Deputy Principal / Religious Education 

Dear Parents and Families

Last Friday our staff participated in a spirituality day held at Lake Mokoan ~ Winton Wetlands.   Members of the Sandhurst Indigenous team, Michael Chisholm, Troy Firebrace and Louise Levy, led us through a day of spiritual reflection and connection to the country with a profound focus on our catholic faith and mission.   It was a wonderful experience with all staff appreciative of the time we were able to spend together and share on a deeper level away from the business of school.   

Lake Mungo 

I’ll be away next week on an immersion to Lake Mungo visiting the sacred site and home of the ‘Mungo Man’ , where the world’s oldest human skeletal remains were found.  I’ll be traveling with several school leaders and indigenous leaders from across the diocese, and look forward to the unique opportunity to learn more of the Sacred Australian Indigenous culture.  Experiences such as these help to build the capacity of school leaders, teachers and ultimately the students we teach.   I look forward to sharing what I learn with our community.

Sacraments

We pray for our sacramental candidates and wish them every happiness for this coming weekend.  The Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist are being celebrated tonight Friday 23rd, and Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th August.  

Please keep the following students and their families in your thoughts and prayers.

 Whole School Mass

Our whole school mass to celebrate the Feast Day of Mary Mackillop of the Cross was a wonderful event.  Thank you to the many parents and families who could attend and to all staff and students who participated, especially our choir who for the first time sang 'live' at mass.  Thanks also to Fr Jackson for sharing his love for Mary MacKillop and the experience he had following in her footsteps a few years ago.

Reflections...Mary MacKillop and Mary ~ Mother of Jesus

Feast Days ~ Mary MacKillop of the Cross (Aug 8th) and The Assumption (Aug 15th)

In the space of a week, the Catholic Church has two feast days that celebrate two key female saints, both named Mary; St. Mary of the Cross MacKillop and St. Mary, Mother of Jesus. In light of the sacrament of Confirmation and the tradition of taking on a Saint’s name, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the life and service of these key women.

Mary of the Cross MacKillop is Australia’s first and currently only saint.  She has strong connections with Melbourne, being born and raised in the suburb of Fitzroy.  Growing up in poverty herself, from an early age Mary sought ways to serve the homeless and sick of Fitzroy.  She established the first religious order in Australia, the Sisters of St Joseph, with Fr. Tensison Woods.  Mary was fiercely passionate about education for all people, no matter their wealth or social standing. With a firm belief in education being a means to lift people from poverty,  Mary fought against societal norms and established schools wherever she saw a need, with the first of many down the road, St Joseph's Numurkah. 

One of her most famous quotes and one I often reflect on as a Catholic educator was, ‘Never see a need without doing something about it.’ 

Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is known by many names. In the Catholic tradition she holds a special place as the mother of Christ, the most perfect of all disciples. We are given only a few insights into Mary through scripture.  We are told she said, ‘Yes’ consenting to be the Mother of Jesus and was of deep faith as expressed in the Magnificat.  She followed Jesus throughout his ministry and was present at his Crucifixion.  We are told she was a refugee, fleeing her home when Jesus was an infant.  We can infer that she was a strong, perhaps a courageous woman in a time where women had very little rights in society. 

Feast of the Assumption: Thursday August 15th, the Church celebrates the tradition of Mary being wholly taken into heaven with the Feast of the Assumption. 

Both Mary’s can be examples of faith, vocation and service. In our world today, Catholics can look to saints such as these, as examples of being open to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as a guide to living a life in service to God, even when we may be challenged.  For those of other faiths or of no faith, how might these women talk to you of your life and the world today? 

Kind regards

Chris Summers

Deputy Principal ~ Catholic Identity & Wellbeing Leader

ICAS Sitting Dates

Congratulations to our ICAS students who have completed most of their tests.   We look forward to seeing how they performed when results come through later in the term.  

St Brendan's Parish Bulletin 25th August 2024