Reflection

Reconciliation Week

Tuesday 27 May to Tuesday 3 June is National Reconciliation Week. May 27 and June 3 are important dates in Australia’s history. May 27 marks the anniversary of the 1967 referendum when Australians voted to remove clauses in the Australian Constitution that discriminated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. June 3 marks the historic 1992 Mabo decision in which the High Court of Australia recognised native title - the recognition that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights over their lands did survive British colonisation.

Aboriginal Reconciliation is a journey for all Australians – as individuals, families, communities, organisations and importantly as a nation. At the heart of this journey are relationships between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Reconciliation Australia’s theme for 2025 is 'Bridging Now to Next'.

 https://www.niaa.gov.au/news-and-media/bridging-now-next-national-reconciliation-week-2025

We all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and in playing our part we collectively build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures.

Pope John Paul II spoke of the value of Indigenous Australians in his speech to Aboriginal people in Alice Springs in 1986:

'The silence of the Bush taught you a quietness of soul that put you in touch with another world, the world of God’s Spirit. Your careful attention to the details of kinship spoke of your reverence for birth, life and human generation. You knew that children need to be loved, to be full of joy. They need a time to grow in laughter and to play, secure in the knowledge that they belong to their people.'

For all of us, may we continue to take action on Reconciliation so that our Nazareth College community can be one that truly values Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures.

Holy Family of Nazareth – Be our inspiration and our guide.

Jesus of Nazareth – Help us to grow in faith, wisdom and knowledge.