In a time where many people are facing loneliness and isolation the North Rockhampton Catholic Community are reaching out to stay connected with our community. 

The Mass has returned to all three Parishes but with many changes.  We now must book a seat to attend Mass.  When we arrive, our attendance is recorded and then we sanitise our hands as we enter the Church. 

Our pews are very distant apart, and we sit three to a seat unless we are family and can sit together.  At the sign of peace, we greet each other with a smile and a wave. 

We receive communion in groups being careful not to cross paths with our fellow parishioners.  After Mass members of our community join to clean the Church so that we meet our COVID Safe obligations and get to come back next week.  All changes are to help keep each other safe.

During August we have welcomed into our Faith Community six newly Baptised children.  With the restrictions on numbers allowed in a Place of Worship Baptisms have currently been at Holy Family only.  Even Baptism has some changes.  The water is blessed in a jug and poured over the candidate into the font.  Again, to keep everyone safe.

On the weekend of August 15 and 16, The Feast of the Assumption Mass was celebrated at St Mary’s, and a Mass in Vietnamese was celebrated at Holy Family for our Vietnamese Community on the Sunday.  Bishop Michael and Fr Marcel joined Fr Truc from the Emerald Community for this celebration.

The NRCC has continued with the Staying Connected email.  It has the Parish Bulletin, Sr Kym’s Take 2, and any other parish news we need to pass on, attached.  The email reaches more than 300 email addresses and is shared further amongst our community.  With Fr Marcel’s strong leadership, we are meeting the challenge of keeping our Community safe and connected.

Ros McDougall

The Pen Pal Project: St Anthony's School reaches out

Students at St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School, North Rockhampton were enthusiastic participants in a local initiative connecting local schools with elderly residents at Aged Care Homes under pandemic lockdown.

The Pen Pal Project gave students the opportunity to write letters to the elderly and share some news about themselves, what was happening at their school and to let residents know students were thinking of them during this difficult time.

Eagerly taking up the challenge, Year 4 students put pen to paper to scribe their letters and also completed colourful drawings and artworks to accompany their writings. The letters were then mailed to participating Aged Care facilities.

St Anthony’s Principal Michael Roach said it was a great opportunity for students to support vulnerable and isolated members of their local community.

“Part of our Catholic ethos is to reach out and look to help others where we can and this project was a great opportunity for students to connect with the elderly in our community and hopefully spread some joy and bring a smile to residents’ faces during a very isolated time,” Mr Roach said.

“Normally we take students on regular visits to Aged Care homes as part of our Social Justice program, but due to COVID-19 restrictions on visitors we’ve been unable to do that, so this was the perfect way for us to continue our outreach,” Mr Roach said.

The project also provided a valuable educational opportunity for students to improve their communication and written skills.

“Writing is one of our whole School Improvement Priorities for 2020 and this initiative was a great stimulus for purposeful writing. Students were writing for a target audience, knowing that someone would be receiving their letter in the mail and reading their work, which brings a real practical element to their writing,” Mr Roach said.

Mr Roach said the project had been highly successful and he had received some wonderful feedback from students and letter recipients about how much they had enjoyed participating.

Neil McDonald

Teacher at St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School North Rockhampton Kaylene Vonhof assists Year 4 students Natasha Stitt and Mitchel Simmonds finalise letters to send to isolated elderly residents of local Aged Care homes as part of the Pen Pal Project.