This year at Sts Peter and Paul, we are all called to ‘Let Your Light Shine”

Vinnies Christmas Appeal 2022

St Vincent de Paul is committed to making Christmas a time to renew hope. They are dedicated to providing shelter, food, clothing, financial support, friendship and care for tens of thousands of people in the Canberra/Goulburn region.

This year, as with previous years, students at Sts Peter and Paul are invited to donate to the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal. These items will be combined by members of our local Vinnies chapter to fill hampers for families in the Canberra region.

Each class has been allocated a small list of suggested items to donate in the table below (please select from the list and donate what you can).

These will be placed in near the Christmas Tree in our school foyer.

All donations will be presented to a St Vincent de Paul representative at Wednesday morning assembly in Week 10 (14th December).

SRC LED CHRISTMAS DRESS UP DAY - BONUS DONATION : This year as a special SRC (Student Representative Council) led initiative, we will have a bonus donation day. On Wednesday 14th December, Students are invited to bring in a small gift for a child or family to donate to St Vincent de Paul (unwrapped to aid in hamper creation for the team) Students may dress up in Christmas-themed clothes on this day. Thank you for your generous support of St Vincent de Paul.

Please send in all food items by Tuesday 13/12/22.

Class Food Item

Kindergarten - Chips, crackers, and tinned fruits

Year 1 -  Lollies, tea and coffee

Year 2 - Tinned vegetables,jam and spreads and candy canes

Year 3 and 4 - Chocolate (boxes or blocks) rice, pasta, cereals, juice

Year 5 - Bonbons, soft drink, and Christmas cake/pudding

Year 6 - Sweet biscuits and jars of long-life ingredients such as relishes, mustards, sundried tomatoes, olives

First Sunday of Advent, Year A Gospel Reflection

The first Sunday of Advent sees the commencement of the new liturgical year. This new liturgical cycle is referred to as Year A and features the gospel of Matthew. (Year B features the gospel of Mark and Year C, that we have just completed, features the gospel of Luke.) Advent comes from the Latin word Adventus which literally means ‘coming’; it is also reflected in the Greek word Parousia, which is used to describe the second coming of Jesus. So, Advent is a time of preparation and anticipation of the coming of Christ into the world that is celebrated in the Nativity at Christmas. The gospel passage chosen for today’s reading richly expresses that anticipation and need for preparation.

It may seem a little confusing that we begin our year-long exploration of the gospel of Matthew by taking a reading from chapter 24. However, the need for readiness and alertness that Jesus speaks about in relation to the coming of the Kingdom is equally suitable for a modern audience when preparing to celebrate once again the coming of Jesus into the world. Jesus is the best expression of the Kingdom that we have yet experienced and so rather than seeing the choice of this passage as a confusion, we should recognise the alignment that exists between the anticipation of the Kingdom and the anticipation of the Nativity.

The two great feasts of Christianity – the Nativity and Easter – are each preceded by a period of preparation: Advent and Lent. The emphasis of these seasons is on the mental and spiritual preparation to fully enter into one of the great mysteries of faith. In the Nativity, we celebrate God become human; God present in the world in a physical way. Advent is a time to remember the many and varied ways that God continues to be present in the world.

(Reflection by Greg Sunter)

2022 Graduation Mass and Candle Ceremony

On Monday 12th December at 12:00pm we will be celebrating the Graduation of the class of 2022 with a Mass in our school hall. We will also be holding the traditional candle ceremony, where Year 6 Leadership in the Sts Peter and Paul Community will pass from the current Year 6 students, onto our upcoming leaders for 2023.

All families of Year 5 and 6 students are invited to join us for this very special occasion.

Have a blessed week,

Stephanie Burns

Religious Education Coordinator