Principal Message

Be Kind, Be safe, Be respectful, Be responsible, Be resilient, Be ready

Dear Parents and Carers,

This week is the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’, Pope Francis’ encyclical on creation. Laudato Si’ says that“The climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all.”When we speak of the climate, we speak of something fundamental to human life. God made the exquisite balance of creation to provide for everyone. Please join me in praying to understand who suffers most when creation is damaged and how we can stand together.

Laudato Si’ says that “Everything is interconnected.” This simple truth tells us that our bodies, souls, communities, and ecosystems form one delicate web. To neglect one thread is to weaken the whole. As you go through your day, become more aware of these connections. Practice gratitude for the water you drink, the food you eat, and the people who make your life possible.

It tells us that “We are not God. The earth was here before us and it has been given to us.” This statement humbles our human pride. Creation is a gift, not a possession. In a culture of control and consumption, this is a prophetic reminder. Let us remember today to receive the world with reverence, recognizing that dominion does not mean domination, but responsible care in imitation of the Creator. 

This week is also National Reconciliation (27 May to 3 June) which honours a history dear to our Indigenous members and to all of us. The National Reconciliation Week (NRW) 2025 theme, Bridging Now to Next, reflects the ongoing connection between past, present and future. Bridging Now to Next invites all Australians to step forward together, to look ahead and continue the push forward as past lessons guide us.

Indigenous leaders have insisted on what remains to be done. The 2018 Closing the Gap agreement between Australian governments and Indigenous representatives recognised the shameful gap in health, wealth, education, employment and in other matters between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. They also set targets for change. These targets have for the most part not been met. In some areas the gap has been widened.

The failure of the Referendum on the Voice and the bitter debate during the campaign suggests that we are far from reconciliation. We must build a bridge that respects our journey so far and continues our way to the future. The past suggests that the path is long and winding, from which we must learn from our disappointments and betrayals.

And yet grounds for hope remain. They lie in the determination and resilience of generations of Indigenous people who have helped educate Australians about their story and about the costs that they have borne through colonisation.

Keep Smiling

Cathy