Faith, Justice & Formation

National Reconciliation Week Guest Presenter

You are our family.

Last Wednesday, 27 May, the College’s Social Justice Action Group (SJAG) had the privilege of hearing from Roger Jarrett, an Aboriginal elder who experienced and survived the Stolen Generations. Roger was forcibly removed from his mother and siblings at age 11, in 1958, violently thrown in the back of a truck and sent to the infamous Kinchela Boys Home, where he endured gruelling conditions. 

Roger spoke not only of his challenging personal experiences, but also those that faced the wider Aboriginal community at the time. He recalled a time of immense inequality, a time where:

• Aboriginal peoples were not permitted to work.
• Aboriginal peoples were not permitted to enter hospitals.
• Aboriginal peoples were arrested and put in jail for speaking their native language.

The discussion, which was facilitated by the Mobile Education Centre Educator and occurred via Zoom, was an educational start to National Reconciliation Week for the students who are part of SJAG.

As a result of Roger’s stories, we understood that these were real events experienced by real people that are a part of our contemporary society. Roger Jarrett brought his experiences off the dormant pages of the history textbook and it made clear to us the extent of the suffering experienced by Aboriginal peoples. Despite being understandably mixed with anger and frustration, Roger fittingly spoke to us in the spirit of Reconciliation, unforgettably saying ‘You are our future, and you are our family.’ This final statement from him is true reconciliation – forgiveness and understanding to move onto a new future and way of being family for all Australians.

Luke Di Giacomo 

Social Justice Prefect

Teams Video Chat with the Fellas from St Joseph’s, Alice Springs

Yesterday students at the College were invited to join a video call in the Bangawarra Room with a few fellas from the St Joseph’s Catholic Flexible Learning Centre, as well as our former teacher Mr Herro, as part of National Reconciliation Week.  At the start of lunch, the room was packed with boys from Years 5 to 12, ready and eager to ask questions and to have a nice chat with the mob.

The call started off with Elie Shehadie making an acknowledgement of country and everyone saying a warm hello. A shy start was slowly sparked up by a few questions asked from our end regarding sports, things they like about Alice Springs and the exciting Northern Territory Day, and they also asked us questions about things we like to do in Sydney and who we support in the AFL, being one of their favourite and most played sports in Alice Springs.  We also discussed the big issues that face Aboriginal people today.  The fellas felt that poverty, violence, education, deaths in custody and respect were the biggest challenges they face, while the thing they are most proud of is their culture and sharing it with others.

A few students waiting to travel to Alice Springs later this year were present and they were grateful that they had the opportunity to hear a little bit about life there before travelling. For all students in the younger years that attended, it was a good eye opener to see the strong connection the school has made with the mob over the years. 

All boys who were lucky enough to take part in the immersion last year attended the video call and had the opportunity to ask a few questions and catch up with the recognisable faces on the other side of the screen. We were all glad to see that life in Alice Springs was going well, since we last caught up with them.  Once the chat finished the fellas on the other end asked Mr Herro if we could do it again and said they can’t wait to visit Sydney, with a special shout out from our former student, Eddie.  Despite the awkward silences at times this was a meaningful catch up between peers where culture and background had no bearing on the friendship; all are simply young Australians.

Adam Muratore

Faith Formation Prefect & Alice Springs Immersion Participant 2019

FIAT Recognise Key Events on the Path to Reconciliation