During the Jubilee Holy Year of 2025, the faithful can obtain a plenary indulgence of complete forgiveness of all their sins and their temporal effects, which can be applied to themselves or in suffrage to the souls in Purgatory, by fulfilling all the following conditions:

Detachment from sin Are truly repentant and free from any affection for sin (including venial sin).

  

Sacrament of Penance Participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) within 20 days before or after the indulgenced act.

  

Eucharistic Communion Receive Holy Communion (the Body and Blood of Christ), ideally on the same day as performing the indulgenced act; or within 20 days before or after the indulgenced act.   

Prayers for the Pope’s intentions Offer prayers such as Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be for the intentions of the Pope and for the good of the Church and the world.  

And ONE of the following:

Make a pilgrimage any sacred Jubilee site and devoutly participate in Holy Mass of a celebration of the Word of God.

 

Make a pious visit to any sacred Jubilee site and there spend time in prayer or meditation such as the Liturgy of the Hours, Eucharistic adoration, Stations of the Cross, the Rosary, the Profession of Faith.

 

Perform a work of mercy or penance such as any of the corporal or spiritual works of mercy. This includes donating to charitable causes, visiting the sick and lonely, praying for the living and the dead, helping the needy, praying for others, forgiving those who hurt us, practising works of abstinence and fasting, patient endurance in sickness and physical afflictions, or any other act of charity performed in the love of Christ for one’s brothers and sisters in any kind of need. In the next newsletter a list of the Diocesean places of pilgrimage will be included.

Curriculum Overview

Below is an overview of the first unit of the Religious Education Curriculum from Years 7 to Year 12. The Junior Curriculum is divided into five strand areas or main theme areas. The Five areas are:

A: Scripture and Jesus

Through this study it is hoped that students will appreciate the breadth and wisdom of the Scriptures and their significance for their lives and the lives of others, and they will use the Scriptures and find in them the story of God's revelation to the People of God, brought to fulfilment in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the heart of the Christian message and the one on whom

all teaching is based. Through reflection on the meaning of Jesus‟ life, death and resurrection, students can recognise the profound significance for their lives

B: Church and Community

This area aims to develop in each student understanding and appreciation of the living Tradition of the Catholic Church and a willingness to participate in its mission. By becoming more aware of their religious identity and spiritual heritage, they can appreciate the richness of the Tradition and the necessity of community. Their learning will enable them to review their experience in light of the teachings of the Church and evaluate their participation in its undertakings.

C: God, Religion and Life

The third area explores the action of God in creation, the reality of good and evil, and the human search for meaning in life. It hopes that students will reflect on and appreciate the diverse expressions of God’s presence in the world, respect the religious diversity of humanity, acknowledge the tension between good and evil, make informed responses in their search for meaning and be open to the need to integrate religion with life.

D: Prayer, Liturgy and Sacraments

This essential area of the curriculum strives to assist the students to become more aware of the potential for relating with God in prayer, liturgy and the sacraments so that they may be willing to engage in personal and communal prayer, and in the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church. Experiences of preparation for and participation in these

events are crucial. The whole area builds on the experiences of celebration that are the heart of the secondary Religious Education curriculum.

E: Morality and Justice

The final area develops values, understanding and skills in relation to Catholic moral teaching, its relationship to moral character, the way it addresses moral issues and the call to work for justice in the world. It should assist students to appreciate their personal responsibility for moral decision-making, believe in their own potential to effect change, and apply principles of justice and compassion in their lives.

The specific units of work are:  

Year 7 What it Means to be Catholic (Strand B)	In this unit, students explore what it means to be ‘Catholic’. They identify key beliefs, values, and practices of the Catholic Tradition and explore how these influence the life of Catholic communities. They examine the organizational structure of the Catholic Church and identify significant people and events within it. This unit also explores the different expressions of Catholicism found in Eastern Catholic Churches. Students will be encouraged to draw on their own experience of belonging to a Catholic community and to consider the contribution they can make to the life of the Church.
Year 8 Teachings of Jesus (Strand A)	In this unit, students will explore the loving relationship between God and humanity through the particular lens of Jesus’ teaching and lived example. They will examine Jesus’ use of parables to communicate an understanding of the Kingdom of God and relate it to their own lives.
Year 9 Sacraments of Healing (Strand D)	The Sacraments of Healing include the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation and the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. This unit will address the Scriptural foundations of the Sacraments of Healing, with a focus on Jesus’ acts of healing and inclusion. Through their investigation of the Sacraments of Healing, students will consider the nature of and forgiveness, and healing and suffering in the world, in their community and in their own lives. Students will come to an understanding of the hope and restoration offered through the Sacraments of Healing.
Year 10 The Gospels (Strand A)	Course Specific Requirements In this unit students will examine the Gospels as the accounts of Jesus’ life and teaching and as testimonies to the faith of the early Church in Jesus as the Christ as well as their significance in the lives of Christians today. The Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, wrote these accounts from their own perspectives, taking into account the oral tradition, the historical, social and political contexts of the communities to which they belonged as well as the needs of their communities. Students will develop an understanding of the Biblical tradition of exegesis to identify the person of Jesus as presented by the Gospel writers, as well as points of comparison and contrast between the different Gospel accounts.

Stage 6

Studies in Catholic Thought. Who is a Human Person?

Students break open the Catholic Church’s understanding of what it is to be human through an exploration of Scriptural texts and the work of early philosophers. Students develop an understanding of the links between early Greek thought and the Christian notion of being human, both in the person of Jesus Christ and the writings of St Paul and the New Testament. 

Studies of Religion: Nature of Religion and Belief Systems

The focus of this study is the nature of religion and beliefs, including Australian Aboriginal beliefs and spiritualities, as a distinctive response to the human search for meaning in life.

Year 12

Studies in Catholic Thought: Title: Virtue, Vice and Salvation

Students investigate the challenge of evil and suffering in the world. Students consider where God is in both ‘the good’ and ‘the evil’. Students explore the works of St Paul and other theologians and encyclicals, which developed a Christian framework for understanding what is good, how to be good and the gift of grace.

Studies of Religion: Religious Tradition Depth Study - Christianity

The focus of this study is the contribution of significant people, ideas, practices and ethical teachings to an understanding of Christianity as a living religious tradition. The study of Christianity is to be of the WHOLE tradition where applicable.