Dear Parents,

Earlier this year I indicated that as circumstances permitted we would look at Pope Pius XI’s encyclical on education, Rappresentanti in terra. So, this week we return to it at paragraph seventy.

The Pope makes the point that perfect education is only possible if all the environments in which the child is being formed correspond exactly to the end proposed, namely, the child’s eternal salvation. How blessed we would be if every child leaving the school left well-balanced and with profoundly engraven in their being the awareness of the necessity of saving their soul: that to gain the world and its pleasures and to lose their immortal souls would be a disaster beyond imagination.

The Pope is going to look at the three environments in which the child grows: the family, the Church and “that social institution, the (modern) school.” Today we will look only at the family.

The family, he says, needs to be a well-ordered and well-disciplined Christian family, with a clear and constant example set by parents. Yet he continues in paragraph seventy-three by bemoaning the “present-day lamentable decline in family education.” “Parents have little or no preparation for the fundamental duty and obligations of educating their children, immersed as they are in temporal cares.”

That is why in the next paragraph he exhorts pastors of souls “for the love of Our Saviour Jesus Christ” to warn parents of their “grave obligations with practical and specific application to their responsibilities touching the religious, moral and civic training of their children.”

Already, many years before, Saint Pius X, had declared that one of the greatest problems facing the Church was that so many Catholics did not know their catechism: a knowledge of the catechism put into practice. How many parents really know their catechism? How few there are at adult catechism classes!

We live in a world of terrible moral trial. How many parents are prepared to remove the sources of contagion which are in their homes, preferring to be popular now with the risk of grave damage to the souls of their children in the long-term.

How many really know their civic duties? with a knowledge founded on the solid foundation of Catholic social doctrine?

The pope himself gives an example of a practical and specific application of parental formation in a short commentary on Saint Paul to the Ephesians vi,4: “Fathers provoke not your children to anger.” This applies, he says to “parents and all who take their place in the work of education.” “This fault is the result not so much of excessive severity, as of impatience and of ignorance of means best calculated to effect a desired correction; it is also due to the all too common relaxation of parental discipline which fails to check the growth of evil passions in the hearts of the younger generation.”

“Parents have an authority given them by God, whose vicars in a true sense they are.” This authority is to be used “for the proper up-bringing of their children in a holy and filial ‘fear of God, the beginning of wisdom’ on which foundation alone all respect for authority can rest securely; and without which, order, tranquillity and prosperity, whether in the family or in society, will be impossible.”

These are serious and profound teachings which we all need to consider because they state so clearly our obligations and duty, for which we will all have to make an answer before God.

Fr Michael Delsorte (Principal)

What's On

FEAST DAY
St Pius X - 3rd September

A SCHOOL MASS will be held for this special feast day.
Please take your children to Corpus Christi Church
for 8.30am Mass.
Parents are reminded that they will need to transport their children
to the school at the conclusion of Mass.

MAJELLAN PRAYER GROUP

The next evening for the Majellan ladies is:
Friday 28th August at the home of Annette Hosie.
Address: 46 Railway Ave, TYNONG

Theme for Meeting:
FRIDAY RECIPE SWAP. If you are anything like me you might often be looking for new ideas for what to prepare for Friday night’s dinner. Sometimes we don't want vegetarian quiche or fish and chips. Do you have some different recipes that you are prepared to share? If so please bring them along and I will be happy to compile a small booklet in time for the next meeting to give to everyone.

All ladies of the parish most welcome to attend.
At 7.30pm the rosary is said.
Following will be a short meeting and then the evening concludes
with supper and social time.
Please bring a plate.
Pauline Phillips. (Majellan Group Co-ordinator)

St Thomas Aquinas College
2009 DINNER AUCTION RESULT

A big thank you is extended to everyone who donated and attended the dinner auction.

A total of
$45,124.95
was raised from the auction this year.
* * * * * * * * *
A special congratulations to all those on the Committee for this excellent result. Your hard work once again has raised a sensational amount of money for our College. Thank you!

My Prayer Book

Happiness in Goodness
Reflections, Counsels, Prayers and Devotions
By Rev. F. X. Lasance
Nihil Obstat, Imprimatur, New York, 19 September 1908

The following Reflection is found in this little treasured book.

Kindness
“Let us be kind if we would promote the interests of the Sacred Heart, of which kindness was the special characteristic. Let it not be in isolated acts - ‘few and far between’; no, it must be like prayer - an habitual disposition of heart, which is ready to manifest itself without any effort, at all seasons and in all circumstances, and thus it will be with hearts which are united to that Heart of love. Kindness will flow from them, as it were, naturally, just as the flowers give for the their perfume, the birds their song, and as the sun shines down alike on good and bad as it goes on its daily circuit - because all this is of their very nature. In the most trivial things of daily life the spirit of kindness should render itself evident”.

“Kindness is as the bloom upon the fruits - it renders charity and religion attractive and beautiful. Without it, even charitable works lose their power of winning souls; for, without kindness, the idea of love, the idea of anything supernatural - in a word, of Jesus, is not conveyed to the mind by the works performed, even though they be done from a right motive. There is such a thing as doing certain exterior actions, which are intended to be charitable, ungraciously. Now, actions thus performed, do not manifest the kindness of the heart of Jesus, nor will they be efficacious in extending the empire of His love, or in winning souls to His kingdom. The fruit may be sound, but the bloom is not on it; hence it is uninviting.

“How many a noble work has been nipped in the bud by the blast of an unkind judgment; how many a generous heart has been crushed in its brightest hopes by a jealous criticism; how many a holy aspiration, destined to bear abundant fruit for God and souls, has been forced back into the poor heart from whence it had ascended, there to be stifled utterly and forever, leaving that heart, as the poet of so graphically represents it, ‘like a deserted bird’s nest filled with snow,’ because unkindness has robbed it of that for which, perhaps, alone it cared to live. How much, then, we may believe has been lost to the world of all that is good and great and beautiful through the instrumentality of unkindness; and if it be thus, what developments, on the other hand, may we not expect, in the order of grace as well as of nature, in the hearts and minds of men beneath the genial sun of kindness.

“I pass through this world but once. If, therefore, there is any good that I can do, any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now; let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”

GENERAL NOTICES

BOOK WEEK:
Thank you to teachers, parents, grandparents and children for making Safari Hour yesterday such a wonderful time for all. The week is proving to be very successful. You still have the opportunity tomorrow to come to the library to see our fine selection of books available for purchase or for the donation of a book to the College. Mrs Hurst will be in the library from 8:15am until 4:00pm and looks forward to seeing you!

KOOL NEWS:
Members chapter meeting Thurs Sept 3rd 7:30pm.
Cadets and Pages meetings Sunday 6th September in hall at noon.
Pages will sit a written test for 1st and 2nd braid on this Sunday and need to sign on for the September hike and also plan our next outing.

FOR SALE:
Microwave - Samsung Timesaver 1000W - $50
Large clothes air dryer $10
Electronic Keyboard $50
Fax machine - Sharp F0-P610 - $20
Exercise rowing machine - $120 ono
Set of 18 Picnic basket plate holders (in string bag) $5
Pool table (dimensions 3ft 9 width, 7ft 3 length) with accessories (wall rack with 8 cues, balls, triangles, game counter etc.) $700
Large box of Marbig black filing folders (used, in near new condition)
Please call 5625 2340 or 0405 953 181 for more details

FREE:
1 baby rabbit, 1 fully grown rabbit
Both albino. Please phone 5629 1043.

MUSICAL EVENING:
If there are any students who would like to participate in the school Musical Evening who are not taught music at the school and are of a performing standard could they please let Danielle Kennedy know (03) 56284374 ASAP so that she can arrange an audition time.

2010 TERM DATES:
For your reference we are publishing below the Term Dates for 2010. You will be able to access these anytime from the College website. www.stac.vic.edu.au
TERM 1 1st February - 31st March
TERM 2 20th April - 25th June
TERM 3 20th July - 24th September
TERM 4 12th October - 8th December

TYNONG TENNIS CLUB:

The Tynong Tennis Club Committee members are once again looking forward to the West Gippsland Tennis Association Summer Competition for 2009 / 2010. Competition will begin on Saturday October 10th.

Registration dates for juniors interested in playing tennis will be held on the following dates: Wednesday 9th, 16th, 23rd & 30th September. If for some reason you cannot attend any one the dates mentioned or at this time and are interested in playing tennis, please contact Steve Wright on 5629 2832. Registrations will begin at 4.30pm at the Tynong Tennis Courts, Park Road. Please bring a racquet and wear a pair of runners (no chunky soles).

On all Wednesdays mentioned Carmel McMillan will be at the tennis courts at 3.30pm so that the courts will be available for those that come from schools, get off school buses and trains, and for those that would like to have a game prior to the registrations.

Musical Evening

Friday 23rd October
7.00pm

Bunyip Town Hall

All are welcome to attend this
most enjoyable evening

Tickets available on the night:
$15 Family
$8 Single/Pensioner/Student

Families please bring a plate for supper.

St Thomas Aquinas College
Year 12 Fundraiser
Fathers’ Day Raffle

Drawn: Sunday 6th September 2009
Tickets: $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00
Major Prize: 10kg Cadbury Block of Chocolate
2nd Prize: Half a Dozen Bottles of Red Wine

STAC SNIPPETS

The first Year 12 class at STAC
JULIAN HALPIN
RENEE HUSE
SONJA KENNEDY
ANNA KENNEDY
PAUL POLLOCK
MATT TYLER
PHILIP VAN STRIJP
CHRIS YOUNGMAN
JODIE YOUNGMAN

STAC snippets are kindly supplied by
Mr Arthur Paar.

How good is your general knowledge?
Answers next week in the Chronicle!

Who is Australia's Head of State?
What do we celebrate on 26 January?
Who is Major General Michael Jefferey?
There are two houses of Federal Parliament. What are they called?
In what year did Captain Cook land in Australia?
What was the name of his botanist?
What was the name of Captain Cook’s Ship?
What is our national flower?
What two animals appear on the Australian coat of arms?
Who was Australia’s first Prime Minister?
Who wrote the 1812 Overture?
Who wrote Oliver Twist?
Who wrote ‘Pride and Prejudice’?
Who discovered Penicillin?
What is the name of Australia’s largest mountain range?
What is the name of the tropic that passes through Northern Australia?
What do the letters JP after a person’s name stand for?
What three sports make up a triathlon?
What do you call a group of sheep?
In which city were the 2000 Olympics held?

NEXT P & F MEETING...
7th SEPTEMBER 2009
7.30pm at the College.

By attending these meetings you are kept up to date with the progress of the College.
All parents and friends most welcome to attend!

Junior School Soup Stall!
Every Wednesday
during Term 3.

PLEASE NOTE THAT NEXT WEEK THERE WILL NOT BE A SOUP STALL.

The funds raised are to be used for the Grade 6 graduation
at the end of the year.

Did you know ?

Saint of the Day

13th August: ST. JOSEPH CALASANCTIUS.

ST. JOSEPH CALASANCTIUS was born in Arragon, in 1556. When only five years old, he led a troop of children through the streets to find the devil and kill him. He became a priest, and was engaged in various reforms, when he heard a voice saying, "Go to Rome," and had a vision of many children who were being taught by him and by a company of angels. When he reached the Holy City, his heart was moved by the vice and ignorance of the children of the poor. Their need mastered his humility, and he founded the Order of Clerks Regular of the Pious Schools. He himself provided all that was necessary for the education of the children, receiving nothing from them in payment, and there were soon about a thousand scholars of every rank under his care. Each lesson began with prayer. Every half-hour devotion was renewed by acts of faith, hope, and charity, and towards the end of school-time the children were instructed in the Christian doctrine. They were then escorted home by the masters, so as to escape all harm by the way. But enemies arose against Joseph from among his own subjects. They accused him to the Holy Office, and at the age of eighty-six he was led through the streets to prison. At last the Order was reduced to a simple congregation. It was not restored to its former privileges till after the Saint's death. Yet he died full of hope. "My work," he said, "was done solely for the love of God."

Reflection. "My children," said the Curé of Ars, "I often think that most of the Christians who are lost are lost for want of instruction; they do not know their religion well."

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