From the Principal
It has been wonderful to have a number of significant College events in these first few weeks of the school year where we have gathered to celebrate the Eucharist, welcome new staff and students, commission our student leaders for 2022 and celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2021. Although we have not been able to gather as a whole school community, we have been able to come together in smaller groups for these celebrations.
One of these significant events was held on the evening of Thursday 10 February at St Patrick’s Church, Mentone. Our 154 Year 7 students, together with their parents and family members, were formally welcomed into the Kilbreda College community during our celebration of the Eucharist. We were delighted to have Father Cameron, Parish Priest, celebrate the Mass for us and bless each of our Year 7 students as they commence their secondary schooling. Although nervous, our Year 7 students were wonderful and a number of them took up the opportunity to read or be part of one of the processions.
Last week, at our first College Assembly for the year, we celebrated the academic achievements of students in 2021 and commissioned our student leaders for 2022. While we acknowledged the students who achieved very high scores in the Victorian Certificate of Education last year, the entire Class of 2021 deserves our recognition, having achieved excellent results both in the VCE and VCAL. College Dux for 2021, Kara Miwa-Dale, delivered a wonderful speech which not only provided great advice but no doubt motivated and inspired students throughout the school.
In my address to the school community, I spoke about our core value and theme for the year; Compassion, and the focus on ‘living with compassion’ in our Living Justice Living Peace Charter. Here is my reflection:
Living with compassion is the outer circle of the diagram that represents our commitment as a Kildare Ministries school to Justice and Peace. What does it mean to live with compassion?
The word compassion comes from the Latin word ‘compati’ which means ‘to suffer with’. When we feel true compassion, we don’t walk away from suffering or pretend that it does not exist, instead we are moved inwardly and want to reach out towards others and assist them.
Many of us will be familiar with the story of the good Samaritan as told by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. It tells the story of a man being beaten and left for dead on the roadside. One after the other, a priest and then a Levite, see the man, cross to the other side of the road and continue walking. Jesus then tells of a third man, a Samaritan, who unlike the priest and the Levite goes to the man when he sees him. The Samaritan bandages the man’s wounds, puts him on his donkey, takes him to a safe place and cares for him.
Here, the priest and the Levite turned away from and ignored the suffering man on the roadside. They may have felt sympathy towards him, but they did not show compassion. The Samaritan however did not turn away, he was moved by the suffering he saw and did what he could to help the man.
How many times have we turned away from suffering, perhaps feeling sorry for the person or people affected, but not doing anything to assist? Perhaps we were too fearful to become involved or unsure what to do. Perhaps we were just too busy focussing on our own lives.
The Samaritan shows us what Living with Compassion means, reaching out and embracing those who we see are suffering. We live with compassion when we not only see the suffering of others but do something to assist, whether it be reaching out to them, making a donation or volunteering our time, or perhaps advocating for their rights.
How different our world might be if all people lived with compassion and intentionally reached out to and assisted those who they see are suffering.
Lord, please open my eyes.
Let me see those around me that are in need
of my compassion.
Compel me to listen to them,
to hear their needs.
Give me the heart to be interested
in their troubles and the means to
help ease their suffering.
Amen.
We Pray For
We ask for your prayers for members of our community and their families who have recently lost loved ones:
Teresa (Tess) Tonks
Drama and Religious Education Teacher
Marian College, Ararat
We pray that our loving God hold her gently in the palm of His hand.
Nicole Mangelsdorf
Principal