Faith, Justice and Formation
Student Leader Lunch with the Archbishop
On Thursday 23 April, we were fortunate to be invited to a lunch with Archbishop Anthony Fisher at St Mary’s Cathedral. The gathering provided a rare opportunity to step beyond the classroom environment and engage in meaningful conversation about leadership, faith, and the relatable challenges faced by teenagers in today’s world. Surrounded by a number of like-minded student leaders from schools around Sydney, we were encouraged to partake in thoughtful reflection on how we, as emerging leaders of the future, can actively live out and strengthen our faith within school communities.
Amongst the two course meals and sharing many laughs with other students on our table, Archbishop Anthony pulled out a chair and joined us to eat together. In doing so, we were able to ask a mix of broad and personal questions. We would not have been comfortable leaving without asking His Grace the question of “When you were our age, did you ever picture yourself to be the Catholic Archbishop of the Sydney?” and his response was far from what we expected to hear. Archbishop Anthony went on to share the story of his 13-year-old self, attending a Mass on Holy Thursday at St Mary’s Cathedral. He was finding his seat, when the Archbishop at the time, who was celebrating the Mass, patted him on the shoulder and asked whether he could have his feet washed in representation of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. It was from this moment that Anthony Fisher found his call to devote his life to Christ and pursue his career of priesthood.
In addition to this story, Archbishop Anthony shared with the table his weekly hobby… playing tennis with the local seminarians. We came to realise how even in the complexity of being an Archbishop, travelling worldwide each year and carrying the presence of Christ, Archbishop Anthony was once a young boy, just like us at SPC, not knowing where his future would lead him. He found his calling at a Holy Thursday Mass, a blessing which has sat in our minds since the lunch, knowing that we all have a calling to live with Christ in our own unique way. Whether that calling reveals itself in a single moment, like Archbishop Anthony, or gradually over time, it is something we are invited to listen for, nurture, and respond to with courage and faith in our everyday life.
Whilst sitting at the table with the other student leaders, we had the opportunity to discuss a number of initiatives and ideals going forward in other school communities. We tackled issues like how to immerse younger students into the faith, and how we aimed to make faith a more prominent focus of our leadership. The discussion was centred around a number of questions which inquired into the role of faith in the modern world and queried our understanding of faith in our lives as the youth, notably popular ideas of ‘God’s timing’ or ‘discernment’. Hearing the responses of the other students was truly insightful and gave us a greater appreciation of what it meant to pursue greater devotion to faith through our leadership.
Upon finishing the discussion, we had the opportunity to represent our table in asking the Archbishop a question, which being how he would understand and consider how our faith and devotion to God, through the pace of modern life, has been obscured or tainted. We also asked how he would understand faith’s role in responding to issues such as mental health. The Archbishop’s response was shrewd, remarking on the essence of modern life and the conflicting nature of faith. In concluding, the Archbishop reminded us of our roles as the ‘leaders of tomorrow’ and our responsibility in upholding the true beauty of our faith. We thank his Grace for giving us this wonderful opportunity to meet and discuss with him and students from around the archdiocese.
Francesco M and Roman P
Year 12 Leaders
Mother's Day Mass
Our annual Mother's Day Mass will take place this Friday at 8:30 AM. As a result, there will be no Friday morning Mass in the Chapel. All those who ordered tickets for the Mother's Day Mass have been sent the information required for the event, including that you will need to show tickets to enter due to another event taking place at the same venue. We look forward to celebrating with all of you.
All students not coming to the Mother's Day Mass will have school as normal. They need to bring some personal study and a novel to read for the first part of the day. Instructions will be given about where to assemble. Classes will be as normal from Period 3.
Happy Mother's Day to all our amazing mothers and mother figures for this coming Sunday. No doubt the boys will look after you well and all of us will remember the example of our Mother Mary in preparing Jesus for life just as each of you do today. God bless you.
Gillian Daley
Director of Identity
SOL Service Update – Stage 5
On Friday afternoon I wrote to Year 9 and 10 students about a few upcoming SOL Service Opportunities. Descriptions of each activity are below:
Mother's Day Roses
Wrapping the roses for Mother's Day Mass after school on Thursday afternoon
(7 May).
This will take approximately 90 minutes and will earn students 2 SOL Points.
We require 10-12 volunteers for this activity.
Students were signing up via the link provided and the activity was filled by Monday morning!
P&F Barbeque Assistance
Helping the P&F to set up, cook and serve the barbeque for home rounds of Saturday sport.
Two different four-hour shifts on each Saturday, worth 4 SOL Points each.
Even if students do back-to-back shifts, the maximum number of points someone can earn on one day is four.
Students can sign up by viewing availabilities on the roster (the link is on CANVAS and in Friday's email) and emailing me (Mr Herro) to book in an available space.
Please be mindful of winter sport fixtures when booking shifts. If students end up with a clash, they will need to find a replacement.
Students must also be sure not to book a shift when it is their Year Group's Supporter’s Day (Year 10 – 16 May, Year 9 - 1 August).
CatholicCare Solidarity Program
The program is about spending the day with adults with disabilities and working alongside them in their roles. It is a day of service, but also a day of enlightenment.
This will run on various days in the first week of the winter school holidays from 9:00 AM-1:30 PM and be worth 5 SOL Points.
Monday 29 June - Year 10 Students
Tuesday 30 June - Year 10 Students
Wednesday 1 July - Year 9 Students
Thursday 2 July - Year 9 Students
There is a maximum of 12 spaces available on each day, most of which are still vacant.
Students can sign up via the link in Friday's email.
Year 9 and 10 students have done an excellent job so far this year filling available shifts for Sandwich Making, so I am excited to see these opportunities fill up as well. Please remember that many of the SOL Service Opportunities for Stage 5 need to be booked in through the College, so it is important for students to make the most of these when they arise.
I also take the opportunity to remind the community that students who are committed to bringing their recess and lunch waste-free for the year as part of the "Nude Lunch" initiative still need to complete a second activity to meet the minimum requirements for SOL Service. If any student who has not signed up for Nude Lunch but would like to, they are to email SOLService@spc.nsw.edu.au to register, and they will be able to participate for the remainder of the year for a reduced number of points. They will be advised how many when they write in, dependant on how late in the year they register. Any other SOL Service-related questions should also be directed to the SOL email address.
Matthew Herro
Head of Identity (Senior School)
SPC Winter Appeal
I know it feels like a very short time since Lent, but we are getting into winter and need your help.
We have three whole school justice drives during the year – Lenten Appeal, Winter Appeal and Christmas Appeal. Plus, one cohort justice partnership initiative during the year. Our mandate as Christians is to care for the other, expressing our love, in many different ways. But as an Edmund Rice school it is an imperative that ‘we give to the poor in handfuls’, thus we seek help from our community to make life better for the powerless in our community. Many are struggling with the expenses of life at present, including some of our own families, thus we only expect what people can give. But we are reminded that ‘to whom much is given, much is expected’ so we look forward to another great year of commitment to those in greater need than us.
Our Winter Appeal will take place on:
Wednesday 20 May for Berg Coghlan and Crichton
Thursday 21 May for Hanrahan, Hickey, and Rice
This is so families can get organised for the same day. Please don’t be late with your deliveries, as there is lots of sorting to be done and logistics prevent us from dragging this on.
See the poster below to know what to bring / send in. We ask the following from every boy in the school as a minimum where possible:
A new blanket and a toiletry item (allocated per house).
Optional extras such as winter woolies and bare essentials are listed below.
Let’s keep in our prayers all who we will help across Sydney and NSW and show our love and care through what we contribute. Please do not send dirty used items. Good blankets that have been used and cleaned are accepted.
In conjunction with the Winter Appeal is our Winter Sleep Out for students on Friday 19 June which will be advertised next week, but please note the parameters for attendance. There will also be a Parent Winter Sleep Out in Term 3, fingers crossed. Details for both events to come.
Thank you in advance for your support.
Gillian Daley
Director of Identity