St Peter's News

Mission & Catholic Identity News

Lent

At this time of the year our thoughts as Catholic Christians are focused on the Lenten and Easter story. This story that has become so familiar to each of us, is about our belief in the person of Jesus who rose again to give each of us new life and hope for a better world. This is an amazing story and challenges each of us at the core of our belief. It is the central Christian belief and should be the mark that sets us apart from others and invites us to act differently towards our neighbour in the world. This story is at the core of our Catholic College.

Ash Wednesday (March 6)

Marks the beginning of the season of Lent. It is a time when many Christians prepare themselves for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, sacrifice and self-discipline. For many this means either giving up something or taking on something with the intent of bringing ourselves closer to God.

On this day in a Catholic school you are most likely to have blessed ashes put on your forehead in the shape of a cross. These ashes are made by burning palm leaves which have been saved from last year’s Palm Sunday. Our Parish Priests will distribute ashes to our staff and students on Wednesday morning.

Lenten Thought: During Lent, by examining your own daily routines, is there something you can take on or take away that will help you focus on Christ more fully?

St Peter’s College Fundraising Policy

During Lent your child will be asked to support Caritas’ Project Compassion. Almsgiving is a key feature of Lent and thus a timely look at where as a Catholic place of learning, do we sit in terms of fundraising.

Social action and fundraising are opportunities for staff and students at St Peter’s College to show concern and solidarity for social justice in our world. Our fundraising policy is framed around Gospel values and a Petrine charism. As enunciated in Catholic Social Teaching (CST), and includes the concepts of wealth sharing and acts of solidarity.

At St Peter’s College we seek to go one step beyond, according to the principles underpinning CST:

  • Human Dignity: we are called to protect the dignity of every person.
  • Community and the Common Good: we are called to contribute to the good of the whole of society, the common good.
  • Rights and Responsibility: we are called to defend the rights of all people to participate in decisions that affect their lives.
  • Preferential Option for the Poor: we are called to look at decisions in terms of how they affect the poor. The moral test of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable members.
  • Solidarity: we are called to work globally for justice. We are one human family. Our responsibilities to each other cross national, racial, economic and ideological differences.
  • Stewardship of Earth’s Resources: we are called to care for the goods of the earth as stewards and trustees, not only as consumers and users.

The organisations listed below, are those supported by St Peter’s College which reflect our connection to our Catholic community and Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Limited.

  1. Caritas  (Term 1)
  2. Trinity Family Foundation (Term 2)
  3. St Vincent de Paul (Term 3)
  4. House Charism based (Term 4)
  5. Chaplaincy Fund (ongoing)
  6. Solomon Island Immersion Program (ongoing)

Any questions or to request a full version of the policy, please email mwilliams@stpeters.vic.edu.au 

Twitter thought - World Wildlife Day (March 3)

Pope Francis has called for us to ‘respect and protect the entire creation which God has entrusted to us’. This creation, he said, should not ‘be indiscriminately exploited, but rather made into a garden’. Care for the environment is always a social concern as well. Let us hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. From @Pontifex 4:30 AM - 17 Jun 2017.

Plenary Council contribution

The Catholic Church is preparing for a Plenary Council in 2020. To prepare for this Council, they are asking for people to think about the future and about the Catholic Church in Australia. Your input is essential to enable the Catholic Church to ‘listen to what the Spirit is saying’ as they develop an agenda for the Council.

The Plenary Council team will receive submissions online until 6 March 2019.

To contribute, please follow this link:

https://acu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bf379tGXeK9DkMt

 

Mr Matt Williams

Deputy Principal - Mission & Catholic Identity