25 October 2021

Principal’s Reflection

During last week, we celebrated ‘Kindness Day’ at Shalom. I hope this will become a regular feature on our calendar. ‘Kindness Day’ is a response for this community to ‘Mr Kerry’ (Bolam), who died in 2019. Kerry was a Teacher Aide at Shalom. He worked mainly with our older students as he supervised study. Kerry was loved and respected by so many. He gravitated towards the lost, the lonely and the least. He was not one for talking a lot, but he was a shoulder on which to lean and he was pretty good at knowing how to get the best from young people. In all the wisdom he beautifully dispensed to all who came into his orbit, his most common exhortation was just to ‘Be Kind’. Not a bad injunction for life. ‘Kindness Day’ at Shalom is now on the anniversary of Kerry’s death. All are asked to just perform random acts of kindness. With a bit of luck, it may continue on other days in the year! It has been one of the great privileges of my life at Shalom to have called Kerry a friend. We talked often and he would regularly give me, as he would students, things to read that he thought might be challenging but worthwhile. He had a very gentle wisdom about him. He was not perfect but he was good. In all the conversations I had with him, we never talked about religion or spirituality. It is one of my regrets now, that we did not. I suspect that Kerry had moved away from the practice of religion and formal expressions of spirituality. I’m sure he would have hated to be described as ‘holy’. But he was. He lived out the values of the Gospel – every day – as a teacher, as a parent and as a husband. Next weekend we all put up with and some of us will actively support children running around our streets on Halloween. As much as I am a ‘Halloween Grinch’ I will put up with the practice, but I really wish we would recognize this beautiful religious date better. Halloween is the eve of ‘All Souls’, the day before we celebrate ‘All Saints’. The Church asks us on ‘All Souls’ (or Halloween) to remember and appreciate all of those we have loved who are now with God. On the feast of All Saints, we remember all the ‘big saints’ – Francis, Terese of Avila, Mary MacKillop and so many others. They are our way finders to live better lives. At Shalom, we have been so lucky to have ‘way finders’ like Kerry Bolam and Br Rochford. Brother exuded a goodness and holiness with our young people and Kerry did the same but was less comfortable with some of the traditional practices. Both men loved the lost, the lonely and the least at Shalom. They lived out Jesus in two very different ways. But Jesus would have had no trouble recognizing either of them as they breathed their last here and their first there. Happy Halloween.

Krys Rehbein cared for and homed thousands of books over her nearly 15 years with us at Shalom as our Book Hire Coordinator. We wish Krys all the best with her future ventures and thank her for her many years as part of the Shalom community.

Yr 12 Parents & Students – now that external exams have commenced, we won’t see the Yr 12s together again until Graduation. If students are to participate in the Graduation this year, we need to have them here for a normal school day, on Wednesday Nov 17. We will do our Academic Awards for the group on that day and practice for the Grad liturgy. The Yr 12 Graduation will be on Thursday Nov 18 commencing at 10am.

The College Strings Ensemble & Choir performed beautifully in Holy Rosary Church last Saturday. It was another outstanding event and a great credit to our very talented Music staff and students. Looking forward to next Sunday’s performance in our theatre.

Mr Dan McMahon
Principal
McmahonD@shalomcollege.com

Newsletter Articles

Student Welfare and Information

Important Dates for Year 11

Tuesday 26 October – Year 11 Leadership Day
Tuesday November 9 – Orientation Afternoon 3:30pm – 5:30pm

I need parent assistance and support for this issue

When I have interviews with prospective parents for Year 7, I ask the them why they are choosing Shalom for their child. One of the things many of them say is that they see students and are impressed with the standard of uniform and that they see the students wearing it with pride.

Many staff are reporting that they often see students down town, or in shopping centres not wearing their uniforms correctly. Boys have their shirts out, some are seen with the uniform but have taken their shoes off and have thongs on their feet or girls do not have their hair tied back and many piercings.

When students are “out and about” and are still in their school uniform, they need to wear it as if they are still at school. They need to have their shirts tucked in (boys), hair still tied back (girls), no extra jewelry other than what they are allowed at school and the correct footwear, definitely not in thongs.

The staff report that the students are often with a parent.

So can I ask you that you make sure your child is wearing the uniform correctly after school or change out of it.

Mrs Elizabeth Austin-Campbell
Deputy Principal
AcampbellE@shalomcollege.com

Administration

Year 12 External Exams

External Exams for Year 12 General Subjects will occur over the period from Friday 22 October – Tuesday 16 November. Please also note that there will be a Year 12 Essential Maths exam on 22 October in the morning session in Mc6/7 in addition to these exams.

Attached is some important information about this time including:

• The External Assessment Timetable
• Directions for Students
• External Exam Equipment List
• Student Guide to External Assessment

Could parents and students please familiarise themselves with these important documents in preparation for the External Exam period?

Students need only attend school for the exams they are sitting during the External Exam Block (26 Oct – 17 Nov). Students who are required to complete outstanding work may also be required to attend school during the External Exam block as organised by the relevant classroom teacher. More information about activities that will occur on the three days after the External Exam Block (ie 17 Nov – 19 Nov) will be distributed soon.

Good luck with your study and your exams!

Mr Brendan Maher
Assistant Principal – Administration
Brendan_Maher@shalomcollege.com

Mission

Be Kind

20 October has become Shalom Kindness Day, in memory of Mr Kerry Bolam who reminded us to ‘be kind’. Two simple words that mean so much. If we are kind in our actions, our words and our thoughts we have the power to change lives for the better.

This year staff and students created a Kindness Tree. Each leaf contained a memory, a thought or an idea about being kind. A beautiful symbol of how if we all do a small part but work together, we can create something wonderful.

But don’t leave being kind to just this day. Our challenge is to make it a habit.

Year 12 Graduation

Our Year 12 Graduation will be held in the Sports Centre this year at 10 am on Thursday 18 November. This is an invitation only event this year due to COVID restrictions. Families have been allocated tickets that need to be presented for scanning upon arrival. The ceremony will be live streamed so additional family members and friends can watch as well. The link will be posted on Facebook and on our website. We are looking forward to celebrating with this wonderful group of young people.

Celebrating Sacrements

Confirmation and Eucharist are two of the seven sacraments of initiation through which Catholic Christians pass in the process of their religious upbringing. In Confirmation they are sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands and the anointing with oil. In the Eucharist they receive the Body and Blood of Jesus. Through these two sacraments they are strengthened to continue their journey in adult Christian life.

We would like to congratulate one of our students, Samuel Brosnan Year 9, who was confirmed on Sunday, 24 October at St Patrick’s Church.

Samuel Brosnan

Mrs Mary Taylor
Assistant Principal – Mission
TaylorM@shalomcollege.com

Year 7 HPV Immunisations Catch Ups

As per Wide Bay Public Health advice – there should be a (7) day timeframe between vaccinations. Guardians of students that missed the school clinic on Tuesday 19 October will be contacted re booking an appointment at the OzCare Catch up Clinic on 26/10/2021.

Student Drivers

Parents and Carers of Year 11 & 12 Students

If your child has obtained their Provisional Licence and wishes to drive to and from school you are required to fill out a Permission to Drive Form and return it to Student Reception for approval by Mrs Elizabeth Austin-Campbell. Once approved the details will be placed on our School Register.

Thanks to those Parents who have already completed this form for their child.

Mrs Amanda O’Mara
Executive Assistant to the Principal/ Enrolment Officer
amanda_omara@shalomcollege.com

Absentees

FOR ALL ABSENTEES

Preferred option is Email absentees@shalomcollege.com or Phone Absentee line 41558181

ALL student absentees should be notified to the office by 9am each day. If no notification has been received, an absentee text message will be sent out to parents to advise of the student’s absence.

SCASA

Shalom College After School Activities (SCASA)

Shalom College is offering students the opportunity to participate in organised after school activities conducted by coaches and teachers. SCASA also includes a light afternoon tea from 3.15 pm for the students and all activities will conclude at 4.45 pm.

Days

Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays are the 3 available afternoons for SCASA.

Dates

SCASA commences in Week 2 of Term 4 and continues for 7 continuous weeks of Term 4.

Times

3.00 pm - School lessons completed.
3.15 pm - Roll Call and afternoon tea (supplied) at College tuck shop and set up time for coaches
3.30 pm - Activities/ Coaching starts (various venues within school grounds)
4.30 pm - Activities/ Coaching finished
4.45 pm - Students help pack up and return equipment and picked up by parents at front of school.

SCASA Activities - see below

Monday -

Option 1 - Netball with Charlotte Boge (SC or Hangar)
Option 2 - Basketball with Thomas Laycock (SC or Hangar)

Tuesday

Option 1 - Dance with Abby McMillan (Dance Studio)
Option 2 - e-Sports with Gavin Hill and Kael Yunus (Computer labs)
Option 3 - Touch Football and Oz-Tag with Riley Dingle (Oval)

Thursday

Option 1 - Next-Jenner-ation Running training with Rebecca Jenner (Oval)
Option 2 - Tennis with Brendan Maher (Tennis Courts)
Option 3 - e-Sports with Gavin Hill and Kael Yunus (Computer labs)
Option 4 - An Afternoon with Words with Louise Hume and Wendy Egan (Resource Centre)

* e-Sports = electronic Sports

Cost

The SCASA Fee is $20.00 per term for each student.
This is to help cover the afternoon tea and instructors/coach costs.
This flat fee of $20.00 is for one, two or all three afternoons activities.
This is to encourage participation in SCASA activities.

After completing the SCASA sign on google form, at approx. week 3 of term - you will receive an invitation on Parent Lounge regarding SCASA.

Please wait until week 3 of term then login to Parent Lounge to give permission for your child to attend SCASA and pay the $20.00 fee.

Once there click on the ‘Tours and Excursions’ tab and you will find a link to SCASA Term 3 - Here you will be able to give permission for your child to attend and pay the fee.

Please also check your contact details and phone numbers are current, as we will be using this information to contact you if needed.

It is very important that all information in Parent Lounge is current as teachers will use this information in case of an emergency and to support the welfare of your child.

Please make sure that you click SAVE before logging out.

If you require assistance with Parent Lounge login, please contact the College Office.

Other school sporting teams will continue to have their own training sessions as usual under the direction of their coaches e.g Strength and Conditioning training, Rugby League, Netball, Touch Football etc.

This SCASA program is designed to give extra opportunities for Shalom College students to become involved in supervised physical activities after school.

Please complete the student and parent details in the google form below

REMINDER - no confirming phone calls are made by the school to confirm you are in the program - as once you sign on and you receive an online response - your child has been registered and please turn up starting week 2.

SPECIAL NOTE - Once an activity is full - I will omit it from the selections below - so it cannot be selected.

Mr Peter Robinson
High Performance Program
After School Activities
Peter_Robinson@shalomcollege.com

Pathways

Empowering Women in Finance & Tech Webinar

Macquarie are inviting Year 9 and 10 female school students to join them to hear about the exciting career opportunities available in Finance and Tech. The event will include a welcome from Macquarie’s COO Nicole Sorbara followed by a panel Q&A with four successful early-career women who are achieving amazing things discuss their career pathways and why they're excited about the future.

This FREEE webinar is an incredible opportunity to find out more about how you can unlock opportunities in this exciting career space

The webinar will be held on Wednesday 27 October at 4:00pm (AEDT). You can register using the link Empowering Women in Finance & Tech: Investing in next generation leaders webinar

Are You Passionate about the Music Industry?

The Australian Institute of Music (AIM) is the only private tertiary college in Australia dedicated exclusively to the pursuit of excellence in music. AIM is full of people who are passionate about music, and excited about training the next generation of musicians and industry professionals.

AIM has been in operation for over 50 years, delivering quality tertiary education for students who aspire to a career in music or the music industry. There are a range of Music and Entertainment Management degrees of the highest academic quality – with short courses, Bachelor and Masters options on offer. Combined with close links to all facets of the music industry AIM has a very clear idea of the skills and knowledge that the industry needs, both now and into the future. Check out the amazing and varied list of courses on offer in the AIM Music Careers Guide.

Are You Headed to the Sunshine Coast for Further Study in 2022?

UniCentral is a student accommodation located opposite the University of the Sunshine Coast. Accommodation applications for 2022 are now open.

Students & parents can book a UniCentral tour any weekday between 10am and 4pm by contacting the office 07 5373 0000 to view the facilities, apartments and rooms and to get a taste of the UniCentral Lifestyle. Alternately, the Open Day will be held on Saturday 6th of November 10am -3pm (Dependant on any Covid restrictions at the time).

Learn more about UniCentral here.

Certificate II in Engineering Pathways

The Year 12 Certificate II Engineering Pathways students have successfully completed their course and were presented with their certificates by Blue Dog Trainer, Mr Garrick Dillon, at the end of last term. Students who completed the course produced projects using the CNC Plasma Cutter, Milling Machine, Metal Lathes, MIG welders and various sheet metal fabricating machinery.

The biggest project is the Rotisserie BBQ / Fire Pit that can be used in either the yard stand or the small Galvanized portable stand. A great addition for any camping trip.

The Certificate II in Engineering Pathways course is a fantastic opportunity for students to develop their knowledge and skill in the practical Engineering field. Students can then further their career by attaining an Engineering apprenticeship upon leaving school. Any questions about the subject, please contact Mr Dave Allen in the Manual Arts department.

Ben Wood, Tim Rhode, Mr Garrick Dillon, Blue Dog Trainer, Charlie Gayton, Mr David Allen, Manual Arts Teacher, Temanu Tangiora and Riley Coutts (absent – Safia Borg, Ebonee Garnham and Will Zahn) pictured with the Rotisserie BBQ / Fire Pits

Bargara Beach Hotel - Apprentice Chef

Do you have a passion for cooking and aspire to becoming a Chef?

Imagine doing your apprenticeship at the newest Hotel in the region, where you would be working in a fully equipped kitchen with training, support and guidance from three highly skilled chefs.

Apply now by emailing your resume to info@bargarahotel.com.au

From Shalom to Cheffing

Past student Liam Smith recently returned to Bundaberg as Host Chef at a local Food and Wine Club. Liam’s visit coincided with National Skills Week, Liam was generous enough to take some time out of his busy day to have a chat about his life as a Chef.

Whilst at school Liam started a School Based Apprenticeship through TAFE Queensland at Montezumas Mexican Restaurant, after completing Year 12 in 2014 he worked full time at Montezumas for 1 Year to complete his apprenticeship. After completing his apprenticeship Liam moved to Brisbane to work at Four Points by Sheraton where he began life as a Commis Chef, a short time after this he was promoted to Demi Chef where he worked in this role for 2 Years. Soon after Liam’s 21st Birthday he gained a position at the newly opened Westin Brisbane, working in one of their 4 restaurants, Eden’s Table. It was in August this year that Liam was promoted to Chefs de Partie, this position will allow him to play a pivotal role in the transition from a Quarantine menu back to an a la carte menu at the completion of Hotel Quarantine.

Liam Smith

The Pathways Team
Mrs Liza O’Donnell, Mrs Kathy Laing & Mrs Julia Fox
Liza_ODonnell@shalomcollege.com
LaingK@shalomcollege.com
Julia_Fox@shalomcollege.com

Quiet Achiever

Michael Richardson

Year 7 Student Michael Richardson is always heavily involved with all House and College activities. Recently he sold an amazing 4 Raffle Books for our Phoenix House fundraiser which was a fantastic effort.

Michael also represented the College at Golf and plays on the weekends.

Mr Jason Baulch
Lingiari House Coordinator
BaulchJ@shalomcollege.com

Year 12 Industrial Technology Skills Class Initiative

A huge thank you to Mr Michael Zardus and his Year 12 Industrial Technology Skills class who recently completed a Community Project to help beautify the school grounds by making waste bin covers for the plastic rubbish bins in the eating areas around the school. We will put these in the year 7 area to start with.

The groups long term goal is to have a pigeon pair of Waste and Recycle bin covers in our eating areas.

We hope that these will also assist with helping to reduce the rubbish when the Sunday markets are on.

Thanks to Mr Zardus and his class for this great Community Project initiative.

Music Department

Every Wednesday morning, the dedicated members of Rochford Strings can be heard rehearsing in the PAP. This team of musicians has gone from strength to strength, working on fundamental musical skills such as bow technique, playing in tune and producing a full tone, and extending their repertoire to more advanced techniques that will prepare them to join Chamber Strings in the future.

The enthusiasm of the group has allowed them to pull together and produce some excellent performances. They have featured in concerts at Shalom, performed as part of the massed orchestra with St Peter’s Lutheran College in Term 2, and most recently performed in two competitions. The statewide festival, Queensland Catholic Schools Music Festival (QCMF) is held annually in Brisbane. This year the festival was online, which allowed students to watch the other orchestras in the section. Shalom performed admirably, and Rochford Strings was awarded a Gold Award (the highest award) for their performance. They were commended for their stage presence, full sound, cohesive playing and stylistic interpretation.

Following this, the Maryborough Eisteddfod was also moved online after a last-minute lockdown, and Rochford Strings recorded another video performance to submit. They were rewarded for their resilience with First Place in the string orchestra section. Again, the adjudicators were very complimentary of the ensemble, praising their polished performance and ability to work together to produce a full sound. The group is justifiably proud of these wonderful results.

Rochford Strings is preparing for three more events this year. In Week 4, they will be working with string pedagogue and composer Stephen Chin from Brisbane Boys’ Grammar School to learn more about string technique and performance skills. This will be followed by a performance at the Year 12 Farewell Concert. To finish the year, Rochford Strings will feature at an afternoon concert for the music orientation day, playing some of their own pieces and then combining with the Year 6 students who will be joining us in 2022.

We would like to congratulate Rochford Strings for a busy year of music making and for the wonderful progress that they are making as a group.

Mrs Nicole Strohfeldt
Instrumental Music Teacher – Strings
Nicole_Strohfeldt@shalomcollege.com

Aquatic Practices Surf Lesson

Year 12 Aquatic Practices students participated in a ‘learn to surf’ lesson at Nielson Park in Week Two. This was the culminating ‘outdoor’ activity for their Surf Awareness and First Aid module. The beach and surf are a huge part of Australian society, so this module aimed to ensure students could enjoy the surf safely now and in the future. As part of this module, students practiced first aid knowledge and skills (with the opportunity to gain a first aid certificate), and gain knowledge and skills in surf awareness and safety. Previous excursions to the beach allowed students to practice wading, porpoising, body surfing and other surf lifesaving skills, along with conducting a tube rescue of a ‘drowning’ victim.

Our surfing lesson allowed students to experience one of Australia’s favourite pastimes, under the guidance of our accredited instructor, Phil Moller. Some students were already proficient surfers, so enjoyed the opportunity to get outdoors. Most were novices to surfing and were quick to develop their basic skills. All students were able to stand up riding a wave more than once in our session.

Students are to commended for their positive engagement and commitment during the activity – the small surf at Nielson Park proved a challenge. Thanks go to Phil for his expertise and calm manner in coaching our students.

Mr Troy Braund
Aquatic Practices Teacher
troy_braund@shalomcollege.com

Sport

Qld All schools Athletics Championships 2021

Congratulations to Year 12 Student - Kharla Hills and Year 10 Student Joshua Bulbert who both competed at the Qld All schools athletics Championships recently in the 18 years 100m, 200m and Long Jump.

Kharla placed 6th in Qld for the 100m, 4th in Qld for the 200m and place 2nd in Qld for Longjump bringing home a Silver Medal. She now looks forward to 2022 where she will compete at the Qld Athletics State Championships in the under 20’s category and the National Championships will follow in April 2022.

Joshua competed in the 100m and came 4th in his heat and 24th overall in QLD with a time of 12.56 sec. In the 200m he came 5th in his heat and 24th overall in Qld with a matched PB (personal best) of 26.26 sec.

Kharla Hills

Joshua Bulbert

Congratulations to both Kharla and Joshua!

Futsal

We had three Year 10 Shalom students that were part of the U16 QLD Country Futsal Team that participated at the Futsal Championships in Brisbane recently. Congratulations to Beau Schubel, Sam Hodgkinson, Flynn Murphy.

Beau Schubel, Sam Hodgkinson, Flynn Murphy.

QLD Hockey Selection

Congratulations to Year 10 Student Samuel Aitkenhead. After attending the U18 Indoor Hockey State Championships last weekend Samuel has been selected in the Queensland U18’s team.

Unfortunately the Nationals which were to take place in January 2022 have been cancelled due to Covid restrictions and possible lock downs however Hockey Qld are hopeful to be able to hold a Tri-state Championship with Qld and 2 other states to take place in January instead.

Well done Samuel.

Mr Peter Robinson
High Performance Program
After School Activities
Peter_Robinson@shalomcollege.com

Uniform Shop Opening Hours

Sports/House Polo Shirts

Special Price Now $30 were $41

Uniform appointment dates for 2022 year 7 & year 10 girls 15 minute appointments

All appointments need to be booked online using the link below.

Commencing Term 4

Tuesday - 9:00am to 11:00am
3:45pm to 5:15pm

Appointment Only

Wednesdays - 9:00am to 11:00am

Appointment Only

Thursdays - 9:00am to 10:15am
11:00am to 1:00pm
3:45pm to 5:15pm

Appointment Only

Monday 29/11/2021 – 8:00am to 11:45am
1:00pm to 4:45pm

Appointment Only

Wednesday - 08/12/2021- 8:00am to 11:45am

Appointment Only

Closed Wednesday 08/12/2021 from 12:00pm for Stocktake.
Holidays Thursday 9/12/2021 – 09/01/2022

Re – open Monday 10/01/2022
Appointment Only

Monday 10/01/2022 – Friday 14/01/2022
8:00am – 11:45am
1:00pm – 4:45pm

Monday 17/01/2022 onwards no appointments necessary.

Mrs Leanne Barker
Uniform Shop Co-ordinator
barkerl@shalomcollege.com
Phone: 41 558 121

Term Dates for 2021

Term 1: Wednesday 27 January - Thursday 1 April (10 weeks)
Term 2: Monday 19 April - Friday 25 June (10 weeks)
Term 3: Monday 12 July - Friday 17 September (10 weeks)
Term 4: Tuesday 5 October - Friday 3 December (9 weeks)

Parent and Carer Tuckshop Volunteers

At the start of each school year we ask parents to indicate their availability for volunteering in the College tuckshop.

Life is busy and forever changing, so for this reason we have set up a booking system that will not only accommodate our very much appreciated regular volunteers, but also families who may not be able to commit on a regular basis and who may have a day here or there throughout the year to come along and lend a hand and support our students. The beauty of this system is that you can select your day and manage your booking, so if something comes up, you can quickly and easily go online to reschedule or cancel. Your booking will generate a confirmation email with links to manage your booking, it can be synched with your calendar and an SMS is sent the day before as a reminder. Of course, we are also here to help - simply contact Shalom College on 4155 8111.

For those of you who are regular volunteers your shifts have already been added to the schedule for this year and you should have received an e-mail for each booked shift.

Shifts last from 2 to 3 hours (school drop off to around 11.30 am).

No experience required!

Tuckshop

Breakfast

Breakfast is now available in the tuckshop for purchase each morning 8:00am – 8:30am.

Items include

Bacon & Egg Muffins - $3.50
Ham & Cheese Croissant - $3.50
Porridge & Cereal - $3 (self-service option with milk and bowl & cutlery are supplied)
Fresh Fruit - $1 (seasonal fruits such as; Bananas, Apples, Mandarins etc.)
Plus, the already available items of Yoghurt Pots, Up n Go drinks & Flavoured Milk

Students who train before school need to consider utilising the breakfast menu to replenish energy lost during their training sessions, however must be dressed appropriately before entering the tuckshop and must not be late for class.

Shalom Sunday Markets

Shalom Markets will continue to operate (with restrictions) until further notice!

• Fresh food stalls fruit, vegetable & local food products
• BBQ and tuckshop are operating, social distancing practices are in place
• Social distancing to include gaps between stalls (all outdoors)

SHALOM MARKETS 6AM TO 12PM EVERY SUNDAY!

Markets Tuckshop Roster

New volunteers are DESPERATELY required for the Markets Tuckshop or BBQ, if you have any queries please contact Leanne via email – barkerl@shalomcollege.com

Markets BBQ Roster

Community Notice Board

Shalom College Families Business and Trade Directory

Halloween Gala Event Hosted by Shalom Rowing

Shalom Rowing are hosting a Halloween Gala at the Civic Centre, the ticket includes:

• Welcome drink (non alcoholic for the under 18s)
• Three course dinner
• Live band and DJ so we can all dance the night away
• Lucky door prizes
• Costume prizes
• Plus the chance to win some of the awesome prizes donated for the event, including an AUTOGRAPHED MAL MENINGA JERSEY, ACCOMMODATION AND GREEN FEES in Agnes Waters.

Tickets are available here

Jack O’Lantern Competition

Non State Schools Transport Assistance Scheme

Youth Support

Headspace

Find Out More below

The Catholic Parish of Bundaberg

Office Hours: 9:00 - 1:00 Monday to Friday
Parish Office: Rossolini Place Level 1, 66 Woongarra St
Ph: 07 4151 6666 PO Box 79 Bundaberg QLD 4670
Email: sbundaberg@rok.catholic.net.au
AFTER HOURS: Anointing of the sick for medical emergencies
phone 4151 6666 and follow the prompt
UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF MARY MOTHER OF CHURCH

Current Parish Bulletin

Letter from the Bishop

GOOD NEWS

CURRENT ROSTER (Term 4 2021)

The Journey So Far

Plenary Council

Inspiring, Hope-Filled and Challenging are just some of the many feelings experienced throughout the First General Assembly of the Plenary Council held via Microsoft Teams across Australia earlier this October. We now enter a time of prayer, reflection, development and discernment. We will offer our presentations during the Second Assembly of the Council scheduled for July in Sydney, next year. The presentations will be coordinated with the other Australian preparations for the 2023 Synod, For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission, called by Pope Francis in March this year. The first General Assembly was challenged with the question: What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time? There were many diverse thoughts and presentations covering the six agenda areas of Conversion, Prayer, Formation, Structures, Governance and Institutions with their sixteen focus questions. This was the first time the Laity were included as members of the council which allowed for a more far-reaching representation of the People of God. The opportunity for the members to break into small groups to focus on the questions allowed for open and robust discussions and inclusive reports. The sessions on the Thursday were challenging as we, as a church, confronted the questions How might we heal the wounds of abuse, coming through the eyes of those who have been abused? and How might the Church in Australia meet the needs of the most vulnerable? The missionary vision of Pope Francis was always present in the deliberations. Key values included: Christ-Centred Spirituality, Community, Prayer, Liturgy, Education and Formation, Sacramental Life and Service through the vocations of all the baptised. Ringing in our ears was the call from Pope Francis to find a new way of living as Church in Australia amidst the challenges of today. We listened to the many stories calling us into reconciling with the abuse victims and our first Nations people, the importance and advantages of inclusive leadership and governance, the call to ‘go out’ to the margins. Many made us aware of the role of the young people, women, single people, parents and families, people with diverse experiences of sexuality and gender and others who feel there is no place for them in society and church. Other discussions included the questions on ecology, ecumenism, people from eastern churches and people of other faiths. It was a privilege to join with our Rockhampton Diocesan members, Bishop Michael McCarthy, Loretta McKeering, Catherine Simmonds, Peter Doherty and all the other two hundred and seventy-nine Plenary Council members throughout Australia. I believe our Catholic Church has a real opportunity to be awakened to God’s calling amidst the darkness and uncertainties of our time. Will we hear the cry in the wilderness? It is time for us to be broken open and shared. Are we prepared to drink this Cup?

Fr Peter Tonti
Parish Priest

"Good News Magazine"

"The annual parish "Good News" magazine will now become a bi-monthly bulletin of photos and brief news stories. If your parish group would like to be showcased in the bulletin, please send in your photos with a short note, and we will attempt to include it in the coming edition. We welcome your feedback as we trial this new format."

"September Edition"

Triple P

The State Government is funding free access to Triple P, which is the world’s most evidence-based parenting program and has helped more than four million children and their parents around the world develop closer, more positive relationships.

Please click on this link, which will take you to the website where you can access information relevant to your situation.

This link will remain in our Newsletter with Triple P sending us regular updates and helpful tips.