Director of Mission
“It is not our attendance but how strong our belief is inside that determines the strength of our faith… one can attend every Church in the world but if they are not there in spirit then it is all for nothing (and vice versa).”
I have often opened my newsletter with a powerful quote from leaders of the past or present, today I have chosen the words of one of our Yr 11 students who spoke in front of her peers and shared wisdom beyond her years when explaining the importance of ‘real participation’. The words were extremely powerful and I was able to witness the effect they had on the rest of the class and wanted to share them with you in hope of the same. There is a beautiful truth in this phrase that can be applied to all we do in life. It highlights the fact that simply ‘attending’ anything from your school to being present in your family is not enough! We will only ever receive what we are willing to give and there is the beautiful truth. I heard in these words that it is not about how many times you do things but how much your heart is behind it that counts. It is embedded in our Mission here at Marian to have all believe in this through our elements of care, service, faith and stewardship. All of which drive the learning of our community. These elements are alive here and once again this week I will show it.
Now let’s start with some of the answers from the Plenary Council sessions run this week, enjoy.
MCC PLENARY COUNCIL
What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?
“To help make God’s creation on Earth a better place for everyone”
What does your faith mean to you?
“Belonging and feeling a part of a family”
These were the responses from our Yr 11 students who took part in our Plenary Council sessions this week at Marian College. Students spent a week of lessons in Religion learning about the Plenary council and what it means to listen to what the spirit is saying. They were challenged to discuss their hopes and questions regarding the process and were guided into creating quotes and questions that will spark further discussions for our formal student submission for the council. They began their submission in forms of artworks.
I was also able to gather the questions they came up with as a group and will publish some of these in the future when they have all been collated. I would like to thank the students who participate in this program along with their teachers Mr Moore and Mr Lyon. The students spoke with passion and honesty and listened with open hearts. It was a powerful week that will now be used as a platform for the staff submission in 2019.
There will be more to come around this and the Plenary Council here at MCC in the final newsletter. If you would like to seek more information around this process in general I recommend the following website: http://plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au/
Charity at MCC
At Marian we strongly encourage everyone in our community to show how we can respond compassionately to those in need around us. At our final briefing on Wednesday, our school captains announced the final amount raised last term for our farmers. It was staggering to see that the charity of Marian raised $5700 which was enough to buy a full semi load of hay as pictured below. We are extremely proud of the students and their capacity to give. There can never be enough charity and our students have proven this time and time again with their willingness to support others as much as they possibly can. Thank you to all that gave a little or a lot as you can see it all counted.
The Angelus
Another reminder that the Angelus is still in its strategic implementation phase with staff and students. The staff conducted professional development around the history of the prayer and ways in which it can be placed effectively into the school environment today, last term. The initiative is a direction taken up by all the schools in the Wagga Wagga Diocese in which Marian is a part of. This term staff will be trialling the prayer at different times of the day and with different resources to evaluate the best outcome for our College and how we would like to see this implemented in 2019. The latest feedback will see us trial sourcing modern versions of the prayer to make it more relatable to our students. If you have any feedback or questions please do not hesitate to contact me through the office.
Project Samoa - Colour Run
Project Samoa took place today, which is a huge event on the MCC calendar. It is a showcase of culture and inclusiveness. A smorgasbord of cuisine and an abundance of educational and traditional entertainment of dance and song. I write this in anticipation of the event and would like to thank all of the community members who have contributed in any way, shape or form.
We are endlessly grateful for the work of Sanita Lole (Cultural Liason Officer) and our newly returned Pastoral Worker, Sue Hone who worked tirelessly to put this event on. All funds on the day go towards our Samoa immersion program and Catholic Mission.
Therefore we decided to also conduct a colour fun run to boost the event. The kids thoroughly enjoyed the day and it once again showcased the dedication of staff and students to prepare such an occasion of charity. Special mention goes to a group of inspiring young students in charge of the day Julia Forner, Sarah Quarisa and Nayani Navaneethan.
Thank you for your hard work leading up to the event.
There will be more on this in our final newsletter but here is a sneak peek of what took part today.
Have an awesome weekend and feel free to contact me regarding anything on this newsletter or what you feel will help grow the strength of our Marian Community.
Please do not hesitate to contact me through the office or on nevilleh@ww.catholic.edu.au.
Kind Regards
Heath Neville
Director of Mission