Mission & Identity

O people of Sion, behold,

the Lord will come to save the nations,

and the Lord will make the glory of his voice heard

in the joy of your heart.

(Cf Isaiah 30:19,30)

(Entrance Antiphon, Second Sunday of Advent C)

This Sunday is the Second Sunday of Advent and the Second reading from the Sacred Liturgy offers a beautiful insight into our sense of community at St Patrick’s College.

Every time I pray for all of you, I pray with joy, remembering how you have helped to spread the Good News from the day you first heard it right up to the present. I am quite certain that the One who began this good work in you will see that it is finished when the Day of Christ Jesus comes. God knows how much I miss you all, loving you as Christ Jesus loves you. My prayer is that your love for each other may increase more and more and never stop improving your knowledge and deepening your perception so that you can always recognise what is best. This will help you to become pure and blameless, and prepare you for the Day of Christ, when you will reach the perfect goodness which Jesus Christ produces in us for the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:3-6. 8-11)

A dictionary definition of the word “advent” is usually something like “the arrival of a notable person or thing.” The liturgical definition of Advent, from the Latin adventus for “coming” and is associated with the four weeks of preparation for Christmas, is the period of preparation for the celebration of the Incarnation where God is revealed uniquely in the person of Jesus. God comes to meet us in Jesus.

Christmas is another beautiful invitation to remember that God loved us first, and that our true and lasting joy is to say ‘yes’ to God’s love. In our daily living at SPC, that ‘yes’ takes many forms: to cooperate in the teaching and learning opportunities is to say ‘yes’ to the truth that is guaranteed by God’s love; to build friendships of lasting trust and to serve each other in love and generosity is to say ‘yes’ to the goodness and charity that is also guaranteed by God’s love. Each of these forms, and the many others that constitute SPC, are us becoming a living ‘yes’ to love, and in this ‘yes’ we share in God’s loving plan for the salvation of the world. Quite a bit to think about. Perhaps this is why we need a holiday at Christmas: to give us the opportunity to deeply ponder the mystery, truth, goodness, and beauty of the Incarnation.  

I pray for a joy-filled and holy Christmas for all. May the courage that comes from loving collaboration overcome any challenges that may come your way. God is good, and He will not forget us. 

Stars of Hope - SPC Christmas Charity Fundraiser

The St Patrick’s College Arts Club students have completed the creation and sale of their Stars of Hope Christmas decorations. This has been warmly received by the College community and surely must now become a regular opportunity. The funds raised from the sale of the decorations, which is over $2,000, will be donated to our regular partners in justice, the St Vincent de Paul Society. Mr Kevin Elliott, of the St Vincent de Paul Society, offered this response: 

Thank you, students and families of St Patrick’s College, for your brilliant work and generous support to us at St Vincent de Paul. As you are aware I am sure the current costs of living are becoming almost too much for many people and we are seeing that every week with increasing numbers of desperate people, many of them “first timers”, seeking assistance. We see anywhere between 100 to 150 people a week in our assistance centre, including women fleeing domestic violence, families whose income goes mainly on rent and utilities all in a desperate situation. We do what we can for these people but without the support that the likes of yourselves give we feel we would be fighting a losing battle. Our sincerest thanks go to you all once again.

Reverse Advent & Stationery collection  

Thank you to all families who contributed to the Reverse Advent program by donating goods for families in need. Thanks also to the students donated reuseable stationery, books and materials into a to send to students who don’t have access to school materials (usually in developing countries). Both opportunities will continue until the last day for students.  

Finally, I am taking Long Service Leave for Semester 1, 2024, and Mr Mitch Leviston will be Acting Assistant Principal: Mission and Identity. I wish Mitch every blessing in the role and thank him for accepting the opportunity. Please know the community of St Patrick’s College is a constant in my prayers and may your Christmas Season and summer break be filled with every grace and blessing in our Lord Jesus Christ.