Dear Parents/Carers,

"Heavenly Father, just as the outpouring of Your Holy Spirit on Pentecost so drastically changed the lives of the disciples, may the burning fire of Your Holy Spirit refine and renew us, so that we will never be the same. May we move in the power of the Spirit, and may our lives and ministries be infused with Your divine touch. May the Spirit of wisdom and revelation cause us to grow in our knowledge of You. Amen."

This Sunday, we celebrate Pentecost Sunday. This most significant feast day commemorates the time when the disciples of Jesus were blessed by the Holy Spirit and given the courage and strength to carry on his mission. Pentecost is seen as the birth of the church and it helps us to consider - "How do I contribute to Jesus' mission?" Just as the men and women were transformed following Jesus' resurrection some two thousand years ago into energetic and outspoken witnesses of Jesus, so too must each of us today.

I would like to pass on my thanks, on behalf of the students, to the P & F for organising the disco last Friday night. It was well supported by many parent volunteers which helped the children to have a fun and safe time. The P & F is planning to have a second disco later in the year.

This current burst of cold weather unfortunately meant that our whole-school Mass scheduled for yesterday had to be postponed. Having a whole-school Mass in our church is difficult due to space, so the COLA works very well. However, we are always going to be affected by adverse weather. We will let you know when we can reschedule this Mass. With an easing of some COVID restrictions, we are now having a grade attend the 9.30am Parish Mass each Friday. This has helped the children to reconnect with the church building and parish.

Tonga Appeal

Thank you to the families who have already supported the St John's Parish Tonga Appeal. There is information in today's Newsletter providing details of how you can support this appeal. The nation of Tonga is still struggling to recover from the impact of the volcanic explosion earlier this year, and this is one small but practical way in which we can assist in their recovery.

Wishing you a happy and safe week,