Junior Faith Education

We commenced the school year with a Mass prepared by the teachers, setting a wonderful example of what was to follow with Year level Masses.

At this Mass we had the blessing and presentation of the Prefects’ and House Captains’ Badges.

The Year level Masses are a central part of our Faith Develop Programme. Each class has several opportunities during the year to organise the Mass for the rest of the school community.

This year we were well supported by parents who attended these Masses. It has now become a tradition that the parents who attend Mass bring a plate and have morning tea in the Boardroom after Mass. It provides an opportunity for parents to socialise, and more importantly to build on our community spirit.

Chaplain

At Trinity we are blessed with the services of a full-time Chaplain, Fr. Michael McMahon who generously attends to the Sacramental needs of the community. We really appreciate the time and effort he puts into the Junior School. Nothing is too much trouble for him especially driving to Dwellingup to celebrate the Eucharist on our Confirmation retreats.

Father also ran a very successful retreat day for the staff at the Redemptorist Monastery in North Perth. The purpose of the retreat was to instill an awareness of the origins of the Gospels in general in the historical context of the Church Journal and in particular with regard to the Gospel of Luke and to tease out the contextualization which took place in the Gospels and how this process can be duplicated in our reflection on the Gospel. The day was very casual, enjoyed by the staff and ended with a Eucharistic celebration and lunch.

Confirmation

Once again we had an overwhelming response with parent involvement in the Confirmation Home Program.

The Home Program was a great success and parents expressed how beneficial it was for the parents and boys involved. It also provided the parents with the opportunity to get to know each other on a more personal level. The Confirmation Retreat was held at Camp Kelly and was a great success.

Special thanks to Father Michael McMahon who attended both Year 7 Retreats and for all his input with the program. The Masses we had were very special and meaningful for the boys. The setting was superb, overlooking the valley.

Confirmation took place on the 7th June. This was the second year that we had Father Michael as our main celebrant and what a superb job he does! The service was a memorable occasion beginning with the recognition of the traditional custodians of our land. Our thanks to George Walley who did a brilliant job playing the didgeridoo.

Special thanks to Mr. Maxfield and Mr. Bell for doing a superb job preparing the boys and for their input on the retreat.

First Holy Communion

On the 17th August about sixty- two boys received their First Holy Communion. There was much preparation leading to this very special celebration. The boys were well prepared by Mrs Margaret Trutwein and Miss Felicity Trend. One of the highlights of the preparation was their day retreat at the Schoenstatt Shrine in Armadale. Sister Lissett facilitated a wonderful day of reflection and hands on activities for the boys.

Parents and boys did a wonderful job with the First Holy Communion posters which were displayed in the foyer of the Junior School before adorning the Chapel on the Day.

Special thanks to the many parents who helped with the flowers and decorating of the Chapel.

Fr. Michael added his own special touch to the service and made it very personal for the boys.

Letters from the boys

Dear Jesus, On Friday I received my First Holy Communion. In the morning I was in a hurry to get to school. Once I entered the Chapel, I was surprised at how many people there were. When it was my turn to speak, I felt very nervous. I was very excited when Communion started. The bread tasted like an ice-cream cone.

From Nick Gillespie

Dear Jesus, When I arrived at school I was a bit nervous and I told myself to be confident and to relax. When I was doing my reading, I felt proud to read in front of so many people. I saw my mum taking a photo of me and it made me smile. When I received the Host, I felt that I was a man like my dad.

From Christopher Goi

Faith Education

Faith Education

Mothers’ Day

Once again we were very fortunate to have mums share their reflections on mothering as part of the homily. Here are a few excerpts from their talks.

When I reflect on the wonders of motherhood, I automatically think of our children as babies even though the eldest is almost 16. I guess no matter how old they will always be my babies…

As my children have grown there have certainly been trying times, moments when keeping my temper has seemed impossible and lowering my blood pressure an unattainable goal. I think these times are when I need to remember the most what I love about being a Mum.

I love the time at night when I will be lying in bed reading and my son will join me and we just lie there and talk, about who won the latest game and what’s happening in his life. It means so much to me that even though there’ve been times our voices have been raised that we are still able to communicate.

I love the times when we have family movie nights. I always get to choose the film so it is usually a “girly” movie. Even though it’s not that cool to watch Disney happy ever after movies they don’t complain. It means so much to me that our kids will do something for their Mum when I know that it’s not an activity they would normally choose to do.

I love the times when I come home from work exhausted, mentally thinking of all the work I still need to do and my son will have cleaned the kitchen, started dinner and set the table and tried to do as many of the little jobs as he can to make life easier. It means so much to me that even though a teenager can be very selfcentred, there are still times he thinks of his Mum first.

These are the moments I cherish, the times that carry me through the tears and make me truly grateful for the gift I received when I became a Mum.

Thank you.

Rachel McSweeny Why I love being a mum……….

What can I say? Being a mum is fabulous – it is hard work but it is certainly one of the best decisions I have made in my life.

I’m really glad that I have boys; they are so much simpler than girls! When in doubt, give them a footy or take them to the park.

I love being a footy mum (which is lucky, as I get to watch 3-4 footy games every weekend). I also love shooting baskets with the boys, kicking the footy, riding bikes, playing Monopoly, hearing all about runescape or the latest X-Box 360 game….and I especially love the snuggles. They will NEVER be too old to cuddle.

I love it when they get the ball and I yell and scream with pride (much to their embarrassment!) I love the warm fuzzies and goose bumps I get when they get an award or perform in a concert. I am so proud of them.

I would be lying if I said I like the cooking, washing and cleaning, or the dirty looks I get when I ask them to do their room…….BUT…if I have to do it for someone, there’s no-one I’d rather do it for than my 2 boys. I love them to death!

I know I am lucky and I know that the time I have with them is short – I feel like I shouldn’t waste a minute of it. (Although I have instructed them to marry a Perth girl and to buy a house less than 5kms from home so I can see them all the time!).

They are my best friends. They know me so well and I know them so well. Finally…to use that line from Jerry McGuire – “they complete me” and I cannot imagine my life without them.

Liz Perry