A Beautiful Celebration To End The Year – Jennifer Oaten
The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming”. Advent, which begins the Church’s liturgical year, began on Sunday 3 December and encompasses the four Sundays and weekdays leading up to the celebration of Christmas. It is a time of preparation for our hearts and minds for the anniversary of the Lord’s birth, at Christmas, and it is a time of ‘new beginnings’.
The wreath and candles used during Advent are a Catholic tradition that was originally adopted by Christians in the Middle Ages as part of their spiritual preparation for Christmas. The wreath, made of evergreens, signifies eternal life. The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, symbolises the eternity of God and the everlasting life we find in Christ.
I hope, during the Christmas period, all in our community will consider the real reason for Christmas and take time to attend Mass together. Take time to reflect on the first Christmas Day when Mary and Joseph, humble travellers, stayed in the inn, and their son was born. One of the main reasons we have the custom of giving and receiving presents at Christmas is to remind us of the gifts given to Jesus by the Wise Men.
Our Christmas Mass, celebrated by Monseigneur Keating, encouraged the girls to reflect on the things that are precious in their lives and how this morning’s Mass is such a special way to come together.
Every year, following the Christmas Mass, we present, St Patricks Community Support Centre in Fremantle, St Vincent de Paul and The Shopfront with bags of food and toiletries, and financial donations. Our girls collect all of the funds raised and the items donated for our annual Christmas Appeal.
This year the girls raised over $3000 and filled over 130 red bags.
This morning’s celebrations were a wonderful way, as a Catholic community, to celebrate the Eucharist and conclude the academic year for 2019. It was also a time of thanksgiving for a year of many achievements, challenges and opportunities.
I wish all families a safe, happy and holy Christmas. God bless.
Jennifer Oaten – Principal
Combating The Attention Span Crisis In Our Students – Jennifer Oaten
It is no secret that attention spans have been steadily declining, especially among younger generations growing up immersed in digital technology. The average person’s attention span when using a digital device has plummeted from around two and a half minutes back in 2004 to just 47 seconds on average today – a dramatic 66% decrease over the past two decades.
Weekly Wrap Up: Term 2, Week 2, 2024
Week 2 has come to an end! This Weekly Wrap Up features highlights from Scuba Diving Club, the Sisterhood Series, and Boarding ANZAC Service.
Santa Maria Teams Shine in Term 1 Sports
Santa Maria had a huge number of girls in the IGSSA AFL and Volleyball competition with strong results for a number of teams.
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Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
