Faith and Mission at the Heart of College Life
This term, our College community has come together regularly in faith and mission, embracing opportunities to reflect, celebrate, and grow spiritually.
One of the highlights was our Mother’s Day Mass, held on Thursday 9 May and celebrated by Fr Dishan Candappa, Parish Priest of the Church of the Good Shepherd Gladstone Park. It was a joyful occasion, where we honoured the mothers, grandmothers, and significant women in our lives. Following the Eucharist, families gathered in the Assembly and Sports Hall for a special Mother’s Day Breakfast. It was heartwarming to see so many families enjoying the “breakfast of champions” together. A heartfelt thank you to all staff who helped make this large and memorable event such a success.
Throughout the term, students and staff have continued to participate in regular prayer, praise, and worship opportunities. Our Catholic identity calls us to be a place of evangelisation and proclamation of the Word of God. We’re grateful to Fr Samuel Pearson (Assistant Priest at Church of the Good Shepherd) and Youth Minister Marc Salazar for their ongoing support of our lunchtime faith activities. Topics explored this term have included the power of prayer and our call to be “Pilgrims of Hope” during the Jubilee Year.
We also thank Jwana S, our Christian Services Captain, for her dedicated work preparing faith presentations for her peers. Weekly Rosary prayer gatherings continue each Friday in the College Chapel, and we’ve recently introduced Fish and Chips and Fellowship Mondays, where students meet informally in the PAC foyer to share food and discuss all things Catholic.
Our Year 11 Reflection Day on Thursday 29 May was another powerful experience. Youth Mission Team Australia led sessions on social justice and human dignity, including vibrant praise and worship that invited students to consider their own role in God’s world. The day began by reflecting on St Mary of the Cross MacKillop on St Mother Teresa of Kolkata, India. Both worked with intention and purpose to work with the displaced, the poor and the needy. This day was an opportunity to appeal to our students to help them realise that they too can be a difference to others’ lives. We also touched on Pope Leo XIV and his intention to bring into discussion the introduction of AI and its impact upon the dignity of the human person. From here, the Year 11’s will embark upon choosing their Christian services agency to volunteer one day during Term 3. This program is designed to complement the Religion and Society Unit 2 subject in Semester 2.
Prior to this, our students experienced their Year 8 Reflection Day that took place early June. Students were led by youth Mission Team Australia as they examined the topic of relationships, with themselves, their peers and God. Like the Year 11’s, the day ended with a moving liturgy, inviting students to a prayerful contemplation.
Finally, the faith and Mission Team prepared a secondary Reflection Day for the Year 9 students that were unable to be present at their original days in April. We were fortunate to have Aunty Jo and Eve available to support us on the day, they baked and gardened and taught the students how to work with the environment through a First Nations lens. In addition, we had Sean from Didgeridoo Australia, as the indigenous presenter who worked with the students to learn about life and the culture of the First Nations Peoples. Soon, our Year 12s will return for Part 2 of their Reflection Day on Monday 30 June, continuing to reflect on the theme of “Launch into the Deep.”
As we round off Term 2, we commence preparing for the Australian Catholic Youth Festival, programmed to be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on November 30 – December 2. The aim is to take as many students from Years 9-11 to this Catholic Youth Festival in praise and worship and to listen to some moving talks by numerous key-note speakers from around the world. More information will be promoted throughout the coming weeks.
A special thanks to the staff and the Faith and Mission Team, Ms Abboud, Miss Yako, Mark Salazar and Mrs Fry who continue to support the faith development of the College community. We look forward to journeying in faith together as the term continues.
St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, pray for us
St Joseph, pray for us
And may we always remember, to pray for one another.
