Especean

Principal

Vale Pope Francis

Like many of the Catholic faithful, I was delighted to see video of Pope Francis giving an Easter blessing and then being driven about St Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday. It was stunning knowing that he had been so gravely ill so the shock of his sudden passing on Easter Monday hit really hard. He was a Pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone. 

 

Amazingly, the Holy Spirit moves in mysterious ways and our Italian Cultural Tour was in Rome and had the incredible privilege of making their own personal visit to our Pope as he lay in state in the Basilica. It was a wonderful comfort to me to know that our SPC lads represented us proudly at this sombre moment in history. 

 

The homily delivered by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, was a fitting tribute to this amazing ecclesial leader.

“He maintained his temperament and form of pastoral leadership, and through his resolute personality, immediately made his mark on the governance of the Church. He established direct contact with individuals and peoples, eager to be close to everyone, with a marked attention to those in difficulty, giving himself without measure, especially to the marginalised, the least among us. He was a Pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone. He was also a Pope attentive to the signs of the times and what the Holy Spirit was awakening in the Church.

 

With his characteristic vocabulary and language, rich in images and metaphors, he always sought to shed light on the problems of our time with the wisdom of the Gospel. He did so by offering a response guided by the light of faith and encouraging us to live as Christians amid the challenges and contradictions in recent years, which he loved to describe as an “epochal change.” He had great spontaneity and an informal way of addressing everyone, even those far from the Church.

 

Rich in human warmth and deeply sensitive to today’s challenges, Pope Francis truly shared the anxieties, sufferings and hopes of this time of globalization. He gave of himself by comforting and encouraging us with a message capable of reaching people’s hearts in a direct and immediate way.

 

His charisma of welcome and listening, combined with a manner of behaviour in keeping with today’s sensitivities, touched hearts and sought to reawaken moral and spiritual sensibilities. Evangelisation was the guiding principle of his pontificate. With a clear missionary vision, he spread the joy of the Gospel, which was the title of his first Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium. It is a joy that fills the hearts of all those who entrust themselves to God with confidence and hope.”

With the passing of Pope Francis, I will be doing a novena for the conclave and share the resources that I will use with our community. You can register for the Novena here.

 

There has been great interest in this novena, and the Vatican has announced that the conclave will begin on Wednesday 7 May.

 

May God guide the Church in this important time!

Heavenly Father,

You entrusted the care of Your Church on earth to Pope Francis,

and now You have called him to Yourself.

We entrust his soul to Your boundless mercy.

For his lifelong service, we thank You.

For his care for the poor and marginalized, we thank You.

For his witness to simplicity, we thank You.

 

In Your mercy, cleanse him of all sin.

Purify him and draw him into the light of Your presence.

Grant him the vision of Your Eternal Essence,

into which we all long to be drawn.

 

Protect Your Church in this time of transition.

Guide the Cardinals in their sacred duty.

Grant them Wisdom and Courage,

Hope and Charity,

and the Faith they need to discern Your Holy Will.

 

Father Most Holy,

our God and King,

Creator of all that was, is, and is to come—

You alone know the heart of the one You have chosen

as the successor to Pope Francis.

Reveal Your will to the College of Cardinals.

Open their hearts to Your inspirations.

Open our hearts to receive, with faith and obedience,

the one whom You will raise up to sit on the Chair of Saint Peter.

 

May he be a man of deepest compassion,

a man of profound faith and hope,

a man whose charity shines forth,

permeating the darkness of this world with the light of Christ.

 

You are God Most High,

the God of the living and the dead,

the Great I AM,

the Alpha and the Omega,

Eternal Being and Source of all that is.

 

May Your holy will be done,

now and forever. 

Amen. Alleluia. 

(Cardinal Raymond Burke)

 

Staff News

  • Welcome to Ms Briellyn Pearson, who commenced with the College on 28 April in the role of History/Geography Teacher. Ms Pearson replaces Ms Felicia Ho who has moved into the Diverse Learning Team as Learning Support Teacher - Stage 6. 

     

  • The following staff will also be joining the College temporarily to assist with covers:

    • Mr Jon Nguyen in Stage 3 for four days a week – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday for Term 2 only 

    • Mr Chris Montgomery – full-time for Term 2 only at this stage

    • Mrs Teresa Valente – three days a week – Monday, Thursday and Friday for the remainder of the year 

       

  • We are also delighted to have Mrs Melanie Vescio back from Personal/Carer’s leave.

     

  • I recently received the sad news that Br Paul Conn, Deputy Provincial leader and previous Principal of CBHS Lewisham passed away in New Zealand. May he rest in God’s perpetual peace following a lifetime dedicated to continuing the work of his Founder, Edmund Rice.

     

  • Mr Michael Cutrupi has advised me of his decision to step down from his position of Director of Curriculum at the end of 2025. We wish him well as he explores his future options, and I know that his LSL in Term 4 will give him a well-earned break. The College will be engaging ANZUK in order to recruit for his replacement.

     

  • I wanted to take the opportunity to thank all the staff who led tours, both domestically and internationally.

     

    • Italian Cultural Tour: thanks to Mr Adrian Byrne, Ms Stephanie D’Arcangeli, Ms Natalie Rocca and Ms Annelise Macolino. From all accounts, their trip was memorable. They experienced an earthquake (4.5) and the passing of the Pontiff, Francesco. Our lads had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to file past Pope Francis as he lay in state in St Peter’s Basilica. 

       

    • Football Tour of England/Spain: thanks to Mr Alex Sinadinos, Mr Jason Falzon, Mr Jordan Bottalico and Mr Joshua Youssef.  They won many of their fixtures and had the opportunity to visit hallowed football clubs and see A level Football.

       

    • Armidale Rugby Tour: thanks to Mr Matthew Pasternatsky, Mr Antonio Morris, Mr Macquire Tatola and Mrs Sarah Tatola.

       

    • Brisbane Football Tour: thanks to Mr John Locke and coach Mr Oliver Xuereb (Old Boy).

Annual Survey of the Community

I wrote in the last Especean of Term 1 about the Annual Survey of the Community. As part of our continuous improvement process, I wish to provide opportunities for all parents, students, and staff to share their feedback with us regarding their views of the College across a wide range of areas.

 

The research is being conducted by MMG Education, a specialist education consultancy that works with schools in the areas of school strategic reviews and stakeholder satisfaction. MMG's client schools include many schools across Australia.

 

Parents/carers will be invited to complete questionnaires over a two-week period that commenced yesterday on Tuesday 29 April 2025. Staff and students will also complete their questionnaires during this period. MMG Education will email you an invitation to participate in the review and provide you with your confidential, secure access to your questionnaire.

 

To ensure confidentiality and to encourage frank and full expression of views:

  • All responses will be de-identified.

  • The data will be reported back in aggregated form only.

  • All data collected by MMG Education will remain under its control and be archived according to research protocols. The College will not be able to access it.

At the conclusion of the research period, MMG Education will provide me with a report. I will then provide opportunities for members of the College community to receive feedback from the research.

 

If you have any questions regarding the project, please contact my Executive Assistant, Cristina Polito at cristina.polito@spc.nsw.edu.au.

 

I look forward to your valuable contribution to this important project by completing your questionnaire.

In Memoriam

We pray for:  

  • Patrick Bressa (Year 12) and Phillip Bressa (Year 10) on the loss of their beloved maternal grandfather, Michael Boulos, who passed away on Easter Monday, after spending Easter with his family.  

     

  • Leo and Daniel Terrone (Year 12) on the loss of their maternal grandmother, Maria Maglione.  

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,   

And let perpetual light shine upon them.  

May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed,  

Through the mercy of God, rest in peace.  

Amen.  

Dr Vittoria Lavorato

Principal

 

SPC boys can do anything! 

**except divide by zero