Faith and Mission

As we ease out of another set of Covid lockdown restrictions in Melbourne, our focus has been on our families and family units. Spending time with our families can be both immensely rewarding and incredibly frustrating as we negotiate shared spaces and devices. But we are a family and we sort it out and find a way to negotiate the space and time that we share together.

In an ideal world, our families are united, but we know this isn’t always the case. Priya and Nades arrived in Australia by boat in 2012 and 2013. Their daughters, Kopika and Tharnicca were born in Australia. Living in the town of Biloela, Queensland, whilst negotiating their refugee status, the family have been productive and much loved members of the community. When their visas expired in March 2018, they were removed to Christmas Island and held in detention. 

Tharnicca was evacuated to Perth last week after becoming critically ill. The national protest, driven by the people of Biloela, has resulted in the family being reunited in Perth. They will be held in community detention for the time being, awaiting further decisions from the federal government. At this stage they do not know whether they will be able to return to Biloela. 

The people of Biloela will not abandon this family. They continue to fight in every possible court and media space to represent this family, in exactly the same manner in which they embraced them over five years ago, providing housing, clothing, education and employment for the family members.

“Living Justice, Living Peace” is the guiding document launched this year in the Kildare Ministries; it will shape all of our actions in the school community, be embedded in our curriculum and inform all our communications. We can see living justice in the people of Biloela. It is the justice we know from the story of the Good Samaritan. It is easy to be consumed by our own family busyness and struggles and to walk on by like the first two people on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho.  Or we can stop, to make a choice that requires compassion. Living Justice, Living Peace will offers us the opportunity to make a change for justice and peace in our world. It can start in our own families.