Faith, Justice and Formation

Fathers’ Day Gifts with a Conscience

With Fathers’ Day approaching and Masses being held at the College, we are inviting you to buy an ethically sourced gift for Dad to thank him for who he is. We are offering the opportunity to buy one of the following gifts from Cana Farm, one of our Justice Partners. They are a Social Enterprise that “offers skill-building opportunities for those facing employment barriers. Through hands-on farming experience, we provide a supportive environment where individuals can develop essential skills and confidence for broader job prospects. Our community members produce, package, label, and distribute our products.” (Cana Farm, Social Enterprise and Cana Communities initiative)

All of the gifts are $15 and can be purchased through Humanitix –https://events.humanitix.com/spc-fathers-day-gift-stall.

Orders must be completed by 5:00 PM on Wednesday 13 August (no extensions possible). There is no limit to how much or little you order! While you can purchase other items on the Cana Farm website, the Father’s Day Gifts can only be ordered through the College. 

Gifts will be prepared for boys to pick up prior to Fathers’ Day (in the days leading up to the Mass). It would be great to do good while giving! Thank you in advance for your support.

On the related matter, the invitation to the Fathers’ Day Mass will come out in the Especean in two weeks. The Masses will take place on Friday 5 September in the College Gymnasium. The 7:45 AM Mass is for families in Hanrahan, Hickey, and Rice, while the 9:30 AM Mass is for families in Berg, Coghlan, and Crichton. We look forward to welcoming as many Fathers and Father Figures as possible.

Years 7, 8 and 9 Evangelisation Day Opportunity

We have been invited to have twenty students, with a staff member, attend an Evangelisation Day at Mount St Joseph Catholic College, Milperra on Wednesday 13 August. 

Students and staff will travel on bus to and from the venue for the whole day. The theme of the day is “May we always seek what is good, true and beautiful.” Students will have the chance to mingle with young people from other Catholic schools, while engaging with their faith.

Please email gillian.daley@spc.nsw.edu.au by 3:00 PM on Friday 1 August if you/your son (if the student is reading this) is interested in attending (students must be in Years 7 - 9).

Sydney Synod

A Synod is a gathering of the people (clergy and lay) within a diocese (or similar) to discuss matters of faith, aiming to work together for a better future as a faith community. The Sydney Synod will take place in April 2026 with a focus on the following three longings from the people:

• That our liturgies be more prayerful
• Our communities more Christ-centred
• That we be more mission focused.

St Patrick’s College, Strathfield will be putting in a submission later in the year, but for now all Catholics within the Archdiocese of Sydney are invited as individuals to attend one of the following consultations to have their say:

Use this link to book into one of these sessions in the process of discernment, to see the video message from Archbishop Fisher OP and launch, and to find our more information -https://www.sydneycatholic.org/sydney-synod/.

We have some prayer cards and pamphlets (limited numbers) for the Sydney Synod at College Reception in the Hickey Building should anybody want to pick one up.

Climate Action

If you haven’t heard yet, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) passed down a decision last week that will have flow on effects for all of us, giving us another reason to be more sustainable and care for God’s creation. Years ago, many nations, led by the Pacific Island country of Vanuatu, put forward a petition to the world’s highest court to seek reparation for the impact of climate change on their lands, especially caused by other larger and developed nations like Australia. 

The ICJ decision states that nations have an obligation under international law to prevent climate change — and that they may be liable to pay compensation if they fail to do so. This will impact our use of fossil fuels even more, showing the need for all of us to work towards meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.

I encourage you to read more about this. We know, especially from Laudato sí, that the climate and humanity are inextricably linked. Here is a quick summary of the decision from Amnesty International - Global: International Court of Justice’s landmark opinion bolsters fight for climate justice and accountability - Amnesty International and an Opinion piece from the Director of The Global Centre for Social Justice and Advocacy (formerly known as The Edmund Rice Centre for Community Education and Justice), ‘Alopi Latukefu -  Op-Ed: The ICJ Has Spoken. Now It’s Time for Everyone to Catch Up. - Edmund Rice Centre.

I also take this opportunity to remind the community about the St Patrick’s College Laudato sí Action Plan found here - Justice, Peace and Ecology | St Patrick's College Strathfield (scroll down the page). 

What is something small you can do now to remove fossil fuels and save the Earth??

Gillian Daley

Director of Identity