Junior Faith Education

Junior School

Confirmation 2005

Confirmation 2005 was a wonderful community celebration. The programme involved eight weeks of preparation in the classroom, the home, and the Dwellingup Retreat, culminating with the actual ceremony which was on Thursday, 9 June. Once again, the parents did a fantastic job preparing the Chapel with banners, posters and beautiful flowers. It certainly set the ambience for a very meaningful celebration. The occasion was also very special for our main celebrant, Fr Brian O’Loughlin because he had baptised about nine of the candidates when they were babies.

Special thanks to our resident didgeridoo player, Shamis Bin Sali for setting the mood and acknowledging the Noongar People, the original custodians of our place of worship. Our special thanks to Fr Michael McMahon for travelling to Dwellingup for both retreats and celebrating Mass with the teachers, parents and students.

Gordon Dean

Assistant Head of Junior (Religious Education)

Farewell to Fr John

Fr John McGannon joined the Trinity Staff as Chaplain to the Junior School in 2001. He has provided us with four years of excellent chaplaincy and friendship. Fr John had a terrific rapport with the students and we all love him dearly. He became an integral part of our community, celebrating Mass and Reconciliation with the students every fortnight. Teachers really appreciated his easygoing manner and friendly nature. Fr. John also played an important role in preparing the students for Confirmation and their First Holy Communion. He always attended our Confirmation meetings with parents, which was above and beyond the call of duty. In recent months Fr John has been plagued with ill health and it is with much sadness that we say farewell and ‘thank you’ to him for his dedicated service to Trinity College and especially for his nurturing of the students in the Junior School.

Gordon Dean

My Friends’ Holy Communion

On 19 August, 2005, my friends made their First Holy Communion in Trinity College Chapel.

It was a sunny morning and I woke up feeling excited and fresh. I quickly made my bed, got dressed, ate my breakfast, packed my bag and headed off to school. As soon as we got there I jumped out of the car, put my bag on the rack and ran to the handball courts and played for a time. The friends I was playing with then had to go to the classroom to collect their badges so I went along with them because I was going to serve on the altar.

When I arrived at the chapel I saw that it looked magnificent! There were flowers everywhere and the altar was decorated with ribbons. My friends who were making their First Holy Communion had made some posters and they were hanging on the walls. They all looked very good because they were decorated with grapes and the Holy Eucharist. Michael and I went and got ready in the altar boys’ room. Father came in and said, “Get the Cross”, and the Mass started. Father, Michael and I walked up to the altar and stood in our places and the First Communicants walked into the chapel. There followed lots of singing and the readings. The time came for them to receive the Eucharist so they got in line and one by one they had the consecrated bread for the first time.

After the Mass they all lined up to have their photograph taken. We went outside and I congratulated them all and headed up to the hall where there was delicious food. The cake was the best I ever tasted! My Mum came and took me home early. It was one of the best days of my life.

Peter Matthys

(4 Blue)

Mother’s Day Homily

When we’re young we have this image of our life, grow up, fall in love, become a mother….. Motherhood has so many dimensions…..the excitement of pregnancy, the anticipation of birth, the joy of finally being able to hold this tiny person who has, up until this moment, been only a bump in the night, a pressure on our bladder, a pain in our backs! For some of us these boys who sit beside us today are our first encounter with motherhood, they became the blueprint we used for future children. For others we’d already begun this journey and these boys joined us along the way and for still others they are our one and only foray into this uncharted territory. Their uniqueness has often tested us, but there is ALWAYS an underlying joy to them! Just to watch their enthusiasm for life, their commitment when doing, saying or building whatever interests them or their quiet and serenity as they sleep, makes our hearts fill with love for them every day. As mothers we share their joys and triumphs. When they kick the goal, save the penalty or win the race we do so too and when they miss the mark, let the goal in or lose the race we also feel for them. In our eyes they are always….the BEST! As they grow, each day is the beginning of a new chapter. One day the tantrums will have gone, the balls will be packed away and we will look fondly on these days of running these boys to and from all their activities. Some of them will go on to become leaders of our community, others will go on to be leaders of a family and yet others will be ordinary, everyday men. But, one thing is for sure no matter how high the stars they reach for, they will always have our love and encouragement as their guide.

Lina Salomone

Junior School