Mission and Identity
- Founder's Day Mass and a new Pope
- Kairos Retreat this weekend
- Brigidine Social Justice Forum
- Youth Mass this Sunday
Founder’s Day Mass and a new Pope
Last Friday we came together to celebrate our identity and our mission as a Catholic School in the Edmund Rice tradition with the Founder’s Day Mass. We gathered as pilgrims of hope during the year of Jubilee, with the Jubilee door reminding us of this journey and of God’s boundless mercy and love.
We celebrated where we have come from in order to know where we are going. We gathered to celebrate our collective ‘why’. We were reminded that we draw our ‘why’ from Jesus, and how Blessed Edmund Rice responded to Jesus’s call to transform the world through love of God, neighbour and self.
The theme and focus for the Mass was ‘Feed my sheep’. Blessed Edmund Rice answered Jesus's profound call to 'feed my sheep' by dedicating his life to the service of others through a Gospel Spirituality that emphasised compassion and care. He recognised that true nourishment extends beyond physical sustenance; it includes emotional and spiritual support that fosters growth, dignity and an ongoing relationship with God.
We are deeply grateful to all staff and students who assisted in making our Eucharistic celebration one that was full of life and joy. We are especially grateful to Fr David who continues to be so generous with his time in supporting the College. During his homily he encouraged our students to ‘live with purpose’ as opposed to simply seeking happiness as a life goal. This challenged the students to seek fulfillment and to yearn for the intersection of their passion and what the world needs. A stirring message for our community indeed.
This day was additionally auspicious as we celebrated the news of the election of Pope Leo XIV. As our new pontiff begins his vocation of shepherding the global Catholic community, may this prayer inspired by the words of St Augustine support him in his pilgrimage of service:
Heavenly Father,
Today we rejoice in the election of our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV. We give thanks for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in choosing him, a humble servant from the Order of St Augustine. Inspired by the wisdom of St Augustine, may Pope Leo lead your Church with love, humility, and truth.
Lord, bless Pope Leo as he begins this sacred journey. Strengthen him with the wisdom of your saints and the courage of the apostles. May the words of St Augustine echo in his heart:
'When you love Christ’s members, you love Christ himself.
And when you love Christ, you love the Son of God.
When you love the Son of God, you love the Father.
Love cannot be split up.
Begin loving somewhere and the rest will follow.'
Grant that Pope Leo may be a beacon of this undivided love - hands to serve, feet to go where he is needed, eyes to see the suffering, and ears to hear the cries of the poor.
'What does love look like? It has hands to help others.
It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy.
It has eyes to see misery and want.
It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of others.
That is what love looks like.'
Lord, as he shepherds your people, may Pope Leo lead not only with his voice, but also from the depths of his heart, in prayer and in silence before You.
'In our heart we have a voice which God hears
but of which the human ear knows nothing….
We have an inner mouth, within ourselves we pray, with that mouth we pray.
And, if we prepare a house within ourselves to welcome God,
therein we speak and therein we are heard.'
May his heart be your dwelling place, his words your message, and his leadership a reflection of your eternal love. Guide him, protect him, and fill him with your Holy Spirit, now and always. Amen.
Kairos Retreat this weekend
This weekend a number of our Year 11 students are participating in a Kairos Retreat hosted by Waverley College. Kairos is a voluntary faith formation three-night retreat which has become a staple of spiritual formation in many Catholic schools and universities worldwide. It is essentially experiential and based upon story telling. Many past participants of Kairos report it to be among the most significant experiences of their lives. Kairos, adapted from Greek meaning 'God’s Time', is geared toward deepening one's faith, identity, relationships, and connection to God's place in our lives. We thank Waverley for the invitation and the opportunity to participate and pray for those participants that it will be a deeply personal and spiritual experience for them. Thank you to Mr Di Sano for leading this initiative.
Brigidine Social Justice Forum
On Wednesday evening a number of our students attended the Brigidine Social Justice Forum to engage in advocacy platforms as well as networking with Social Justice agencies on practical ways to address the issues raised. There was electric connections between the students from several Catholic schools as they shared their common commitment to serve the voiceless, forgotten and marginalised. Thank you Mr Balboa for leading this initiative.
Youth Mass this Sunday
This Sunday St Pius X and Mercy College will celebrate the first Term 2 Youth Mass at 5:30 pm at Our Lady of Dolours Catholic Church Chatswood. A pizza dinner will follow the Mass and is a wonderful opportunity to share faith, friendship and food. Please take up the opportunity to refill your inner cup!
Mr Daniel Petrie - Assistant Principal, Mission and Identity