Evangelisation
ASH WEDNESDAY
On Wednesday 17th of February, MacKillop College celebrated the beginning of the Lenten Season with a Prayer Service for Ash Wednesday. We held three services lead by our very enthusiastic Year 9 and 10 Youth Ministry Classes.
The student leaders reminded the students about the Pillars of Lent – PRAYER, FASTING & ALMSGIVING.
For Christians, prayer is a time of talking to God. I might be asking for help or thanking God for his goodness. Through prayer we come closer to God so that we are better able to realise our baptismal promise to live justly as Jesus teaches us.
For Christians fasting means going without something, as a form of prayer. Each time the person goes without, they are encouraged to think of others who are not as fortunate as they are. Fasting joins us in solidarity with people experiencing poverty who often have no choice but to go without the basic human needs.
Sharing what we have, or ‘almsgiving’, is a sign of our commitment to justice and our thanks for all that God has given us. During Lent our school has committed to ‘Almsgive’ to Project Compassion.
Due to COVID restrictions we were unable to use the Ashes as a public expression of our faith and repentance. Instead, our Year 11 students placed rocks at the base of the Cross as a sign of releasing the weight of our Sin and trying to be more like Jesus.
The Junior students were given a purple ribbon to pin on as a REMINDER that LENT is a time of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.
Thanks to the great job done by our amazing Year 9 and 10 Youth Ministry Classes and our hard working YMO’s.
Ash Wednesday Liturgy
INTRODUCING OUR YOUTH MINISTRY OFFICERS (YMO’s)
This year we have two new YMO’s, Juliet and Ella who are excited to be helping out in the spiritual aspect of our MacKillop College life.
JULIET EYLES
My Name is Juliet Eyles (Jules) and I am a Youth Ministry Officer at MacKillop College for 2021, alongside my YMO partner Ella. This year Ella and I will be spiritual and practical support for the religion staff and all of the students of MacKillop College.
I was a YMO last year at Xavier College, Ballina so this is my second year as a YMO. I decided to become a part of the St Agnes Parish, in particular a part of MacKillop College, because of the many wonderful things I have heard about this school and parish community.
I am excited to get to know the students in classes and at lunch and help them feel welcome to the catholic faith.
ELLA IPPAVIZ
I’m Ella Ippaviz and I am one of the Youth Ministry Officers (YMOs) at MacKillop College for 2021!
I graduated from St Joseph’s Regional College in 2020 and I feel very blessed to have been given the opportunity to work here at MacKillop. I am very keen to work alongside our College and St Agnes' Parish youth to empower and encourage the students to not only delve deeper into their faith and personal relationship with God, but to also empower them to be confident within themselves and all their amazing gifts.
My vision for this year is to help to create a large student community filled with student discipleship, to help them engage in programs and activities we offer such as Festa Christi, Shine, Ignite and so many more, which are designed to strengthen their faith through discipleship and social justice!
YMO EQUIPPING SCHOOL
In Week 2 all the YMO’s from our Lismore diocese met in Lismore and spent five very busy days spending time in prayer, developing skills, getting to know each other. I enjoyed getting to spend one of the days with these enthusiastic and faith fill young Leaders.
A reflection on the reading from Mass this Sunday, which is the First Sunday of LENT:
Marg Gobius
Leader of Evangelisation