RENews

LAUDATO SI’ WEEK 16th – 24th May is a global celebration where we remember Pope Francis urging us in his encyclical, Laudato Si’, to hear the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor and to humbly place ourselves in communion with our common home. You are invited to participate in the journey towards integral ecology and justice by responding with practical actions for the good of our common home.

St. Francis of Assisi prayed  “Praise be to you my Lord, with all your creatures,” and with this simple but profound prayer, he encouraged believers of many generations to recognize creation as the fruit of God’s eternal Love. today we listen to these same words of St Francis and pray that the Lord grants us the fruits of His eternal love each and every day.  

Often, when we speak of creation, it is related to nature, animals, landscapes, the sun, the moon, but rarely do we become aware that the human being is the culmination of the Father’s creative work, “God saw all he had made, and indeed it was very good.” (Gen 1:31), the Sacred Scripture states, implying that God, after the creation of man and woman, is pleased to see all their work. 

It is important to mention that, in the Bible, there are several references to the creative work of the Father, who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them (Rom 4:24) and, moreover, lovingly arranges everything to sustain and promote harmony: “Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them” (Mt 6:26). In other words, he is not only a creator God, but a loving Father who tenderly cares for the work of his hands and has a vision of fraternity for all humanity (Laudato Si Movement, 2022)

National Reconciliation Week- 27th May to 3rd June

National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey— the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.

27 May 1967 On this day, Australia’s most successful referendum saw more than 90 per cent of Australians vote to give the Australian Government power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and recognise them in the Census.

3 June 1992  On this day, the Australian High Court delivered the Mabo decision, the culmination of Eddie Koiki Mabo’s challenge to the legal fiction of ‘terra nullius’ (land belonging to no one) and leading to the legal recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of lands. This decision paved the way for Native Title.

Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Over the coming weeks and through the year staff and students will engage in literature, listen to stories and grow a deeper understanding of the history of our nation whilst maintaining respectful relationships amongst all peoples. 

The Faith and Fire Carrier Leaders will participate in an off-site activity on Friday 20th May 2022 at Parade College, Bundoora that aims to provide the students with an experience, awareness and deeper understanding of the meaning of National Reconciliation from an Indigenous perspective. This primary program will begin with a Welcome to Country, including guest speakers and conclude with the ‘Long Walk’. As well as next Monday, all students will participate in Indigenous Cultural dancing taught by the Yarrabah Cultural Dance Group. 

It is important that we at St Raphael provide opportunities to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives across a range of domains within the curriculum and across the year levels.