Deputy Principal

Year of Respect

2023 is a significant year of celebration for Franciscan people. It marks 800 years of the Rule of 1223 and 800 years since Saint Francis re-enacted the scene of Jesus’ birth at Greccio. 

For our community, 2023 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Elizabeth Hayes, the founder of the Missionary Franciscan Sisters, and the 150th anniversary of her first foundation at Belle Prairie in Minnesota. 

Our theme for this year is the College guiding value of Respect. Respect is at the very foundation of all relationships. We honour the dignity of the whole person through love and inclusion. We respect the intrinsic value of our common home and all of creation.  

For Franciscan people, respect emerges from the belief in the Incarnation. This is the belief that God became human in the person of Jesus, a tenet of faith emphasised in the Prologue of John’s Gospel: “And the Word became flesh and lived among us and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” (Jn 1: 14)

The Incarnation is the very personification of love – so far above the love of creatures for wealth, possessions, power, even for other creatures. This love is all-encompassing, compassionate and unconditional. It is a mystery not only to be contemplated through prayer, but also was to be lived out in every aspect of life. By gospel living, we bring the Incarnation of Jesus to life with everyone we encounter.

In her book, Franciscan Prayer, Ilia Delio, OSF, expresses this spiritual aspiration. She writes: “[Franciscan prayer]… begins and ends with the Incarnation. It begins with encountering the God of overflowing love in the person of Jesus Christ and ends with embodying that love in one’s own life, becoming a new Incarnation… To live the gospel life is to proclaim by one’s life the Good News of God among us and thus to make Jesus Christ live a new… Incarnation is what all of creation is about because it is the Word of God made flesh.”

Francis and Clare both focused on creating caring communities through their great love and respect for the dignity of each individual. They believed in and nurtured genuine friendships based on openness, honesty, mutual interest, and support. Their outreach was intended to be all-inclusive and they regarded others as equals. Francis and Clare called men and women to be “brothers” and “sisters” and they modelled this challenge in their relationships which were always marked by an unconditional respect for the other.

This year, may we strive to reflect in our lives and in our service, our belief in the presence of God, dwelling among us, loving us unconditionally, and calling us in that love to accept our dignity as human persons endowed with the very life of our Creator. 

We recognise and affirm the personal gifts and talents of each person. We likewise acknowledge and celebrate the gift of rich diversity present among us. Through collaboration and mutual support, we empower one another and strive to achieve life-giving unity within authentic relationships.

Service and Outreach

There are a number of ways that students will be able to demonstrate their respect for people and planet at Mount Alvernia College in 2023:

• Welcoming new students into their homeroom group and year level
• Saying “Please” and “Thank you”
• Being kind in thoughts, words and actions
• Being mindful of others when sharing corridors and stairwells and when queuing outside La Cucina
• Ensuring bags and personal items are safely stored in the locker provided
• Choosing to use re-useable containers for the packing of lunches and snacks
• Disposing of litter appropriately and keeping their classrooms and the College grounds clean and tidy
• Recycling of paper and plastic (where possible) using the recycling bins provided
• Placing 10 cent containers in the dedicated return bins. Funds raised from the Containers for Change recycling scheme support the sustainability initiatives of the Sprout Squad.

Another way of living out respect for others is through our service to members of our local community. In the coming weeks, students will be invited to sign up to the rosters to participate in the following activities: 

Year 7: Reading program at St Anthony’s School

Year 8: Visits to Molly’s House, Turner Road, Kedron

Year 9: Visits to Samaritans, Kedron Parish

Year 10: Student mentoring program at St Anthony’s School

Year 11 & Year 12: Rosies Friends on the Street 

Students can also participate in a number of student groups including Sprout Squad, Z Club and Peer Support.  Information about these groups will be promoted to students in the coming weeks and published in upcoming newsletters. 

Commencement Mass and Commissioning Ceremony

Next Tuesday 31st January, the College will host our Commencement Mass and Commissioning Ceremony. At this event, Senior students will receive their Senior badges and ties and our College Captains will be formally inducted into their roles. Mass will commence at 8.45am and conclude at approximately 10.15am. Invitations have been extended to Year 12 families (2 guests per family); however, given the limited space in the San Damiano Centre, we are unable to accommodate families of students in other year levels. In the interest of health and safety, especially given the warmer weather we are experiencing at this time, students will need to ensure they have a hearty breakfast and are suitably hydrated on Tuesday morning.   

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Families 

If your daughter identifies as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander student, please contact me at the College by phone or email, rogur@staff.mta.qld.edu.au. While the College seeks this information from families at enrolment, it does not always reflect the most up-to-date information. Accurate information will assist the College in ensuring communication of events for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students reaches our students and their families.