Faith, Justice and Formation

Canonisation of St Peter To Rot

Last Friday at Assembly we acknowledged the canonisation of Papua New Guinea’s first saint, St Peter To Rot, on Sunday 19 October. This is a significant moment for the Pacific region and, in a small way, for St Patrick’s College which has a long association with the people of the province, East New Britain. The Christian Brothers marked 75 years there this year and Old Boys like Mr Viney, spent a gap year there when they finished school. As a result, our College has been going on immersion there since 2010.

The parish of St Augustine’s, Rakanai is the basilica dedicated to Peter To Rot; a place many of us have been to Mass and when lucky, we have been there for the Feast Day of St Peter To Rot on 7 July. In 2011 we celebrated his feast and had the good fortune of meeting Peter To Rot’s daughter. The McNamara Family have also given us great connection to this area. Mrs Elizabeth McNamara is also a blood relative of Peter To Rot, coming from a village near Rakanai, and was and is a great supporter of St Patrick’s. Her sons and grandson attended the College and she continued to support our connection to the region.

St Peter To Rot lived in Rakanai in the time of Japanese occupation during WW2. He was a catechist who preached about monogamy rather than multiple marriages which were common at the time. With Christianity being banned under the Japanese he continued to baptise people, lead prayers and minister to the sick and elderly. He also helped Christians hide from Japanese occupiers. He was known for his integrity, spiritual strength, and compassion — quickly becoming a leader in his community.

This official portrait reflects core elements of his faith -  the wedding rings symbolise his commitment to protecting Catholic marriage, defending the sacramental union between man and woman, the Bible emphasises To Rot's devotion to the Word of God, nourished daily by Sacred Scripture and the Eucharist, drawing strength from these sources to face persecution, and the catechist's cross, on his neck is the symbol of his unwavering faith. 

Each year for his feast day people from all over Papua New Guinea make a pilgrimage to Rakanai, without any accommodation, food, and the like. The people of the parish ensure they are fed and housed, demonstrating one of the greatest acts of hospitality honouring their saint, and in keeping with true PNG culture.

At the canonisation, Pope Leo recalled St Peter To Rot’s words - “This is a very bad time for us, and we are all afraid. But God our Father is with us” – and urged the faithful to defend the truths of faith and to rely on God in all trials.

St Peter To Rot… pray for us.

The Month of Remembrance and the College Memorial Book 

This coming Saturday is All Saints Day (when we honour all holy men and women, known and unknown) and Sunday is All Souls Day (when we remember all faithful people who have died, especially loved ones), commencing the month of Remembrance in our Church calendar. Mass this Friday will be dedicated to these significant days.  

To support this month, the College has a Memorial Book to remember all deceased loved ones in our community. You are invited to complete the form below with details of loved ones who have passed away (and who have not already been entered) so they can be entered into the book by College staff only. 

This book sits on the sanctuary at all times and during the Month of Remembrance, November, it is placed on the altar for all Masses. 

In the lead up to November I encourage you to complete the College Memorial Book – Fill out form should you have someone you wish to be remembered in the community.  

Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord; 

and let perpetual light shine upon them. 

May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed, 

through the mercy of God, rest in peace.  Amen. 

Fiji – Our Ecological Immersion

On the first Sunday of the Term 3 break, a group of 8 St Patrick’s College students with Mr Fox and 4 students from Christian Brothers High School, Lewisham with Mr Logemann departed to Fiji for an ecological immersion. It took us two planes to arrive on the incredible island of Taveuni, where we would spend a week that nobody would ever forget. Over the week, we spent time exploring different aspects of Taveuni, from the welcoming nature of the locals to the beautiful landscape and notable sustainable practice. Each day, we did something new, from visiting farms to snorkelling. However, the most memorable part of the week was the 2 days that we spent at South Taveuni Secondary School, where we had the opportunity to explore the classes of students in Fiji. Here, we also got the blessing of being served a Lovo, a traditional Fijian feast by the locals, which included chicken, lamb, taro and cassava.  

The immersion wasn’t only filled with excitement and adventure however. Every day we learnt something new about sustainability, visiting the experts and bringing their teachings back home. We got to learn about the impacts of small things such as fertiliser run off on the environment, as well as practices such as pearl farming that helps clean the ocean.

Overall, the immersion was an unforgettable opportunity. We shared many experiences with each other, making new bonds with people from other schools or other years. Although we only stayed there for a week, everybody came back home a changed person; each with their new goals for sustainable living, determined to make a difference. 

Brandon Braun | Year 10 Student

SOL Service Completion 

A final reminder – SOL Service diary pages are due to homeroom/class teachers on Monday 3 November. No extensions. 

Your sons need to have completed the reflection sufficiently and you, as parents/carers, need to have commented and signed the page for completion to be acknowledged.  

Any questions are to be directed to SOLservice@spc.nsw.edu.au.

2026 SOL Service can commence in Week 6, when the new documents are sent out. 

Thank you for your support. 

Gillian Daley 

Director of Identity