In our Opening Mass, the College community welcomed all new students and staff to OLSH. The blessings of our new Year 7 students, new students in Years 8 to 12 and our new staff are always highlights of this first OLSH College community mass. 

Our Year 7s were presented with their House badges and their Year 12 Big Sisters prayed a special prayer for them to begin their journey at OLSH. 

After communion, the 2024 Student Leaders were presented with their leadership badges and then commissioned for their year of service to the school community. 

All students received the new House badges which tell the stories of our four House patrons – Jules Chevalier, Marie Louise Hartzer, Margaret Sweeney and Marie Ryan Xavier. 

Thank you to the OLSH Sisters, Board members, parents and friends who joined us for this special mass. Thank you too to Fr. Peter Matheson who was our celebrant for the day.

Ms Megan Donohue
Deputy Principal Faith and Mission

Reflection for Lent

Here is a reflection for Lent from Pope Francis, published in The Tablet, Feb 10, 2024, p. 17.

OLSH College Lenten Appeal

The OLSH College Lenten Appeal will run from Ash Wednesday until the end of Term 1. Each of the four Houses will take a turn planning and facilitating one fundraiser for the school community.

This year, all funds raised will be split between Caritas Australia and the work of the OLSH Sisters in Papua New Guinea, Samoa and the Philippines.

Caritas Australia is the international aid and development organization of the Catholic Church in Australia and is committed to working alongside the most vulnerable and addressing the imbalance of power by including the people affected in the decisions impacting their lives. ‘Caritas’ is a Latin word meaning love and compassion.

All monies raised in our Lenten Appeal will be most appreciated. Please donate generously to assist both the work of Caritas Australia and the OLSH Sisters.

Thank you to our student leaders who began our Lenten Appeal on Tuesday with a delicious Shrove Tuesday pancake breakfast.

Ash Wednesday

Our student leaders led the College in beautiful Ash Wednesday prayer services this week. An enormous thank you to our Faith and Mission Captains for the way you prepared and led the College community. Our Project Compassion boxes and ashes were brought to our sacred spaces, we prayed, received the ashes and listened to the words from Matthew’s Gospel:

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew (6:1–6, 16– 18, The Jerusalem Bible)

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘Be careful not to parade your good deeds before people to attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven. So, when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win people’s admiration. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your private room and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and our God who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

‘When you fast do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces to let people know they are fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

All: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ