Deputy Principal

Faith Forum

Last week at the P&F Forum we focused on Faith and what that means to us at St Patrick’s College. We are a Roman Catholic School in the Edmund Rice Tradition. As a pontifical organisation we must report to the Vatican on how we are living out the Charism of Edmund Rice. Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) is clear in their vision stating: 

‘Inspired by the Spirit in proactively responding to current realities and hope-filled futures, we are called to faithfulness and transformation as Catholic Schools in the Edmund Rice tradition. Through a liberating education, based on a Gospel spirituality, within an inclusive community, committed to justice and solidarity, we co-create a better world for all.’ 

The touchstones for us in EREA schools are ways we can measure the integrity and authenticity of our expression of faith. 

The forum heard from College staff as well as representatives from Sydney Catholic Schools, EREA and the Christian Brothers. Speakers talked about the Catholic Church being a broad church but with a singular God. That BOTH females and males are made in the likeness of God’s image – it is about the complementary nature of the sexes. Topics including the cultural paradigm of disrespect for women were discussed and the need for us in an all-boys’ school to foster respectful relationships towards women by being explicit in our teachings. 

The forum outlined the theology of Church and discussed our curriculum, which from Years 5-10 is the curriculum that is mandated by the Archdiocese of Sydney and as students move into Years 11 and 12, we teach Studies of Religion which teaches about several different world religions which is mandated by NESA. 

The forum then went on to discuss a number of topics that have been raised with the College previously and on the night. One topic that has been discussed recently, including during the last Federal election campaign, was ‘Acknowledgment of Country.’ It is important to note that being First Nations and being Christian are not mutually exclusive. When we acknowledge Country, we are recognising who came first, our First Nations brothers and sisters who have been looking after the land for over 65,000 years. St Patrick’s College has a strong relationship with St Joseph’s Catholic Flexible Learning Centre in Alice Springs. The artwork that is displayed in some of our masses is a gift from them. We send students and staff every year on an immersion to St Joseph's so our students can immerse themselves in First Nations culture and get a better understanding of the ways to improve the justice and outcomes of our First Nations peoples. 

We will always unapologetically Acknowledge Country before our masses begin. The EREA Charter, which we follow is informed and enriched by the Scriptures, First Nations Knowings, and Catholic Teaching. These three sources of wisdom, woven dynamically through our Charter, call us to both faithfulness and transformation.

Stewardship and climate change was another topic that was covered. Pope Francis was explicit in his encyclical Laudato Si’, that we must provide a holistic response to environmental degradation and social justice. They are interconnected and it calls for us to shift our behaviour and move towards sustainable development where we put the needs of mother earth before our own. This can only happen if parents work hand in hand with our messages at the College and challenge the hearts and minds of their sons to think about consumerism and what we as humans have created; that being a throw away society. That is, if it breaks, we just buy another one without thinking of the resources that have been used to make a product or service and its impact on the environment. 

I thank Ms Daley for organising and speaking on the night and our guest speakers from staff, Mr James Crino, Ms Jasmine Porter, Mr Matt Hero and Ms Fogliani who took the minutes. I also thank Ms Jo Hart the Director of Formation and Culture from EREA and Mr Anthony Cleary the Director of Mission and Identity for Sydney Catholic Schools. I would also like to thank Br Julian McDonald cfc from our Christian Brothers community. He summed it up best when he said, ‘everyone in this school is good, creative and loved, - we are all created in the likeness of God.’ 

We are and always will be an inclusive community that respects the human dignity of each and every one of our students as well as all the members of our global community.

Adrian Byrne

Deputy Principal