St Thomas Aquinas Bowral
A Catholic Parish Primary School
St Thomas Aquinas is a Catholic school which shares a specific, recognisable, Catholic identity that reflects the life, work and teachings of Jesus Christ and the evangelising mission of the Catholic Church.
The daily interactions among all members of our school community reflects the belief in and commitment to the Catholic identity of the school.
In the daily life of St Thomas Aquinas, the community is called to live by the central values of faith, hope and love, and is especially aware of those in need.
St Thomas Aquinas students are led to know and understand their Catholic faith and to experience life as a Christian community by celebrating life through liturgy and prayer in classrooms and as part of whole school assemblies.
St Thomas Aquinas offers students well-planned and relevant experiences of school and class prayer, liturgies and sacraments aimed at nurturing and strengthening faith.
Whether you presently have children in the school or are a new family beginning at St Thomas Aquinas Primary School, please know that you are most welcome. I pray that your time here will be enriching and happy.
The Catholic school is an extension of a wider community – the parish. This makes our school of St Thomas Aquinas a parish primary school. You have entrusted your child to the care of qualified and dedicated educators who will help you in your role as the “first teachers of your child in the ways of faith” (Rite of Baptism).
I hope you will become involved in the many activities connected with the school and parish, and that you will especially be with us as we gather for Sunday Mass each week, which is the heart of every Catholic community. Sunday Mass times can be found at the parish website.
During the school term, children’s liturgy is held during the 9am Mass each Sunday, where the children go to the chapel and are presented with a simplified gospel and other activities they enjoy. They return to Mass at the offertory. This is a great way to meet other families and also gives you a chance to be a little less distracted in your prayer. In any case, we love to see (and hear) your whole family at Mass.
Children are eligible to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) and First Communion in Year 3 and Confirmation in Year 6.
Here, we conduct these preparation programs through the parish and you as parents are very much involved. Enrolment into the respective programs will be through your attendance at Sunday Mass.
If I can be of any assistance or you would like to know more about our parish, please feel free to contact me at any time. I hope that during the next few years we can get to know each other and continue to build the Church community in Bowral and beyond.
FR SEAN CULLEN
PARISH PRIEST
Our school is part of the Corpus Christi Catholic Parish community.
There are many aspects of parish life in which students, staff and families may become involved. All members of our parish school community are actively encouraged to be part of parish and Church life.
School prayer, liturgies and Masses are an important and enriching aspect of daily life at St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School. They provide opportunities to ritually celebrate the many lived experiences of our lives and the many mysteries of our faith.
Parish sacramental celebrations also provide an opportunity to celebrate students' life of faith with fellow parishioners. The parish provides programs of preparation for the Sacraments of Reconciliation (Confession), Eucharist (First Communion) and Confirmation each year. Enrolment for the sacraments occurs through the parish. The school-based Religious Education curriculum supports and enriches this program of preparation.
Participation in weekend Mass is also actively encouraged. View the Parish Mass Times here.
For more information, visit the Corpus Christi Parish website