Faith, Justice and Formation

Justice Partnerships This Term

Fundraising and partnership are key to who we are as Edmund Rice people. It is also a core arm of Catholic life. Most of you would be aware that we ask the community for four major contributions in the year, being mindful to not overextend anyone. Nonetheless, we are aware that many in the community do it tough themselves, thus we ask you to simply do what you can. Nonetheless, ‘to whom much is given, much is expected,’ thus the majority of us can really contribute.

The four core opportunities we have to care for those experiencing powerlessness throughout the year are:

The SPC Lenten Appeal
SPC Winter Appeal
SPC Christmas Appeal
Year Cohort Justice Partnership (various times).

The College Justice Partners are ones we have long standing relationships with and ones who get little attention from elsewhere, while sometimes being partners within the Catholic and/or Edmund Rice sector.

Information regarding the SPC Christmas Appeal will be coming out soon with all donations due by Friday 27 November.

Also, this term we have many Year Cohort Justice Partnerships:

Years 5 and 6 have their Compassion Mass and Fundraising on Thursday 29 October. Part of this day will involve sponsorship for silence, reflecting that many do not have a voice in this world and thus we must be advocates. The four partners are Catholic Mission, St Edmund's Wahroonga, St Gabriel’s Castle Hill and Chetanalya in India.

Year 7 have their Justice Partnership program supporting the House of Welcome who care for refugees and peoples seeking asylum. Information is about to come out about this which will require cash donations to purchase food vouchers by 2 November, and on this day Year 7 students are asked to fast for school hours reminding ourselves of those who have very little food in their life.

Year 8 have their Justice Partnership Day on Thursday 5 November. Their partner is Caritas, a Catholic agency caring globally for those in need. Year 8 will participate in a walk-a-thon and barbeque raising funds for Caritas, who will also speak with them on the day about the work they do and how we can all be involved.

Year 10 Justice Partnership Day will also take place on Thursday 5 November for select students. This is the second half of the Year 10 Justice program – their Justice and Advocacy Forum took place in August with fundraising for our Edmund Rice Kenya partners (through ERFA) was the first part. This second day is a culmination of the ongoing interactive program with Chalmers Road School. Our students have been visiting Chalmers Road School every Monday afternoon through the year, spending time with students with disabilities, so now we will host the students from Chalmers Road School on this day. Students who have been involved in the program will be able to participate in this day with the hope that the whole of Year 10 grow in knowledge and understanding of young people with disabilities as we offer friendship and love.

I ask everyone to start preparing for these initiatives; putting money aside and the like. As people of faith we offer ourselves in service through SOL Service and more, and we also raise goods and funds for those in need. Both of these together give practical support to others and ensure we are doing what is necessary to make a better world for all.

Thank you for your ongoing support and generosity. I can assure you that the impact you make is felt, needed and greatly appreciated.

Senior Retreat Reflection

On the last week of Term 3, Year 11 undertook their Senior Retreat marking the start of their final year at St Patrick’s College. This is a time to get away from the ordinary and reflect on who we are and the relationships we have. It is a time that brings the cohort together and helps each young man be a better version of themselves, in the broader context of their relationship God. We explored the theme of ‘Stepping Out’ and what it can mean in our lives. What happens on Retreat is only experienced once there, as a rite of passage, but below are some reflections from a few students on the different retreats.

Retreat was an extraordinary experience, and to me, it wasn’t only about the unity you further develop with your mates, but particularly discovering your similarities with the people you did not expect to be close with. Building new relationships, in my opinion, is one of the most practiced and important themes at retreat, however getting to know yourself and bettering your personality will not top anything else. We learnt how no one else can make decisions for us, change us or improve us except ourselves. Additionally, retreat was a time of ‘pausing’ and ‘stepping out’, truly reflecting the authenticity and the different perspective of deepening connections with both God and friends. Tracking back to unity, volleyball was a fundamental symbol of brotherhood where every person was involved in some way, shape or form, even having teachers referee the games. Any free time we had, we took advantage to connect with each other, playing the game we love. Ultimately, my peers and I took away an abundant amount of qualities and lessons that will stick with us for the rest of our lives, creating an experience that is unforgettable.

Charlie G

Retreat was a really meaningful experience that gave me the chance to reflect on my life, my faith and the people around me. The atmosphere was positive and emotional, and it was good to see everyone connecting on a deeper level. I felt like it brought our year group closer together and helped build stronger relationships between everyone. Although there were plenty of fun moments, what made Retreat special was the impact it had on me and the way it made me think about what is important in life. Overall, I left Retreat feeling more connected to my faith and the people around me.

Cody K

Year 12 Retreat marked the end of Year 11 and the beginning of our Year 12 journey. Joined with the company of another 40 or so boys, retreat offered an opportunity to reflect, unwind, and escape the noise of typical life. Stepping away from academic pressures gave everyone a chance to reset and focus on what lies ahead. During our 4 days together we participated in a range of activities that allowed us to build connections with other boys that we likely wouldn't build elsewhere. These quiet moments away from our usual routines allowed each of us to gain valuable perspective on our upcoming final school year. I can certainly say I returned home from Retreat with newfound bonds and a profound gratefulness for the people around me. Undeniably, Year 12 Retreat is an eye-opening experience that I won't forget and one that younger boys should look forward to.

Ruben R

Retreat was a very enlightening experience for me personally as you get to know not only the students around you at a much deeper level, but also the teachers. I felt like through this experience it helped me grow to a much higher level than I would have expected from this experience, particularly in the aspect of caring for one another and treating each other with more respect and love than I would normally. Retreat also provided me with a great opportunity for collective comradery and made me feel like the cohort really was almost like a big group of friends. The activities throughout the retreat were always quite fun and always had some sort of intention of learning or growing as a person or collective. Overall, senior retreat was both an enjoyable experience and an opportunity to grow along with having wonderful food and time to further build relationships.

Harrison T

I commend the majority of the young men of the Class of 2027 for taking on this experience with open hearts and minds and pray for them to enjoy a fruitful and positive year ahead, carrying on the good work begun on Retreat.

Christmas Cake for a Cause

One of our College Justice Partners, Cana Farm, who have supplied Mother’s Day and Father’s Day gifts throughout the past few years, are selling their famous Christmas cake. I’m not a big lover of Christmas cake but I love theirs!!

The cost is $40 each and will be delivered to the school after 1 December. We will ensure your cake gets to you.

If you would like to order one purchase through the link here - Cake Order - and we will place a bulk school order to save on deliveries.

You won’t regret it! A great tasting cake and supporting the work of Cana Farm who care for our most vulnerable, giving dignity and respect to those who have fallen by the wayside. I fully endorse this organisation and all they do.

Friday Masses – Term 4

Please join us, if you can, each Friday at 8:10 AM in the Chapel for Mass. It's so important to build and nourish our community by having staff, students and parents at these Masses, as a shared expression of our faith and commitment to each other. Everybody is very welcome!!

Here is the list of which group will lead each Mass, but you can come to any Mass.

Friday 23 October - Year 8
Friday 30 October - Year 10
Friday 6 November - Year 6
Friday 13 November - Year 7
Friday 20 November - Year 9
Friday 27 November - Year 11 (last Mass of the year, the final one for Dr Lavorato – let's make it big!)

God bless you all for the term ahead.

Gillian Daley

Director of Identity