From the Principal
Last week I had the pleasure of spending time with our Year 12 students at their three-day Retreat in Blampied, near Daylesford. The Year 12 Retreat is one of those special school experiences that remains with students well beyond their school days. As a faith community, the retreat provides an important opportunity for our students to develop a deeper understanding of themselves, their spirituality, relationship with God and strengthen their connection with their peers. One of the activities that I was present for was the ‘social justice fashion parade’. I was extremely impressed by the girls’ understanding and articulation of the social justice issues they presented and their creative talents in representing the issue using only newspaper and masking tape to create a garment. Some of the issues they chose were: child marriage, access to clean water, domestic violence and the treatment of those who seek asylum in Australia. As one of the groups stated, “We can be a voice for the voiceless and can bring awareness to the issue by educating others”.
On Friday, we held our annual International Women’s Day (IWD) breakfast, our first in-person community event that we were able to hold since our 2020 IWD breakfast. International Women's Day is a day that celebrates the significant achievements of women around the world, but it is also a call to action. Our guest speaker, past pupil Eliza Rugg (Class of 2008), gave an inspiring speech and insight into her role as journalist and Victorian Court Reporter at 9 News Melbourne. Eliza spoke of her commitment to reporting an impartial view, focussing on the reporting of facts, and always treating the victims of crime and their families with compassion. She is certainly a woman of great strength and kindliness.
All in attendance enjoyed the finale to the breakfast, a performance by our choir of Helen Reddy’s iconic song, 'I am Woman'. The lyrics with which we are very familiar galvanised a generation of women to fight for change when it was released in the early 1970s. While much progress has been made in narrowing the gender gap, gender inequality remains an important issue both here in Australia and around the world. We all, women and men, can choose to challenge and call out gender bias and work towards achieving gender equality.
I share with you this prayer based on the Peace Prayer of St Francis, which was led by our students at the breakfast:
Lord, make me an instrument of peace:
Bless all women who strive daily to bring peace to their communities, their homes and their hearts. Give them the strength to continue to foster peace and reconciliation.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love:
We pray for all women who face prejudice, inequality and gender disparities. Help us to see and to challenge discrimination against women in any of the many forms it may take.
Where there is injury, pardon:
Comfort all women who suffer from the pain of war, violence and abuse. Through your love for them, help them to become instruments of their own reconciliation and peace.
Where there is division, unity:
Forgive all women and men who let differences breed hate and discrimination. Let your example of valuing all of creation help us to see that we are equal partners in the stewardship of your world.
Where there is the darkness of untruth, the light of truth:
Comfort all women who struggle in the darkness of abuse, poverty and loneliness. May we stand with them in light to acknowledge their suffering and strive to remove the burdens of shame or embarrassment.
Where there is doubt, true faith:
We pray for all women who live in fear of those closest to them and the forces that control their lives. Help them to be empowered to be their true selves through your everlasting love and faith.
Where there is despair, hope:
We pray for all women who live in the despair of poverty, violence, trafficking, slavery, and abuse. May the light of your love bring them hope.
Where there is sadness, new joy:
Help us to see the strength and goodness in all women and men. Transform our hearts to celebrate the love and grace of all people.
Amen.
We Pray For
We ask for your prayers for members of our community and their families who have recently lost loved ones:
Lynette Maher
Mother of Carolyn Callaghan
(Staff)
We pray that our loving God hold her gently in the palm of His hand.
Nicole Mangelsdorf
Principal