Faith Formation and Mission

Valedictory Mass

As we marked the end of schooling for our Year 12 students, we celebrated with the Valedictory Mass on Wednesday evening. The Mass provided an opportunity to celebrate the achievement of students over the past six years and bless them as the journey forward towards the possibilities which await. This year has been a challenging one for Year 12 considering the tragedies which impacted the cohort at the start of the year. The Valedictory Mass served as a special moment to remember this, to remember Violet and Chkye, and to celebrate the united spirit demonstrated throughout these adversities.  

Year 8 Retreat

Over the past four Mondays, Year 8 students have been on pilgrimage to St Mary’s Towers, Douglas Park. The pilgrimage is a significant part of their retreat day and provides students with the opportunity to be immersed in a place of significance within the MSC story. 

Through their visit, students have come to appreciate the wider MSC story beyond Chevalier College and reflect on their own place within this story. 

Legacy Badges

During Week 7, Year 9 and 10 students raised support for Legacy by selling badges and other material in Bowral. Legacy is one of Australia’s oldest charities and supports around 150 war widows in the Highlands alone. The students did a great job engaging in the local community and rallying support for this important cause. 

Christmas Packages

Next term Chevalier College will be putting together Christmas packages for vulnerable community members in the Southern Highlands. These packages might be the only gift a person receives this Christmas. Each homeroom will put together two packages, however there a a further 22 packages for the school to provide. If any families would like to prepare a package themselves, please contact Sandy Abbey (abbeys@chevalier.nsw.edu.au) for further information. 

Laity of the Chevalier Family

Each month, the Chevalier Family publishes a reflection on an excerpt from Laudate Deum (Pope Francis’, follow up letter to Laudato Si on our care for our common home). Below is the reflection for September. Past reflections are available on the Australian Laity of the Chevalier Family website. 

In the Australian context: 

September is used as a month by Australian bush fire authorities to remind the public to prepare for the upcoming bush fire season. In NSW, the 21st and 22nd of September is Get Ready Weekend reminding residents “to be aware of their risk and take steps to protect their homes and properties.” While this campaign is a much needed and admirable cause, this month’s call to action also asks us to give special attention to the poor, weak and disabled. It makes us consider how are we helping vulnerable communities “get ready” this summer? This is further highlighted by the impact of extreme summer events on vulnerable individuals and communities in Australia. For example, our elderly population are more susceptible to extreme heat, health issues, and social isolation during heatwaves and other climate events. Similarly, our youngest members and those with pre-existing health conditions are also at added risk. Meanwhile, low-income households face the challenge of inadequate financial resources to afford cooling systems, emergency supplies, or in extreme situations, relocation costs. This September, as we get ready for any risks we face, let us embrace a fraternal spirit as we consider the impact of any upcoming extreme summer events on the marginalised in our communities.