We pray for rain and for those whose livelihoods are impacted by our current lack of rain.. May our combined prayers be heard by our loving God.

We pray for the land, we hear the promise you have spoken in Isaiah

of the refreshment of the creation;

of water in the desert,

of renewal for the land,

of hope, of life.

We name our simple need – rain for our thirsty land.

Our tanks and dams are nearly empty,

like our hopes for this season.

Please, loving God, bring us rain

to renew the ground, to replenish our dams,

to bring some chance of feed,

to bring the possibility of some reward

to those who have toiled so hard.

We turn to you in faith and hope.

We pray for our community

We pray for all those whose lives

are under the shadow of drought.

We think first of those who work with the land,

for farmers and their families,

for those who rely upon the land for their life and relationships.

We pray for contractors, merchants and truck drivers,

for rural counsellors and support workers,

for all our rural community.

May the refreshment of your Spirit,

present in miraculous and truly human ways,

be with all of us as we move forward into the days ahead.

We pray, too, for justice;

for fair prices for our stock and our wool and our crops.

We pray for governments, banks and corporations –

to be driven by the wisdom

of community, justice and compassion

not simply the folly of the dollar and the bottom line.

We pray for each other,

keep us aware of the needs of those around us:

for those who are struggling,

who are grieving,

who are ill, who are dying.

Restore those who are far from you

with the knowledge that they are loved and valued.

Give them not just a sense of renewal,

but a sense of hope and purpose for lives

that are finding the journey hard.

Let us see the miracle of healing

in relationships,

in lives,

in communities,

where there is illness

and hope is far away.

Keep us always conscious of the task we have

in ministry and mission in your world.

We offer all these prayers in the name of Jesus.

Amen.

Catholic Education Week

Next week is Catholic Education Week.

The role Catholic Education has played in developing Australian society.

Catholic schools have been a major component of Australian education for over 175 years. In recent decades, as both the Church and Australian society have changed, Catholic schools have continued to develop and to grow in quality and public esteem. Next week we celebrate the contribution that Catholic Education has played in developing Australian Society.

In the earliest period of white Australian settlement at least two Catholic schools were established. However, neither of the schools survived for a very long time. It was, in fact, not until after the arrival of Therry and Connolly in 1820 that significant development took place. By 1833, there were about ten Catholic schools in Australia. From this time until the end of the 1860s, Catholic schools received some government assistance under a variety of schemes, but campaigns for 'free, secular and compulsory' education which began in the 1850s made it increasingly clear that Catholic schools would not be able to rely on government aid for much longer.

Between 1872 and 1893, every State passed an Education Act removing state aid to Church schools. This was a turning point for Catholic schools and, indeed, for the Catholic community in Australia. Bishops and people decided to persevere with the Catholic system. With no money to pay teachers, the bishops appealed to religious orders in Ireland and other European countries, and soon religious sisters and brothers were responding to the crisis.

There were already a few religious orders in Australia: as well as the Sisters of Charity, there were also, among others, the Good Samaritan Sisters, founded by Polding in 1857, and the Sisters of St Joseph, founded in 1866 by Fr Julian Tenison Woods and Mary MacKillop, now recognised as Australia's first saint. By 1871, these 'Josephites' were running thirty-five schools in the Adelaide diocese. In the mid 1880s our own Brigidine Sisters had begun to open Catholic Schools in both Victoria and New South Wales. By the end of the 1880s, there were a total of 815 sisters from all orders teaching in schools; by 1910 the number exceeded 5000. The sisters not only set up schools in the cities but also established little parish schools all over Australia, providing a Catholic education for the children of the bush. Their efforts, with almost no money and in the face of considerable hardship, were nothing short of heroic. The sisters and brothers of the Church were to be the mainstay of Catholic schools for a hundred years.

In modern times, Catholic schools seek to contribute to the creation of an Australian community that is highly educated, skilled and cultured with an ability to promote and embrace a critical analysis of social issues, the expansion of knowledge and the pursuit of truth. Such a community will be marked by a vigorous intellectual and cultural life, accessible to all. Education has individual and private benefits, but it is also very much a public good whose benefits enhance the whole community. Catholic schools emphasise the contribution of education to the common good of the Australian community.

Today an array of leadership roles which were once the preserve of priests and religious - in education, have been filled by lay people, and lay people comprise virtually the entire staff at Catholic schools and the majority of students at Catholic universities and colleges.

What does the Church have to say about the work of Catholic Schools?

In its document The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium (1997), the Vatican’s aims of the Catholic Church is, to “devote careful attention to certain fundamental characteristics of the Catholic school, which are of great importance if its educational activity is to be effectual in the Church and in society” (#4).

The Vatican recognizes that, “the work of the school is irreplaceable and the investment of human and material resources in the school becomes a prophetic choice” (# 21).

And…“… now, as in the past, the Catholic school must be able to speak for itself effectively and convincingly. It is not merely a question of adaptation, but of missionary thrust, the fundamental duty to evangelise, to go toward men and women wherever they are, so that they may receive the gift of salvation” (# 3).

What do we, as a Catholic school, hope to achieve?

Our aim is to:

educate young Australians to be highly skilled, informed, tolerant, open and just;
enhance, by emphasising the common good, the development of Australia and the building and improvement of a socially just Australian society that is multicultural and multi-faith;
offer a voice which challenges current and future generations to reflect on their world in the light of Christ’s message;
provide a perspective which extends beyond national and temporal borders, encouraging students to have an open mind on contemporary issues as a foundation for becoming good Australian and world citizens;
provide the potential to combine the spirituality of our Indigenous people and the different spiritual traditions of the various migrant communities since 1788, as a basis for valuing our diversity and promoting social justice; and
encourage and provide a basis for students to seek to develop their relationship with their God and to continue their faith journey throughout their lives.

(taken from the National Catholic Education Commission documents)

Prayer for Catholic Schools 

O Christ, our Teacher,

You invite your faithful people to make disciples in Your name and to announce good news to the poor.

We thank you for the gift of Catholic schools, where

The message of Your life, death, and resurrection is proclaimed, 

Christian community is experienced, 

Service to our brothers and sisters is modeled, 

And worship of You is cultivated.

Increase our zeal for ensuring that all children and families can benefit from a high quality Catholic education,

and that Catholic schools grow in their ability

to nurture the soul of our nation.  

We ask this through the intercession of

Our Lady, Mother of Catholic Schools.

Amen.

Kirrilee Westblade

Have you read this Season's edition of Australian Catholics?

https://www.australiancatholics.com.au/current/aust-catholic-magazine

Have your read the current edition of Diocesan newspaper Sandpiper?

https://www.sandhurst.catholic.org.au/sandpiper/latest/

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