Faith and Mission

Faith and Mission 

Marian College

Staff Spirituality Day

Friday 11 August, 2023

Encountering the Sacred through Art

On Friday 11 August, 125 Marian Staff attended our annual faith formation Staff Spirituality Day. This year we gathered at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in the City to embark in a journey of Encountering the Sacred through Art. It was a rare opportunity for staff to spend quality time with colleagues, reflect & contemplate on the masterpieces of sacred art, develop a deeper appreciation of the Judeo-Christian and Catholic traditions, unpack the stories, signs and symbols within the artworks, deepen their faith journey, gain practical strategies and skills for using artworks and artmaking through the MACS Pedagogy of Encounter and to build upon the learnings from Fr Elio Capra’s RE workshop on July 18 where we explored the Spirituality of Art.

NGV Educator David Menzies led our staff through a few pieces of art, by exploring the historical and modern insights using the Three Worlds of the Text

The World Behind the Text: The sacred origins, intended audience and artist

The World Of the Text: The style, medium and purpose

The World In Font Of the Text: A contemporary interpretation

An example of artwork included antiquities, such as a Greek wine cup (5th century BC) which highlights the Symposium meals Jesus would have been a guest at during his ministry. (Luke’s Gospel). The artwork on this sizeable cup highlights one of the 12 tasks of Heracles of stealing cattle from a giant. It was a playful and also important story being told by the ceramicist.

Questions/Reflections/Conversation prompts that were used whilst reviewing artwork from several thousands of years ago included the following:

• What stories are important to you, to your students, to our school community, in your teaching and learning? 
• What objects do you have that tell an important story?
• Heracles was given near impossible tasks that were meant to bring his downfall, yet he grew from these – what tasks have had a similar impact on you and your growth. What lessons were learnt?

Feedback from staff members included the following.

“The act of teaching itself is a sacred art that requires both passion and skill. Passion is what drives teachers to learn more about their subject matter, to seek out new insights and information, and to share it with their students. Skill is developed through practice, reflection, and feedback. Today gave us the opportunity to delve deeper into our faith and passion for facilitating faith experiences for our students.”

“There is a rich tradition of Christian art that has historically illuminated the artist using their talents to address issues of social justice, environmentalism and spirituality. Many Christian artists reject the notion that their work must be explicitly religious to be meaningful, instead seeking to express the universal human experience in a way that celebrates the glory of God and serves the common good.”

Reflection from Calvin Beck-Godoy:

It was a day of great conversations and new perspectives. It felt like being a part of a massive class on a big excursion, especially as we walked to the gallery together as a team. All the faces I saw were both excited and happy. It was a nice break from a job that is increasingly complex and constantly shifting whilst we try to stay strong and composed.

What followed was hours filled with enlightening conversations and treasure around every corner. It was always exciting to accidentally run into staff whilst exploring the halls of irreplaceable art. The conversations were always rich with deep-rooted perspectives opening opportunities for bonds to be strengthened. The presentations at both the start and end of our explorations created somewhat of a sandwich of the day. A metaphorical sandwich. The bread was the organization of the day and the facilities we required. The filling was the priceless art pieces, insights, and joy that were shared throughout the day.

In summary, it was a beautiful day out with a kind and compassionate community. A reminder of how important it is to continue to learn and share who we are.

Bernadette Casey 

Assistant to the Principal - Faith and Mission