This Sunday, August 8^th, we celebrate the Feast Day of St Mary MacKillop - Australia’s first Saint.

Mary made an extraordinary impact during her 67 years, establishing more than 40 schools for the poor as well as orphanages and homes for the destitute, with the order she cofounded, the Sisters of St Joseph.

Pope Francis once called for all people of goodwill to “live fully, to choose to leave a mark.” This is something that Mary MacKillop indelibly did, transforming the lives of the poor and those most in need, and providing the gift of education.

Religion Focus in Years 2 and 3

In Years 2 and 3 the students are undertaking an Inquiry Unit: ‘Places have unique features which provide opportunity for human activity’.

The class has discussed and illustrated places that are special to them. They have looked at Adelong and the surrounding areas, and viewed topographical and google maps of the area. They have compared our local area to the area in which Jesus grew up, and discussed the differences.

The students have been learning about the place of our Church, Parish and school in the Archdiocese and discovering the history of the area. They enjoyed a walk around the school and St James Church to find memorial stones and plaques that revealed the history of the buildings and the families of the parish.

The students were intrigued when they found the date 1905 in the staff room - located on what was originally the outside wall of the second school built on these grounds. They discovered that St Joseph’s School was founded in 1884, when Four Josephite Sisters arrived from Goulburn in a horse and bubby. The Sisters lived in a small slab cottage at the rear of St James church, and taught in a wooden building attached to the side of the stone church. The church was built in 1862 and was consecrated in 1868 by Bishop Polding, the first Catholic Archbishop of Australia. 

During the unit the students will unpack Scripture readings and locate the places that Jesus spread the Gospel message in Bible Atlases.

It has been very rewarding to see the students so engaged in this Inquiry unit.

Parish Mass

Please join the Parish on Sunday 15^th August as the school presents Mass. All families are welcome to attend the Mass at 10.00am in St James Church.

Thank you to the families that have responded with their attendance. Your children will have their readings in their bags today. Please read the prayers and readings with your child, and we will practise at school as well.