From the Principal

In last week’s Newsletter I wrote about the counter-cultural influence of one of our College Founders, Mary Ward. Given we are in the ‘Week of Christian Unity’, this week’s theme can also appear to run against the cultural tide, particularly given the energy that can be directed towards division; be that in politics, religion, culture or international relations. 

The Week for Christian Unity was one of many initiatives aimed at healing the divisions of the past, restoring unity among Christians, and praying and cooperating with one another. This was particularly the case during its inception at the end of the Cold War, when people were full of hope, focused on making peace, ending hostilities and reconciling differences.

In more recent times, there has been less enthusiasm for deepening relationships with other churches and Pope Francis has challenged that inwards-turned vision, encouraging Catholics to go out to the margins and engage. This broad sense of mission invites us to reach out beyond our own boundaries, build friendships, enrich faith and move beyond old prejudices. This was reinforced during our community Mass last week when the following slide appeared: 

Then Peter addressed them: ‘The truth I have now come to realise’, he said, ‘is that God does not have favourites.’ Acts 10:34

There has of course been a deep understanding of this imperative for some time as evidenced by our College motto Seek Justice. As Antoine de Saint-Exupery wrote in The Little Prince, ‘…one must see with the heart’ and there are no better proponents of this skill than young children.

Perhaps the opportunity that presents itself, then, is to run against what can appear to be the cultural tide and continue to work hard at ‘seeing with the heart’, or, put another way, continue to Seek Justice!

Daniel Mahon

Principal

Our College Nurse, Jenny Hill, will be retiring today after 31 years of dedicated service. Throughout her tenure, Jenny has formed deep bonds with staff, students, and their families. Her care and compassion have created a safe and nurturing environment for our students to access assistance. Nurse Jenny will undoubtedly be missed by the College community. 

As we bid farewell to Nurse Jenny, we warmly welcome two new nurses to our College - Judith Buckley and Joanne Cook.  We wish Nurse Jenny a wonderful transition to retirement, and we extend a heartfelt thank you to her for her outstanding service for over 31 years.