REC Report
The date for the 2nd Rite of Reconciliation (mentioned in last week’s newsletter) has been moved to Monday 15th April at 6:30 pm. This is the first week of the school holidays (Holy Week) and will take place at St Thomas Aquinas Church, Bowral. Several priests will be in attendance. This is a very good way to prepare for the Easter season and is quite timely for our Year 6 Confirmation candidates who have been asked to participate in the sacrament of penance as part of their preparation.
If participating in this sacrament is something that interests you but you are unsure of the process, here is a short summary of what takes place:
The second form of the sacrament of penance is a communal liturgical celebration and begins with the community listening to the word of God. There is a brief homily which emphasises our need for repentance and the infinite mercy of God. During the examination of conscience, the assembly reflects together on where and how they have fallen short of their baptismal commitment to follow Christ.
The individual confession and absolution that follows is communal too in that the penitents approach the priests in full view of all present. The priests stand at appropriate points around the church in such a way that penitents can be seen but not heard by others. Those who wish to confess their sins approach one of the priests. While no restriction is placed on the individual's confession, good manners and common sense dictate that people limit the time they spend with priests.
‘Stations of the Cross’
Next Monday afternoon (8th April) children from Year 3 to Year 6 will walk the outdoor ‘Stations of the Cross’ at “The Hermitage” (A Retreat and Spirituality Centre in Mittagong). Br Bill has kindly offered to provide bus transport free of charge for us. Classroom teachers will accompany the children through the 14 stations and lead the prayers and reflection. The outdoor stations are quite beautiful and experiencing them in this way will be quite meaningful as we approach Holy Week.
There are just two more weeks to contribute to our Project Compassion appeal. Thank you very much to the families who have donated already.
Mr Richard Tuckwell, REC