Catholic Identity & Mission News

Social Justice Sunday

Last Sunday was the Church’s annual ‘Social Justice Sunday’. Each year, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference releases a Social Justice Statement to mark the occasion, and this years Statement is called Cry of the Earth Cry of the Poor. As suggested in the title, the Statement focuses on the urgent need to better care for creation, and for those impacted by climate issues, especially the poor and it strongly encourages listening and learning from our First Nations brothers and sisters. Using scripture and Catholic Social Teaching, the Bishops reinforce the fact that we have always been charged with these responsibilities but the need has never been more pressing. 

Our First Nations people experienced fires and floods when they were this continent’s original inhabitants but now, ‘fires, floods and droughts have become less predictable and more intense’. Coupled with the incredible challenges posed by COVID-19, it would be very easy to feel overwhelmed and somewhat ‘defeated’ by these problems. But there is a story in scripture which reminds us how we could choose to respond, the story of Noah and the great flood. While this story is not a literal story, it nevertheless contains religious truth – truth about the nature of God, and God’s relationship with all of creation, including humanity. The Australian Catholic Bishops reference Pope Francis and the story of Noah in their Statement, ‘Pope Francis sees the pandemic in terms of its potential for positive change. Just as the great deluge was an opportunity for renewed humanity, the COVID-19 crisis can become our Noah moment. We can find our way to the Ark and to a new future if we recognise and foster the ties that bind us and all things together.’ 

So what can we, at St. Peter’s College, learn from the Noah moment that would help and guide us in responding to the actual challenges of today? Well, in the scripture there are these four important words ‘Noah walked with God’. (Gen 6:9). If we ‘walk with God’ we are on the right path. It’s not a mystery how God wants us to live (!) – we’ve known it since the ‘time’ of Noah and the Book of Genesis when God saw that the earth was corrupt because of violence and wickedness. We are called to listen to and learn from the world, and as a Catholic educational institution, we can help facilitate that ‘renewed humanity’ through the young people in our care.

This week our senior students have nominated for 2022 Student Leadership positions. I am privileged to be involved in this process and will be on panels that will interview for the portfolios of Environment, Social Justice and Liturgy Captains. What do they envision their ‘Noah moments’ to be? How will they find their way to the Ark that will contribute positively to the future of St. Peter’s College and bring members of the community together? I hope that they will take on board some of the ideas and the calls to action from this Social Justice Statement and respect, listen and learn from elders and the scriptures, so that they can build a bright and hope-filled future. 

You can read a fully copy of the Social Justice Statement 2021-2022 at 

Fiona McKenna

Deputy Principal - Catholic Identity & Mission