Principal's report

The Feast of the Assumption & Faith in Action Assembly

This week, the College gathered as a community to celebrate Mass to mark the Feast of the Assumption. This feast day marks an important moment in Christian tradition and theology. It commemorates the belief that Mary, the mother of Christ, was assumed body and soul into heaven at the end of her earthly life. Importantly, it is also a celebration of her unique role in salvation history and her unwavering faith and devotion. 

The Assumption teaches us about the virtues of faith, hope, and love. Mary’s life is a model of total devotion to and faith in God’s will, reminding us to trust in God’s plan for our lives. Her assumption into Heaven is a sign of the hope and promise that awaits us and encourages us to live our lives with eternal faith and hope.

A prayer for the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary:

Heavenly Father

You chose the Virgin Mary to be the mother of your Son, and through her, you have given us the gift of salvation. As we celebrate the Assumption, may we follow her example of faith, humility and obedience.

Grant us the grace to seek your will in all things and to look forward to the day when we too will share in the glory of the resurrection.

Through Christ our Lord; Amen. 

Following Mass, we then focused on our Faith in Action works via a number of student presentations. These included presenting cheques to a number of very worthy charities and organisations. These organisations, including the Edmund Rice Foundation, Caritas and Edmund Rice Services seek to support thousands of people who are marginalised and who experience significant hardship on a regular basis. The support and outreach of our students is an incredible expression of compassion and humanity and something that is very important to us as a Catholic school in the Edmund Rice tradition.

At St Pat’s, we are committed to developing a genuine sense of compassion in our students. 

Paterson Meneely, one of our College Vice Captains, said at the assembly:

‘Our EREA Touchstones and our SPC Pillars of Faith, Tradition, Excellence, and Joy inspire us to both understand and address important social issues in the light of the good news of the Gospel. For the students of the Faith in Action group, our participation remains highly relevant and important for several reasons:

Putting our faith into action helps us discern a set of principles and values leading to ethical decisions related to important social and economic issues. We are all called to be informed and active citizens of our community. 

Putting our faith into action emphasises the inherent dignity of every human person, regardless of race, religion, socio-economic status, or any other factor. We are all called to respect and uphold the human dignity that is central to social harmony and justice.

Putting our faith into action helps us advocate for the rights and needs of all individuals, especially the vulnerable and marginalised. We are all called to confront the various social challenges that disrupt our community.

Putting our faith into action contributes to the common good, which encompasses the well-being and flourishing of all members of society. This principle is foundational for social structures that benefit everyone, not a select few.

However, putting our faith into action does not mean attempting the impossible. It means doing what you can. And what each of us can do is donate our time to the activities of the SPC Faith in Action group. These are activities within the capacity of everyone here, yet we should not underestimate the impact they have’.

Paterson’s words capture so well, the significance of this. I congratulate all involved with our Faith in Action and SAGERS groups, and I encourage all students at SPC to embrace this important aspect of their time at the College. I encourage them to think outwardly and know that any contribution they make to their neighbours, to those who are marginalised, vulnerable or impoverished is important and worthwhile.

The assembly also highlighted key environmental issues that are an on-going challenge to society and regularly addressed by the College’s SAGERs group. Ms Ellen Burns, President of ‘Hidden Orchard’, waste activist and circular economy advocate, addressed the assembly and encouraged the boys to become more aware of the benefits of growing and eating locally grown produce and the obvious benefits of avoiding using plastics routinely. Ellen encouraged the boys to become Nude Food advocates and was delighted to see our ‘Nude Food Day' in action following the assembly. 

Our 2024 College Captain, Noah Quick has been actively involved in the ‘Compassionate Ballarat’ movement for a number of years. Compassionate Ballarat is a steering group that provides resources to assist those in Ballarat who want to create a more flourishing and compassionate city. And importantly, Compassionate Ballarat engages with organisations within Ballarat to articulate messages to city leaders in the hope for change.

Noah addressed the gathering and spoke of a recent initiative from Compassionate Ballarat. Noah explained the request: What would we, as a community, like to see change within Ballarat to make it a better, more compassionate city?

A group of SPC students responded with the following statements:

• Firstly: “We wish to belong to an inclusive community that stands against violence towards all women”
• Secondly: “That many will strive to work for an equitable distribution of wealth.”
• Thirdly: “To bring an end to the aggression towards front-line workers, ensuring respectful relationships are always present.”
• And finally: “We wish to achieve easier access to services for those in need.”

Noah concluded the assembly by reminding each boy that ‘every positive interaction, every kind and generous interaction, every encounter that is done with compassion and selflessness links us to the Gospel values and the Pillars that we stand for here at St. Patrick’s College’. 

It was quite a long gathering – first the Mass for the Feast of the Assumption and then, the Faith in Action and SAGERs assembly – but it was a really encouraging assembly, and I commend the boys for their attentiveness. In many ways it highlighted the all-important work we continue to do with and for our boys. It speaks to our unwavering commitment to educating our young men holistically – body and mind, heart and soul. And it is an expression of what we value and honour so much at SPC: Character, Compassion and Community. 

I was very proud of our students today. 

Victorian School Music Festival Success       

In recent weeks, two of the College’s major music ensembles have enjoyed great success when they have performed at the Victorian School Music Festival. The College’s Stage Band, conducted by Mr Tim Snibson was awarded a ‘Gold Shield’ at the Festival and acknowledged by the adjudicator and other professional musicians involved in the Festival as being ‘excellent’ in nearly all criteria.

This week, the College’s Symphonic Winds Ensemble, conducted by Mr Matthew Pankhurst, was recognised similarly after their performance at the Festival on Wednesday evening in Geelong. They too were awarded a ‘Gold Shield’ and the adjudication had them in the ‘excellent’ range for almost all criteria.

This is a fantastic set of achievements and reflects the talent of the boys and the wonderful work of the Music team and program here at the College. 

I am very much looking forward to the College’s major music showcase event, ‘SPC in Concert’ in the College’s Performing Arts Centre on Wednesday, 28 August. I encourage all to come along to this special performance – the first time we host it in our magnificent facility and more importantly, one of the major performances of the year!