Social Justice

• Mission & Identity
• Social Justice

Mission & Identity

The College community are still on a high from our 80th Anniversary celebrations last week. The opportunity to recognise the achievements of our College within the celebration of the Eucharist is not only fitting but acknowledges the centrality of this important ritual to our Catholic identity and the importance of the message of Jesus within our community. I would like to extend my thanks to all the staff and students who made this event such a memorable one. As I said on assembly, we are making history. In years to come I hope that the students will look back on this day with pride.

We held our second Mass in the College Chapel on Tuesday morning at 8.00am. Our thanks is extended to Ms Guerrera’s Year 10(3) Religion class who were the first class to organise the Mass for us. Below are the Mass dates for Terms 2 and 3. I would like to invite all members of our community; students, parents, old boys and members of Our Lady of Dolours Parish to join us for Mass at 8.00am on Tuesdays.

Tuesday 8.00am Mass in the College Chapel

23rd May, 6th June, 20th June, 18th July, 1st August, 15th August, 29th August and 12th September.

On Friday the 12th May, we have the opportunity to recognise the importance of our mothers and grandmothers. The Senior School will celebrate a Breakfast at Liturgy on Friday morning starting at 7.30am with the Liturgy at 8.10am. The Junior School will celebrate Mass at 10.30am followed by morning tea. I hope that all Mothers and Grandmothers will have an enjoyable day on Sunday.

Ms D Dempsey - Assistant Principal Mission & Identity

Social Justice

ST MARY'S BOWRAVILLE AND THE GUMBAYNGGIR PEOPLE 

Ginagai  Parents, Staff and Students

(Ginagai is the Gumbaynggir People's language for "hello")

The Gumbaynggir People are the traditional landowners of the Bowraville area, and along with the Ngaku People, the Berrayinga People and the Miriwoong People they make up the mid-north coastal indigenous region of New South Wales. Our footy boot collection is now in its second and final week and we are collecting used footy boots, new footy socks and new mouthguards for these indigenous populations.

The Gumbaynggir People are the community that our partner school St Mary’s Bowraville come from. Last year we began to extend our partnership with the school to their community with a generous donation of sporting equipment, and this year we are continuing this by donating all from our footy boot drive to these communities to distribute amongst them as needed.

St Pius X College has a growing and very close partnership with St Mary’s and this culminates in a Year 10 immersion in November each year. Each year we present this small primary school and a number of other partner schools we have with a cheque from our social justice collections. Last year we arranged an ongoing commitment to supply St Mary’s students with their school uniforms, so that is where our donation now goes to. The Gumbaynggir People are a proud people but, being so remote, are limited in their opportunities and they do have problems in their community with alcohol abuse, drug abuse and domestic violence. This uniform donation assures the students of St Mary’s have a uniform to wear to school and can both feel and look part of a greater community.

One thing that really shocked me when I was on the Bowraville immersion last year is these students have to be picked up for school by the school bus, fed breakfast and lunch by the school and taken home again or they do not attend school. Through all of this adversity facing these young girls and boys they are all so happy and full of energy.

The Edmund Rice Society are also growing our partnership with St Mary’s by making timber jigsaw puzzles in the shape of indigenous animals like the kangaroo, the koala and the stingray as well as timber pencil boxes for all of the 30 students of St Mary’s. These, along with your footy boots and the college donation for the school uniforms for 2018, will all be delivered in November by this year’s Year 10 immersion students.

So if you have any old footy boots that no longer fit anyone or if you would like to purchase some new footy socks or mouthguards for these partners of St Pius X College please leave them at the collection point in the foyer this week.

Jack Moran – Edmund Rice Society Leader