Especean

Faith, Justice and Formation 

SPC Christmas Appeal

With Christmas around the corner, preparations for many of us are now underway. Gifts, dinners, and decorations will soon be at the forefront of our minds. However, it is important that in this upcoming liturgical season of Advent, we also remember the true meaning of Christmas: giving. While we may get caught up in the excitement that the holiday season brings, our focus should turn to those who aren’t fortunate enough to have presents under the tree. Homelessness is an epidemic that affects thousands in our nation. We as a community have a responsibility to play our role in helping those less fortunate, living out the touchstones that our College has been built upon. In a year of lockdowns and closures, where charities were unable to work at full capacity for months, it is important now, more than ever, to give back. 

 

While we have all felt the impacts of the recent COVID-19 outbreak, Australia’s homeless population has been experiencing it the worst, with many shelters and food banks being closed down. According to the Salvation Army, homelessness during 2021 has increased up to 15%. For this reason, St Patrick’s College needs to be donating as much as possible to our annual Christmas hampers.

 

The hampers will be given to individuals and families struggling during the Christmas period. Donating gift cards, food items, toys, and toiletries, as well as actively being involved in the hamper collection, are all ways St Patrick’s College can work together to give back to people struggling during this difficult year. In the end, this may help society’s marginalised groups celebrate this season of Christmas in a more fulfilling and festive manner and bring joy to their lives. The hamper collection is a clear representation of how the SPC community as a collective, can live out our Christian values of generosity and almsgiving. 

 

Our hampers will go to our Christmas Appeal Partners – Catholic Care supporting families and young people, a domestic violence shelter (anonymity for their protection) supporting families and St Vincent De Paul helping all those in need across Sydney. Each Homeroom will be allocated a family or several young people to make hampers for, commencing this Friday 5 November. Boys will be given a list of items that are needed. Hopefully when shopping, boys will think about what they would like for Christmas and ensure items are new and bring joy.

 

The final day for the handing up of hampers is Friday 26 November.  We thank you for thinking of others at this special time of year.

 

Patrick Alphonse and Joseph Haddad 

SJAG TEAM 

Where Justice Meets Charity

I recently came across this refection from Fr Richard Rohr, a Franciscan friar, spiritual writer, ecumenical teacher and founder of the Centre for Action and Contemplation in New Mexico.  He is very well known around the world as he guides Catholics to reflect upon what their faith calls them to be or requires of them.

 

In support of the Christmas Hamper Appeal, and all work done for justice at the College, I include the last two paragraphs of his reflection titled, Where Justice Meets Charity (Sunday 31 October 2021) which aims to show ‘the importance of both justice and charity to bring about the common good’ for all to contemplate….

 

‘What has been lacking is the virtue of justice. Justice and charity are complementary but clearly inseparable in teachings of Doctors of the Church, as well as the social encyclical letters of almost all popes over the last century. The giving and caring spirit of charity both motivates and completes our sense of justice, but the virtue of charity cannot legitimately substitute for justice. Persons capable of doing justice are not justified in preferring to “do charity.” Although this has clearly been taught on paper, I would say it is the great missing link in the practical preaching and lifestyle of the church. We have ignored the foundational obligation of justice in our works of charity! For centuries we have been content to patch up holes temporarily (making ourselves feel benevolent) while in fact maintaining the institutional structures that created the holes (disempowering people on the margins). Now it has caught up with us in unremitting poverty, massive income disparity, cultural alienation, and human and environmental abuse.

 

Jesus preaches a social order in which true charity is possible, a way of relating by which cooperation and community make sense. Jesus offers a world where all share the Spirit’s power “each according to their gift.” And that “Spirit is given to each person for the sake of the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). That is the key to Christian community and Christian social justice. It is not a vision of totalitarian equality, nor is it capitalist competition (“domination of the fittest”). It is a world in which cooperation, community, compassion, and the charity of Christ are paramount—and to which all other things are subservient. The “common good” is the first principle of Catholic social doctrine—although few Catholics know it.’

 

We need to give as part of charity, just as we do with the Christmas Hampers, but we must also speak, act, feel and work for justice to improve the common good.

November Remembrance

The month of November in the Church is dedicated to remembering all those who have died.  This week we commemorated the Solemnity of All Saints Day on Monday 1 November, followed by All Souls Day on Tuesday 2 November. While we are unable to celebrate Masses in the Chapel at present, our College Memorial book still sits in the Chapel and records the names of loved ones connected with the College. If you would like to have somebody’s name added to this book, please have your son pick up a form from Reception and return it there. There is no need to get a new form if you have already had your loved one added to the Memorial Book previously. (All entries are recorded by the College; please do not do this yourself.)

 

For all our deceased loved ones we pray, and we always remember….

 

Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. 

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

through the mercy of God, rest in peace. 

Amen.

Disposing of Old or Used College Uniform 

I remind everyone of the article I placed in the Especean in May about how you can dispose of uniforms your sons no longer need. It’s now that time when many may be getting rid of uniforms, so please have your son/s deliver the following to the relevant places so we can continue our sustainable practice. 

 

Hand these into the Uniform Shop for Resale (can be dropped off at Click and Collect): 

Any of the following that are in good condition: 

  • blazers
  • pants/trousers
  • College jumpers
  • College tracksuit tops and bottoms.

Hand the following in at Reception: 

Place in a bag addressed to me; we will use for any unique circumstances with students and send to our Justice Partners:  

  • Sports shirts
  • Sports shorts
  • blue uniform shirts
  • belts and ties in good condition
  • outdated uniform in decent condition– sport or otherwise
  • College jumpers in poor condition – to be upcycled into blankets for the homeless.

Put the following in the Worn-Up Bin (outside the Uniform Shop – specifically labelled): 

  • any uniform items that are not good enough to be worn, including items with stains, tears, or holes
  • anything that doesn’t fit into a category above.

Thank you again for helping us to care for ‘our common home’ and build a better world for all. 

 

Gillian Daley 

Director of Identity