On Wednesday morning, Year 1 had a very special adventure! We visited St. Mary’s & St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and it was a trip full of amazing discoveries. Here’s a look at all the fun things we learned and did!

First we greeted Father Andrew with a bright smile and sat down with amazement. As soon as we arrived, we were amazed by how big and beautiful the church was. The building had tall towers and a huge, colourful window that sparkled in the sunlight! We learned that these windows are called stained glass windows, and they tell stories with their colours and pictures.

Father Andrew , the priest of the church welcomed Goldsworthy and Kapoor class to St Mary’s & St Joseph’s Catholic Church

The church was so quiet and it felt calm and peaceful. The Father explained that people come here to think, pray and feel close to something bigger than themselves. It was nice to sit for a minute in the quiet and feel the peacefulness around us.

Next, we looked at the statues and beautiful art all around the church. There were statues of Mary, Jesus, and some angels too! Our guide explained that these are very special to the people who come to this church, and each statue has a story. We loved learning about the different characters and even tried to spot the halos (the little shining circles above their heads) in the paintings.

One of the coolest parts of the church was the giant organ – it’s like a piano but much, much bigger! It has pipes that go up to the ceiling, and it makes a loud, beautiful sound. We didn’t get to hear it this time, but our guide explained how it fills the church with music during special events.

We also learned about symbols – things like crosses and candles. Our guide explained that each symbol in the church has a special meaning. For example, candles are used to bring light and represent hope.

Children recall fonts as was one of the features of the church.

Year 1 also learnt about baptism which is a ceremony where people join the Christian family. Our teacher explained that it’s a way of welcoming someone, usually a baby, into the community. It’s like a special family celebration, and lots of people come together to witness it!

Children were curious (one of our learning dispositions) about the features they noticed in the church.
Goldsworthy were engrossed in the priest’s stories.

At the end, we asked questions to Father Andrew. He was very friendly and answered all our questions. Some of us wanted to know why people pray, why the building is so big, and what he likes most about working in a church.

Thank you to all the parent volunteers for joining us on this adventure!

Kapoor and Goldsworthy