Catholic Identity & Mission News

It’s hard to believe that we have reached the end of yet another school year. But as we come to this final week of school, we certainly have not slowed down! As you read this, we are in the middle of our two Year 12 Retreats, with the Clyde North campus returning this afternoon, and the Cranbourne campus leaving on Monday. And to end off our school year, we will be celebrating our Advent Masses, with Cranbourne celebrating Mass in the Hall with Fr Antony Rebelo celebrating for us, and Clyde North walking over (weather permitting!) to St Thomas the Apostle Parish Church to celebrate Mass with Fr Jithin Anto.

These masses are an opportunity to celebrate the end of another school year, but they are also important celebrations to coincide with an important season in our Catholic Church calendar. Similar to how our Head Start period marks the beginning of the 2025 Academic Year (albeit at the end of 2024!), the Catholic Church celebrates the start of a brand new Liturgical Year as we begin the season of Advent.

Advent is an important period of prayer, penance and preparation for Christmas. It is a time during which we are called to be ‘counter-cultural’ in a way and fight the busyness of the month of December by pausing to reflect on the many blessings we have in our lives. These blessings come in many forms - our families, friends, our school community. It is also a time for us to pray for peace in our world and for justice for those who do not experience the freedom and opportunities we do in our society.

As we reflect on these many blessings, we must also acknowledge those families who are struggling during this time. It is easy for us to get caught up in the excitement of present shopping and preparations for delicious Christmas lunches and dinners. But there are also many families who are struggling to get food on the table every day. I use this as an opportunity to once again promote the work of our Social Justice Club who are in the final stretch of their Vinnies Christmas Appeal - a yearly opportunity for us to give back to families and those in need of support during this Christmas season. If you have anything non-perishable or Christmas-related items around the house or in your pantry that you can donate, please bring them to school and drop them in the Vinnies Christmas Appeal boxes in the House areas.

Furthermore, as we begin the yearly clear-out of lockers, there might be some unused stationary, books and folders that you may not wish to keep. Instead of adding to landfill, the Year 10 Youth Ministry class will be collecting good quality stationary, exercise books and folders to donate to the Kimbe Project. All the collected goods will be donated to the Diocese of Kimbe in Papua New Guinea and given to schools who are in need of supplies. Collection points will also be in House Areas until Thursday 5th December.

I take this opportunity to wish you all a safe and blessed Christmas break. It has been a pleasure stepping into the role of Deputy Principal - Catholic Identity & Mission in Fiona McKenna’s absence and I know that she is feeling refreshed and ready after her leave to return to the role in January. May the joy of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all during this season and may you all return fresh and ready in 2025!

Mr Tishan Lokuge

Acting Deputy Principal – Catholic Identity & Mission