Mission and Identity 

• Stations of the Cross at the Concourse
• Seven last words of Jesus
• Chapel Mass - Happy Easter
• Caritas presentation
• Edmund Rice Society Leaders
• An Easter people reflection

Stations of the Cross at the Concourse

On the morning of Good Friday, Our Lady of Dolours Parish Chatswood ‘took the Passion of Jesus to the people’, by hosting the Stations of the Cross in the Concourse. It was a breathtaking moment to see the Gospels broken open this way in the middle of the central business district of Chatswood. 

The College is most grateful to the students and staff who volunteered to assist and for lending costumes and props. Our gratitude is also extended to St Leo’s Catholic College Wahroonga for their loan of costumes to the Stations. 

Seven Last Words of Jesus

On Good Friday evening, Our Lady of Dolours held a hauntingly beautiful liturgy that paused to reflect on the seven last words of Jesus. Seven people were invited from the Chatswood Parish communities to offer a reflection. 

Ethan Rahme of Year 11 was invited to give the last reflection, which focused on the phrase ‘Father into Your hands I commend my spirit.' His inspiring reflection called to mind Michaelangelo’s ‘Creation of Adam’ from the Sistine Chapel, and the reluctance of Adam as he tentatively pulls away from the outstretched hand of God. Ethan during his reflection called the congregation to ‘lean into God’ and wholeheartedly place their spirit into His hands. Congratulations to Ethan for his courage to lead such a reflection.

Chapel Mass - Happy Easter

On Tuesday morning we celebrated Chapel Mass with Mrs Fileman’s Year 7 Religious Education class, which marked the first Mass of the Easter Season on campus. They began the Mass with the following introduction: 

'We gather this morning in the beautiful morning light of Easter. We have crossed the spiritual desert of Lent, and now celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus. Just as we see sunlight beaming through the chapel windows, Jesus too witnessed the piercing light enter the tomb on Easter Sunday, when he opened his eyes and rose from the dead. We celebrate using Easter Eggs as eggs are like a tomb - silent and sealed shut only to be broken open from the inside when new life springs forth like a duckling or a chick. Jesus mirrors this when He rises from the dead.

Through his sacrifice and resurrection, Jesus has demonstrated what happens when we love Him. We will not die, but fall asleep and wake up with him in Heaven. 

Easter is the reason that a funeral is not a goodbye, but a see you soon.'

The joy of Easter was palpable in the chapel as Father David celebrated our Mass. We continue to be most grateful to Fr David and Fr Joey for making our chapel Masses possible.

Caritas Presentation

Today the College was delighted to present Mr Dominic Smith from Caritas with a cheque for $11,361. This cheque is the collective efforts of the fundraising that took place during our Lenten homeroom collections, the Open Day BBQ, weekly compassion cake stalls and the generous online donations from parents. We are deeply grateful to all who gave sacrificially to support our sisters and brothers in need. Congratulations to Mr Balboa and our Edmund Rice Society members.

Edmund Rice Society Leaders attend Waverley College Leadership Meeting

On Wednesday afternoon the Year 12 Edmund Rice Society leaders attended a leadership collaboration afternoon tea at Waverley College. Students listened to keynote presenter Kate Miranda, who is the NSW Director of the Red Cross. Kate discussed core leadership qualities, and how to navigate the challenges and rewards of the leadership terrain in a constantly changing world. Students then engaged in collaborative activities with their peers with student leaders from across Sydney. Congratulations to Riley Seeto, Liam Carroll and Harry Feehan for representing the College with pride.

An Easter People Reflection:

Easter Sunday morning is drenched in newness. Sunlight piercing the empty tomb as custodians of Jesus’ dream for the world, look inside with shaking hope that He is risen. No moment in history has been imbued more with the limitless possibility that is God.

As Catholic Christians, we are called to be ‘an Easter People’. Easy to say, but what does it mean? What does it look like? How do we avoid losing that jubilant hope and joy? What is it about the way we live, the way we treat one another, the way we operate, that would cause a passer by to describe us as ‘Easter people?’

The disciples at Easter have no idea how different their lives will be as they journey forward from the tomb. They are yet to discover the challenges and triumphs of the journey ahead as they seek to be the original Easter people and transform the world. Perhaps the questions below by Lilian Smith may give us the courage and insight to explore how to embrace wholeheartedly the opportunity before us. 

'A century from now, what shall be said of our journey in these times?

And who shall the shapers have been? … Who shall have shaped the future more?

The hopeful dreamers who were strong enough to suffer for the dream?

Or the fearful pessimists who were convinced that dreaming and hope

are for sleepers only, not for those awake to the age?

A century from now, shall hope and humour have been strong enough

to enable living with unanswerable questions?

Or shall the pain that a transitional age necessarily brings

have caused a retreat to old answers that no longer acknowledge new questions?

A century from now, we shall have indeed journeyed … backward or forward.

Direction can no longer be given by circumstance;

Real journeyers know that the direction is always chosen by those who make the journey.

Who shall choose the direction?

…So the question is still the same …

A century from now, what shall be said of our human journey in these times?

And who shall the shapers have been?'

Lilian Smith - The Journey, 1954

Mr Daniel Petrie - Assistant Principal, Mission and Identity