FAITH MATTERS 

Over the past fortnight, our College community has shared some significant moments of celebration, gratitude and farewell. Our End-of-Year Mass brought us together to give thanks for the year and to reflect on the many ways we have lived our theme of Conscious Compassion. Through prayer, learning, service and the everyday kindness shown to one another, we have continued to discover what it means to put compassion into action.

The Mass also provided an opportunity to acknowledge our student leaders and thank them for their contribution to College life. Their willingness to serve, encourage others and take on responsibility has helped strengthen our community throughout the year.

Our Year 12 students’ final assembly marked another important milestone. Such occasions bring a mixture of emotions: joy in celebrating all that has been achieved, gratitude for friendships and shared experiences, and anticipation of what lies ahead. We thank our Year 12s for the unique contribution they have made to St Mary MacKillop College. As they undertake their examinations and prepare for their next chapter, we hold them and their families in our prayers. May they move forward with courage, trusting in their gifts and carrying with them the compassion they have experienced and shared here.

As November begins, the Church also invites us into a time of gratitude, hope and remembrance. On Sunday 1 November, we celebrate All Saints’ Day, honouring all the saints in heaven, both those whose names are familiar and those known to God alone. Their lives remind us that holiness grows through ordinary acts of love, faithfulness and generosity. For our community, St Mary MacKillop continues to offer a powerful example of faith expressed through practical care for others.

On Monday 2 November, All Souls’ Day, we pray for all those who have died, entrusting them to God’s loving mercy. Throughout November, the Catholic Church holds a particular focus on remembering and praying for the faithful departed. It is a time to give thanks for those whose love and example have shaped us, and to draw comfort from our Christian hope in the resurrection.

For some in our community, this season may bring a renewed sense of loss. Conscious Compassion calls us to be attentive to those who are grieving: to listen, to remember with them, and to offer the quiet reassurance of our presence. Families might choose to light a candle, share a treasured story, visit a loved one’s resting place or simply speak their name in prayer.

As we celebrate those stepping into a new chapter and remember those who have gone before us, may we recognise the lasting gift of love shared. May that love continue to shape the people we are becoming and the community we build together.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

Jesus light of the world, guide us

St Joseph, journey with us

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, pray for us

Alison Wright

Director of Faith and Mission