Catholic Identity and Mission

This week marks the final week for our Year 12 students. The day will begin with a Mass of Gratitude which will be presided over by Bishop Greg Bennett.  

For members of our community who are not Catholic, you may ask why we celebrate our big occasions with a Mass. Mass is not undertaken for entertainment value, students can find it a challenge to sit through and they may find it confusing. So, you might ask, why do we do it? 

During the Mass the full mystery of our Catholic faith is celebrated. The Eucharist, is the time when Catholics believe that the true presence of Christ is with us. At this time, we are fully one community – and as unusual as this might sound to those unfamiliar with traditions of the Catholic faith, it is when we are fully in communion with those who have passed, as well as those who are present. The physical boundaries of time and space become irrelevant and we become the Body of Christ. 

It is the moment that the sacrifice of Jesus draws us to the greatest love of all (not the Whitney Houston song) – to God.  

This is why we do what we do and why we believe in a Catholic education. It is to offer moments for our young people to realise that they are not alone, that they have an inherent dignity and that they are a part of a community who want them to know that they are loved. They have been purposefully created and they are called to engage all of their gifts and talents and strengths, to make the world a more beautiful place. 

For our Year 12 students, they have a connection with us that spans up to six years – they are more than the sum of an ATAR, of whether they have opted for ‘scored or unscored’, of the education pathway that they have pursued; they are members of the Marist-Sion Community. The Mass of Gratitude offers us an opportunity to let the students know that we are grateful to God for their life, and it is also an opportunity for them to be grateful for the wonderful life they have had and all of the beauty and opportunity that lies before them. 

The Gospel at Thursday’s Mass tells us “Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” Mt 6:25  

Our prayer for the Graduating Year 12’s is that they know that they know that there is a loving God who wants to be in relationship with them, whenever in their lives they may take up the call. 

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student group gathered for lunch on Monday and farewelled Atlas Crawford and Caitlin Birkett.

Mrs Jacinta Johnston

Deputy Principal: Catholic Identity and Mission