From the Principal
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A very warm welcome to Term 3 and I hope everyone had the opportunity to spend some precious time with family and friends over the break. I would like to particularly welcome our new families and staff to our College.
During the week, we held our Staff Conference and Community Event, respectively themed: Cura Personalis (care for the whole person) and A Synodal Church: Responding to the Signs of the Times.
As many will be aware, in 2021 Pope Francis called for the Synod on Synodality aimed at engaging the global Catholic community in a deep and inclusive reflection on how the Church should journey together, with a focus on the themes of communion, participation, and mission.
Our own Ignatian tradition encourages us to value the importance of contemplation, discernment, and action and we were thrilled to have Fr Frank Brennan as our keynote speaker for both our Staff Conference and Community Event. Given Fr Frank was a theological advisor at the Australian Plenary Council and has extensive experience and a deep commitment to justice and human rights, he proved uniquely qualified to speak about how the principles of synodality can guide the Church in responding to today's societal challenges.
Fr Frank’s latest book, Lessons from our Failure to Build a Constitutional Bridge in the 2023 Referendum, is dedicated to Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue AC CBE DSG (1932-2024) who told us:
‘We cannot lose the will to resolve these issues because they will not go away. But tackling them half-heartedly or high-handedly will be a recipe for continuing failure. I believe that solutions are at hand. But they will require determination and patient effort, negotiation and compromise, imagination and true generosity.’
Perhaps Dr O’Donoghue’s wise words in relation to Reconciliation are equally pertinent to our journeying together as a Church focused on communion, participation and mission.
Being a synodal Church really means creating space and making room for the opinions of others. During his recent Australian tour, Fr Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator SJ, Dean of the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University, said we need to be attuned to the voices of all people of God, rather than just those that are in positions of status or privilege, in order to reimagine the definition of Church. Perhaps our challenge is to ‘listen with the ear of the heart’ or, as suggested in previous Newsletters, continue to always be striving to Seek Justice!
Finally, after our Community Mass this morning we held a smoking ceremony in recognition of NAIDOC Week. The theme of NAIDOC Week, to Keep the Fire Burning, echoes the importance of lighting and controlling fire in Indigenous culture; to keep the fire burning is traditionally an important communal task of mutual service.
In the words of National NAIDOC Committee Co-Chair, Aunty Lynette (Dr) Riley,
'The resilience of mob, our shared experiences, collective memories and kinship is a source of tremendous pride. We honour the flame of the fire, kindling the sparks of pride and unity, igniting a renewed commitment to acknowledging, preserving, and sharing the cultural heritage that enriches our nation. This year’s theme is a clarion call to continued unity and solidarity for all Australians to come together and celebrate.'
During our community Mass, Fr Frank Brennan was our Presider and Sr Theresa Elliott was our homilist, given today is Loreto Heritage Day. I will share more about the importance of that special day in next week’s Newsletter.
Daniel Mahon
Principal