NAIDOC Week Liturgy

Today we gather for a liturgy to celebrate NAIDOC Week. The 2025 NAIDOC Week theme is:
“The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy.”
This theme is all about young people; their voices, their leadership, and their dreams for the future. It celebrates how the next generation of First Nations peoples are carrying forward the strength of their cultures, the vision of their communities, and the legacy of Elders who have walked before them. We thank Year 5/6 and our First Nations students for leading our liturgy today. We also acknowledge Ms Renee Foot and Miss Hayley Millsom for all their work in preparing the liturgy.

Souper Hero Day

On Friday, our school was filled with capes, kindness, and community spirit as we celebrated Souper Hero Day in support of the Vinnie’s Winter Appeal!
Students and staff dressed as superheroes - not just the kind that fly, but real-life heroes who want to help others. We had super teachers (Super Cooper and Ms Conroy with the eyes in the back of her head), super students, super villains, local legends like Firefighter Crispin, Ms Farley’s grandma Norma (a dedicated Vinnie’s volunteer), and even a few super dads!
Thanks to the generosity of our school community, we collected 136 cans of soup and a total of 152 donations to support our local Vinnies. These items will go directly to families in need this winter.
A huge thank you to Tony Waddell (President of Braidwood Vinnies), Sarah Paciorek (Parish Secretary), and our local Vinnies store for their support!
Together, we’ve shown that small acts of kindness can make a SUPER big difference!
For more information about the incredible work of St Vincent de Paul, visit: https://www.vinnies.org.au/

Illuminate

Last Thursday, some of our Year 6 leaders travelled to Canberra to attend Illuminate, a youth ministry gathering. Our students joined 350 students from 15 other CECG schools. We joined in prayer, listened to our new Executive Director, Mr David de Carvalho, developed their leadership skills through workshops and were inspired by Blessed Carlo Acutis. We thank the CECG team for inviting our students to be apart of this day and assisting them to grow as faith leaders in our school.

St Bede’s Parish Mass

Father Sijo will be on leave for the next month. The Thursday weekday Mass will be on hold until late July. Our Saturday Mass will continue at 5pm as normal with Fr Samson covering our Parish.

Yours in faith,
Shaye Cooper
Religious Education Coordinator (Acting)

Prayer for NAIDOC Week

Dear God,
Eternal Creator, source of all that is good, during this year’s NAIDOC Week, we contemplate the richness of First Nation Australians, who embody resilience and wisdom, passed down through generations. Teach us to honour these traditions, to walk alongside with respect and understanding. Grant us the courage to pursue justice and reconciliation, in the name of Jesus Christ, who calls us to unity and compassion, in harmony with the Holy Spirit, now and forever.
Amen.