St John the Evangelist Catholic Parish Primary School Campbelltown
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133 Lindesay St
Campbelltown NSW 2560
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Email: info@sjctdow.catholic.edu.au
Phone: 02 4625 1171
Fax: 02 4625-9118

Principal's Report

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Next weekend, on 21st September, many of our Year 6 students will be presented to Bishop Brian Mascord, as candidates for the Sacrament of Confirmation. The sacrament of Confirmation is the final step of initiation into the Catholic faith and for the candidates it is a very public reaffirmation of the promises originally made by their parents and godparents, on their behalf at Baptism.

A powerful ritual in the Confirmation liturgy is the anointing by the Bishop with the oil of Chrism. Anointing with oil is an ancient symbolic ritual that continues to be used today. Kings, queens, prophets and priests were anointed to show they were chosen by God to lead with justice and integrity. The anointing of the candidate at Confirmation is a sign of confirming the gift of the Spirit, and a calling to become involved in the life and mission of the community. The words ‘Christ’ and ‘Messiah’ mean ‘anointed one’. The ritual of anointing with the perfumed oil of Chrism also symbolises being sealed, marked and identified by the Holy Spirit. We are anointed to be Christ for each other, and to be Christ in the world.

As we remember our students who will now become fully initiated members of the Church, it may also be an opportune time to reflect on our own personal faith journey and our effectiveness in our role as parents, the first teachers of our child’s faith. The celebration of Confirmation within our community is an invitation to each one of us to reflect on the Baptismal promises that were first made on our behalf by our parents and godparents when we too, were baptised. This process invites us into a deeper way of relating to God, to Jesus and to one another, and to become more actively involved in the life of the community through the on-going presence of the Holy Spirit.

The Sacrament of Confirmation speaks of the need to bring the blessings of the gifts of the Holy Spirit to life. St John’s is a school community not only filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but abundantly blessed by the generous sharing of these gifts. This can be witnessed on a daily basis. Thank you to all the staff who support and nurture the faith journey of each of our students each and every day.

Our Year 6 Confirmation candidates have been assisted in their preparation for Confirmation through the commitment of Mrs Hampton, our REC and the members of the Parish Sacramental team, Mrs Stephens and Mrs McNally. Gratitude is extended to Miss Cataldi, Mrs Skinner, Mr Astill, Mrs Merrett, Mr Jenkins and Mrs Hampton who so generously gave of their time to facilitate the workshops.

On behalf of the candidates I thank each of them for their readiness to live out their faith commitment.

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Our teachers and our Parish have done a tremendous job in the preparation of the Confirmation candidates for 2019, but it does not stop there. The preparation and formal occasion of the sacrament is only the beginning. Confirmation is the acceptance of Jesus’ call to us to be living evidence of Christ in our world today. This is not an easy task for an eleven or twelve year old. In fact, it is not an easy task for adults to make such a commitment to their faith. This is the very reason why we, as the adults, need to support, nurture and guide our children in understanding the commitment they have made.

As parents what can we do to continue to guide and nurture the living witness of Jesus within our children? As a start, we could commit to living with an attitude of peace and joy and striving to bring our gifts of the spirit to life within our community. We could be open to recognise the times when the ‘Spirit’ invites us to reach out or respond to the needs of another. May we be challenged in the weeks ahead to make space for the spirit to work in and through us. In doing so, may we also confirm our place as the first teachers of faith for our children.

Wishing many blessing for the Confirmation candidates, their sponsors and families next weekend.
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Mrs Jane Webb
Acting Principal