Deputy Principal / Religious Education
Dear Parents and Families
As mentioned in our last newsletter, I had the opportunity to visit Lake Mungo as part of a week-long immersion run by the Sandhurst Diocese Indigenous team. What an incredible experience it was. Walking among ancient dunes, learning the historic significance of Aboriginal history, and witnessing the vast, silent landscape left me in awe and had a profound impact both personally and spiritually.
Mungo Lady and Mungo Man are perhaps the most important human remains ever found in Australia. Their discovery re-wrote the ancient story of this land and its people and sent shock-waves around the world. These 42,000 year old ritual burials are some of the oldest remains of modern humans (Homo sapiens) yet found outside of Africa. Mungo Lady is the oldest known cremation in the world, representing the early emergence of humanity's spiritual beliefs.
Mungo Lady and Mungo Man are particularly special to their Aboriginal descendants who still live around the Willandra Lakes area. ThePaakantji, Ngyiampaa and Mutthi Mutthi people are proud of what the ancient remains prove of their endurance in the land and survival from the distant past. Many believe that Mungo Man and Mungo Lady returned to teach something to all people.
The return of Mungo Lady and Mungo Man to their original resting place put Lake Mungo on the world map. They led to the establishment of Mungo National Park and the recognition of the Willandra Lakes Region World Heritage Area as a place that is important to all humanity.
The ‘Shifting Sands’ Lake Mungo immersion was not just a journey into Australia's ancient past but an opportunity to engage with the living culture and natural environment. Breathtaking, harsh, isolated, inspiring and unique. It's a place hard to describe in a few words. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to experience it.
Sacraments
Congratulations to all of our Sacrament students who made their Sacraments of First Eucharist and Confirmation a few weeks ago.
Our sacrament weekend was a wonderful celebration of our students faith journey.
Youth Mass ~ Tomorrow night, Saturday 14th Sept, 6pm.
We are celebrating a combined Youth mass with St Brendan’s tomorrow night. Thank you to the families who have said they are attending and have offered to assist with readings, singing and other jobs. Please feel free to attend in support of our parish school communities.
Andrew Chinn Concert ~ ST Luke's Feast Day Friday 18th October
As part of our Feast day Celebrations next term, Australian religious songwriter and singer, Andrew Chinn, will be visiting our school to share his songs with our children.
Andrew’s songs, such as “These Hands”, “Rainbow”, “An African Blessing” and“Rise Up!” are used in classrooms and liturgies around Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada.
The concert will take place at school in our stadium at 2:20pm. We will also have a school liturgy from 9:20am also in the stadium to celebrate the Feast Day of St Luke on Friday 18th October. We look forward to seeing you there.
Andrew Chinn: Biography
• Was a teacher for 20 years in Catholic schools in Sydney, taught all grades from kindergarten to Year 6 (was a kindergarten/prep teacher for two years)
• Song writing since 1993
• Has released 14 albums, 6 picture books, and 5 DVDs and has an online resource for teachers: www.butterflyhouse.online
• His music is used in schools across Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada and hehas visited nearly 1200 different schools around those countries.
• His best-known songs are These Hands, Rainbow, An African Blessing, and Rise Up!.
• Lives in Wollongong with his wife, Bernadette and a couple of Shetland Sheepdogs called Mollee and Elbee, who love going to the beach.
• He has four daughters and TEN grandchildren!!
• He is a proud Sydney Swans, Illawarra Hawks and Brisbane Broncos supporter.
• Andrew’s music is available on Spotify and Apple Music.
Have a happy and safe holiday. Best wishes to all teams left in the Finals.
Go Hawks!!!
Kind regards
Chris Summers
Deputy Principal ~ Catholic Identity & Wellbeing Leader
St Brendan's Parish Bulletin 15th September 2024