Fourth Week of Lent 
Arsad, an Indonesian farmer, had no toilet in his house, so always had to walk into the forest to the open defecation area. His family was often sick and open defecation caused many neighbourhood disputes. With the support of Caritas Australia and its partner agency, Laz Harfa, Arsad took part in hygiene, sanitation and financial management training. He then funded the building of a toilet in his house and helped other community members to save money to construct their own toilet.

Now, Arsad’s family is healthier, their community no longer practices open defecation and is more harmonious. Arsad inspired his community to ‘Be More.’

·         Around 17 percent of Indonesia’s rural population, or 45 million people, practice open defecation – going to the toilet outdoors in fields, forests and other open spaces. (World Bank)

Watch a short film about Arsad’s story here.

 “Aspire not to have more, but to be more.” Please support Project Compassion: lent.caritas.org.au

Celebrating Saints this week

This week, the Catholic Church celebrates two important saints – Saint Patrick on Wednesday 17^th March and Saint Joseph on Friday 19^th March.

Saint Patrick

Saint Patrick was born in England, but when he was a teenager, he was captured by Irish pirates who took him to Ireland as a slave. After six years, Saint Patrick escaped and returned to England and his family.

When Saint Patrick became a priest, he traveled back to Ireland as a missionary so that he could teach the people about God. He used examples to explain the mysteries of the faith in simple ways. One day, Saint Patrick compared the Trinity to a shamrock. He said that the shamrock has three leaves, but it is only one plant. In the same way, God is three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—but one God.

God used Saint Patrick’s kidnapping to convert the Irish people. In our lives, God uses the bad times to bring about a good we do not always see. We must be patient and trust Him.

Saint Joseph

Saint Joseph was the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster-father of Jesus. He was a very good and patient man. Even though he never speaks in the Bible, Saint Joseph was a man of action. When God told him in a dream that it was okay to marry Mary, and when God told him to go to Egypt to save Jesus from Herod, Saint Joseph listened. He always obeyed God even though he did not always understand.

Through his love and care for Jesus and Mary, Saint Joseph showed his love for God. Because he trusted God, Saint Joseph allowed Him to work in his life. Trusting God can be very hard, especially when we cannot see how our story will end or why God is asking us to do something. We can pray to Saint Joseph to help us trust God just as he did. 

Harmony Day

Harmony Day is observed annually on the 21^st March in Australia. Harmony Day is intended to celebrate the cohesive and inclusive nature of Australia and promote a tolerant and culturally diverse society.

Initially celebrated in 1999, Harmony Day coincides with the UN's International Day

for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which was established in 1966 with the aim of eradicating racism and racially-fuelled hate crime. 

The continuing message of Harmony Day is 'Everybody Belongs' and its annual observance aims to encourage inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural background, and celebrate core Australian values.

Here at Saint Pius X, we welcome people from all cultures. Together, we strive to create a peaceful, more tolerant and kind world, where each person can grow into fullness of life in a world that God desires.

Orange is the colour chosen to represent Harmony Week. Traditionally, orange signifies social communication and meaningful conversations. It also relates to the freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect.

On Friday, we invite your child to wear something orange to school. This may be a pair of orange socks, an orange ribbon or hair tie, or an orange hat. We would ask that normal school uniform is worn to school. Please do not send your child with orange t-shirts or orange shorts.