic lunch then later we had a talent quest among the grades which was a great opportunity to see the wonderful gifts with which our community has been bestowed. We pray and hope that our community of Holy Cross will continue to be blessed in such a way that it is able to show God's love to all within it and to those in the wider community.

St Vincent de Paul

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 09:52:00 +0000

On Wednesday 27th September we celebrated the feast of St Vincent de Paul. Vincent was a French saint who worked towards helping those in less fortunate circumstances in France at this time.

Many years later a young French university student known as Frederick Ozanam looked at Vincent de Paul as a model of the Catholic Church in action and founded a group of lay people dedicated to prayer, study of scripture, reflection and active apostolate towards the poor and disenfranchised in society. These groups soon grew and were known around the world as Conferences of St Vincent de Paul, many parishes and universities having conferences of their own.

In 1881 a young Scottish engineer who had emigrated firstly to New Zealand and later Australia founded the first Conference of St Vincent de Paul Society with the aid of the Marist Fathers at St Patricks Church Hill in Sydney. His name was Charles O'Neill.

Today at Holy Cross we have the junior version of the St Vincent de Paul, Mini Vinnies, which haas operated for two years. We aim to carry on the work of these three men and that of Sr Rosalie Rendu, a supporter of the movement in its early days in France, as we care for those in our community.

Father's Day Mass and Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 03:40:00 +0000

On Friday 1st September Holy Cross Primary School celebrated Father's Day with an early morning Mass and Breakfast . Fr Paul was the celebrant and fathers and children participated actively in the Eucharistic liturgy. While this was going on a band of mothers and teachers set up breakfast with juice, coffee, tea and homemade muffins. It was great to see so many fathers in attendance and to see them spend part of the morning with their children while meeting other fathers.
Many fathers were able to stay for the events of the day that followed which is known as Male Role Model Day and contributed to classroom activities, lunch and games in the afternoon. The local TAFE students participated in making this day a wonderful success as we celebrated the gift of fatherhood.

Storyfest

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 05:00:00 +0000

On Friday the children in Year 5 presented their stories with messages about moral values to classes in the school. In the afternoon some children presented their stories as part of the Soryfest Ritual with Christine Carlton and the children from Years 3-6. This day was a wonderful culmination to the Religious Education unit the children have been studying, "The Parables of Jesus."

In preparation for the Storyfest the Year 5 children and their teachers had met with Christine Carlton last term and learnt some of the effective ways of telling story. This included use of parables, fables, folktales and modern picture books. They were encouraged to read a selection of stories before choosing the one they wanted to deliver, then make a story map then a short sequence of writing to help them learn it. Today children do not often learn things "off by heart" and it is very difficult to retell a story that is not your own especially in front of an audience. The children did a marvellous job and were able to acquit themselves very well, surprising many, including themselves. They also engaged the other children not only in story but in values education by telling them the message of each story.

To support the Year 5 children the other children in the school came dressed as book characters. Congratulations to Year 5, their teachers and parents, the other children in the school and Christine Carlton and the CEO for making us part of this endeavour.

Primary Social Justice Day - Friday 23rd June

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 09:08:00 +0000

Last Friday a group of children from the Mini Vinnies group and myself attended the Annual Primary Social Justice Day at John Paul II Senior Campus at Marayong. We were welcomed to the day by St Joseph's Kingswood who put on a reflective presentation on Celebrating Diversity.

After that we attended two workshops. The ones we went to were Mini Vinnies, Catholic Earth Care, Caritas and the Migrant Resource Centre at Blacktown presenting how we could help new migrants especially refugees from other nations settle into school. These four workshops helped us really think about what we take for granted in terms of our lifestyle and the needs of many people not only overseas but here in Australia. We were very lucky to have some outstanding speakers who helped us think about what we as young Australian Catholics could do just in our school and local communities. We only wish we could have attended more workshops. We thank Ken and Lisa for the organisation of the day, the workshop leaders for arranging their diaries to fit us in and the Senior Students from JPII who served us a great lunch..as a matter of fact two of our member were able to arrange seconds!

Mini Vinnies

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 06:13:00 +0000

The Mini Vinnies Group at Holy Cross works hard to serve the community in an active way. They have been responsible for the collection of blankets and socks for the St Vincent de Paul Society this winter. They even advertised in the Parish Newsletter for donations of clean usable items.

They meet once a month to look at needs in the school and where best they can help out. This month they are going to be involved in the making of banners for the Confirmation ceremonies. Next week they are going to be involved in a surprise activity that will need some nimble fingers and good counting skills to make items for the St Vincent de Paul outreach centre. These children give of their free time to help in many ways and we are lucky to have such an enthusiastic group in our school.

Confirmation

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Anne Cartwright) — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 05:17:00 +0000

During the past few weeks the children in Year 3 have been attending weekly home group meetings in preparation for their reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation. It is a very exciting time for these children and one where they are asked to become a witness for Christ here on earth by the way they live their life.

The Sacrament of Confirmation is one of the three sacraments of initiation strengthening the child in the life of the Spirit and bestowing on them the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These include wisdom, understanding, judgement, courage, knowledge, love and reverence for God.

From these gifts come charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-restraint.

During the actual Confirmation ceremony the Bishop has the confirmation candidates renew their Baptismal vows. He lays his hands over the candidates to symbolise the power of the Holy Spirit being passed on to the children, he anoints them with oil on the forehead making the sign of the cross and finally gives the sign of peace to them to demonstrate that the whole community welcomes them into full membership with them.