Dear Parents, Carers, Staff and Students, 

Over the next three nights we celebrate an important milestone in the faith journey of a number of our Year 6 students and for other students in our St Anthony’s Parish. They will receive the sacrament of Confirmation under the faith guidance of our Parish Priest, Fr Peter, who will be confirming our children on behalf of Bishop Brian Mascord. The reality of the world we live in has presented us with many challenges, especially when working with the Parish to prepare students for the celebration of a Sacrament. It is an absolute privilege to give witness to  students, with the support of the families, expressing their visible willingness to complete their initiation into our Catholic community.

This Sacrament is called Confirmation because the faith given in Baptism is now confirmed and made strong. The focus of Confirmation is on the Holy Spirit, who confirmed the apostles on Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4) and gave them courage to practice their faith. Catholics believe that the same Holy Spirit confirms Catholics during the Sacrament of Confirmation and gives them the same gifts and fruits.

As a Catholic community let us call upon the fruits of the Holy Spirit to inspire and embolden the very essence of who we are:

Let us pray for patience; may we be patient with the preparation process and all of its intricacies. 

Let us pray for gentleness; may we be gentle with our teens as they learn, grow and absorb. 

Let us pray for love; may we love our teens the way that God loves us. 

In times when we would rather choose to stay quiet than speak the Truth, God gives us fortitude. 

In times when we do not know what to do, God provides us with counsel. 

In times when we desire to know and understand God better, He gives us wisdom and knowledge.

We pray for all the students who will be confirmed and their families as they are filled with the Holy Spirit and are called to live their life filled with God’s goodness and love. 

Thank you to the families of our students who have supported them on their journey as they have prepared for Confirmation and thank you to the teachers, catechists and Sacramental organisers who have helped prepare the students for this very special occasion. I would especially like to acknowledge Mrs Julie Smith, our Religious Education Coordinator, who has worked closely with Fr Peter and Mr Paul Wyatt, the Parish Sacramental Coordinator, to ensure the close connection between school and Parish continues to flourish. 

Take care as we enjoy the rest of the term.

Mr Justin Devlin

Principal