Dear Friends and Families of St Mary’s,

 We have had a busy week preparing for our end of year celebrations, and we are excited to come together for our Graduation Dinner and Mass tonight and Friday morning.

 I thank all the staff for making these wonderful events come to life through their dedication to the students and our school community.

 We celebrated the second week of Advent with a beautiful reflection from the senior students. They took us on a journey about Peace and how we can be peacemakers and people of peace.

 Advent is a time of reflection and anticipation in the weeks leading up to Christmas. The word "Advent" comes from the Latin word adventus, meaning "coming". The advent season symbolises both the waiting for the birth of Christ and his return. A popular tradition during Advent is the advent wreath made of evergreen to symbolise everlasting life amid winter and a circle to remind us of both God's unending love and the eternal life offered through Jesus Christ.

The Advent wreath has four candles - one is lit each Sunday of the four weeks of Advent. Each candle represents a new focus and time of reflection. The second week of Advent is the candle of peace.  This candle reminds us that the angels declared "peace on earth" at the birth of Jesus. Jesus offers us inner peace and peace with others. We can know and experience peace today only through the life of Jesus Christ.

May we all take the time to find Peace in our lives and recognise the need to stop and listen for quiet in these busy weeks leading up to Christmas.

Take Care,

Maria