Principal's Message

Our Lenten Journey towards  Easter

Thinking over my own experiences of Lent, I was recently reminded of my childhood where the focus on Lent in my family was “what will I give up?” No matter how many times I suggested it, pumpkin was never the answer to this question!

As we grow and mature, our understanding of the importance of our Lenten preparation for Easter also develops.  It is true that Lent is a time when we should look at our lives and our direction, as Pope Francis reminds us in his Message for Lent, with its focus on the need to “make our heart firm”. The Holy Father warns us of the effect of the “globalization of indifference” that has pervaded our world. It normalises a lack of care and empathy for others and rewards self centredness. By opening ourselves to God’s word this Lent, Pope Francis reminds us that we will receive a heart which is firm and merciful, attentive and generous, a heart which is not closed or prey to the globalization of indifference. It is this generosity of spirit and a desire to be outward looking into the world that places our focus on being of service to others.

Giving service is an important value in our community where, all too often, individualism and incivility tend to catch all the headlines. Actively appreciating the needs of other people and contributing to their wellbeing in a compassionate, caring and humble manner is a great way to counteract selfishness and anger.

As Christians, we should be the “doers” in our community, for we believe that our life was not meant to be spent solely on gratifying ourselves but to be shared generously with other people as Jesus did. Jesus did not anchor Himself in a synagogue but went out amongst the people, experienced their problems, listened compassionately to their needs and then acted in a favourable manner towards them.

There is truth in the saying that “a little selfless service tends to make selfishness go away”, and there is truth in the fact that service to others ennobles us. Introducing young people to the concept of service by say volunteering to weed the garden of an elderly person who is no longer able to do the weeding, is an example of a simple way to develop the concept.

St Patrick and St Joseph

This week we celebrate the Feast Days of two well-known Saints whose lives and examples have much to offer us as models of faith and service. St Patrick's Day is celebrated world-wide on 17 March and serves as a tribute to Ireland and one of its Patron Saints, St Patrick. Many Australians remember our Irish settlement and culture on St Patrick’s Day. St Patrick wasn’t born Irish but he has become an integral part of the Irish heritage. His services across Ireland in the 5th century are said to have brought religion to the country. Legend also has it that St Patrick used a shamrock in his preaching to explain the Holy Trinity.

St Joseph was also a man of great spirit and faith. His example to us is seen in his listening to the word of God and his courageous response. We can see from his actions in scripture that Joseph was a compassionate man, and obedient to the will of God. He also loved Mary and Jesus and wanted to protect and provide for them.

Catholic Schools Week

We celebrated Catholic Schools last week with a number of events and activities that represented our focus on Faith, Learning and Care. These included hosting the “Just Leadership Day” led by Caritas for Mater Dei and Kildare students and staff and the Year 11 RYDA experience, which emphasised the importance of student well being and safety.

The Year 7 parent teacher student interviews on Wednesday afternoon focused on our priority for learning and offered an opportunity to discuss the interim reports that parents received recently. Grandparents' Day on Friday celebrated the strong links between families and the College in Catholic education. It was wonderful to have so many grandparents here to celebrate Catholic Schools Week with 

Year 7. 

Appointment of Centacare Counsellor

We are pleased to welcome Mrs Louise DeBruin, who will be our new Centacare Counsellor, commencing at Mater Dei from next Monday 23 March. Louise will be at the College from Monday to Thursday each week. 

Youth Parliament

Congratulations to Kate Jeffries from Year 12 who has received a place in the NSW YMCA Youth Parliament, which will sit in July. Kate will travel to Sydney to represent the Wagga Wagga electorate in the program, which gives young people a voice in the running of NSW and a chance to voice any concerns, in a designated area of study. Kate has been placed into the committee investigating Community and Family Services, as part of the Legislative Assembly.

Year 7 2015 Transition Survey

We recognise that making the change from primary to secondary school can be daunting, so for the last two years we have been using a survey to check on the well being of our Year 7 students. It is administered by an external company who provide us with both our own results and data comparing Mater Dei to other schools using the survey. We plan to administer the survey before the holidays and look forward to sharing the results next term.

Year 7 2016 Enrolments

Our last round of Year 7 2016 Interviews will be conducted at the College next Tuesday 24 March. Please contact the College Office as soon possible if you have not already organised an interview for students wishing to enter Mater Dei next year as Year 7 2016.

Prayers Please

We received the sad news that Br Eric Hyde, who was extensively involved in our secondary schools in Wagga, passed away recently. Please remember Br Hyde in your prayers. Eternal rest grant to him, O Lord. May perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen

Mrs Val Thomas

Principal