Catholic Identity & Mission News

The votes have been counted and we have a new annual theme for 2024! It’s going to be from the prophet Micah – Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly – Mic 6:8.  This was the top vote getter in two separate polls, one for staff and one for students.  It’s interesting that there’s often a ‘frontrunner’ in the selection of the shortlist (of four) but over the past three years, the frontrunner has not gone on to be chosen as the theme. This year was no different but the fact that Micah’s theme (as it’s commonly called) touches on justice, love, kindness and humility speaks volumes for the concerns of our College community at this time. We have been very much invested in the Synod in Rome with Pope Francis’ call for fraternity and synodality as the ways forward for the Church, and we’ve been in solidarity with the victims of the terrible conflicts in Israel and Gaza, and Ukraine, Ethiopia, and other parts of the world where humanity is suffering. Micah’s theme to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly reflects our prayers and aspirations as a Catholic College community!  This theme will be unpacked a great deal more in the 2024 calendar year but as we begin Headstart in just under a fortnight and our Year 12 class of 2024 goes on Retreat, they will look at it more closely then. The Retreat will again be held at Rawson Village and the Clyde North campus lead us off on Monday, November 27 –Wednesday, November 29. Cranbourne campus will then come on Wednesday, November 29 – Friday, December 1. Retreat is a ‘rite of passage’ for students in Catholic secondary schools. It’s a time to enjoy time with classmates and friends in the final year of school, and an opportunity to take some time out to reflect on life’s journey so far and where it may go next. It also provides time and space to consider and give thanks for those who have been, or who are on the journey with us.  Preparations are well underway for these retreats and during the next week, students will be signing up for rooms and getting organised. Would Year 12 parents and carers please ensure they have signed the Operoo with permission or advised me of any inability to attend.

Finally, as we’re only a week away from the beginning of Advent – the time of preparation for Christmas – we also start to gear up for our annual Vinnies Christmas Appeal for food and gifts for those in need in our community. Our Social Justice Captains, Social Justice groups and Youth Ministry students take leading roles in this annual campaign at school and the response each year is amazing. More on this in the next newsletter, but as we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King this weekend, I leave you with the daily prayer and reflection that features on our SPACE news today. It, I hope, reflects our priorities as a Catholic Christian community, one that Micah’s theme is only going to enhance in 2024.

“This Sunday is the feast of Christ the King, the last Sunday of the 2023 Liturgical year and therefore the last week that the Gospel reading comes from the Gospel of Matthew. This week, the final Gospel reading contains what are known as the ‘Corporal works of mercy’. At the start of the reading, Jesus describes an image of him sitting on a throne in heaven for the final judgement of all the nations on earth.  He separates the people and places one group on his left hand and others on his right. He then describes on what basis the people will be judged, and it’s based on how they helped the poor and vulnerable they encountered. Jesus says when we help these people, we are helping him.‘Then the king will say to those on his right hand, ‘Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.’ Then the virtuous will say to him in reply: ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give youa drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you? And the King will answer, ‘I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.’ The Society of St Vincent de Paul who we refer to affectionately as ‘Vinnies’ has a mantra that they look to see the face of Christ in everyone they assist. It is based on the lesson of this reading. As we are asked to be thoughtful and generous in our Christmas appeal, let’s keep this message in mind too. When we help those in need we let our lights shine and do for others as Jesus wants us to. Today let us give thanks for the volunteers at Vinnies who do God’s works of mercy in the world and we pray that we can support them in prayer, solidarity and through our generous support of our Christmas appeal this year, Amen.”

Ms Fiona McKenna

Deputy Principal - Catholic Identity & Mission