Religious Life of St Monica's 

Ash Wednesday 

Yesterday we gathered as a whole school for our Ash Wednesday mass led by Father Mick in St Monica’s church. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, a time of preparation for the great feast of Easter. The word ‘Lent’ is short for ‘lengthening of days’ where in the Northern Hemisphere the days are getting longer and warmer. Here in the Southern Hemisphere our days are getting shorter and cooler as we prepare for Autumn and Winter. Lent is a joyful season where we prepare for the resurrection of the Lord.  

 During Lent  we give special attention to three parts of our lives: 

1. Prayer- with a focus on quality, not quantity; 

1. Fasting- give up something so that we give more attention to what is good; and 

1. Almsgiving- helping others.  

Let us lengthen our prayers, our acts of kindness and give up the things that do not show others that we follow Jesus. Let us give up fighting and anything that brings unhappiness to others.  

Each year during Lent Catholic Schools across Australia raise money for Project Compassion. Yesterday, the eldest child in your family will have been given a donation box for Project Compassion. As a Catholic school, Project Compassion is one of our major charity drives. Your generous support this Lenten season will enable Caritas Australia to provide life-changing support to communities facing poverty, food insecurity, lack of education, and water shortages, while building resilience against future challenges. Together, through faith and action, we can bring hope and opportunity to those most in need. Please collect donations over the next six weeks of Lent. Donation boxes can be sent in each Friday, with final donations collected in Week 10. Thank you in advance for your generosity. 

To support our focus on almsgiving, fasting, and prayer your child will have received a 40 acts wall chart. The theme for 40 acts 2025 is: Do Lent generously. The idea behind 40 acts, is to complete one act a day as we journey through the 40 days of Lent. 

Opening our Hearts to the Holy Spirit