From the Headmaster

Dear Members of the Marist College Ashgrove Family,

In his book, The Thing You Think You Cannot Do, Gordon Livingston, M.D. writes about the fear of humiliation and courage as a choice to confront our fears.  He writes:

“Of all the forms of courage that we celebrate, physical courage is the easiest to recognise, which is why we make heroes of our athletes.  The kind of fortitude required to endure pain and face injury while displaying skill on the playing field is easy to observe and universally admired. 

However, athletic we may be, we soon learn that our chances of earning a living playing a game are remote because too many others are better.  We need to find some other way of expressing courage in our lives.  The most widely recognised form of courage in our lives is again physical and consists of some form of military heroism.”

He concludes by stating : 

“Like any other virtue, courage (a form of kindness after all) is not randomly distributed in the population.  In my life-time, the struggle for civil rights stands out as an example of this fact.  Some people gave their lives for the ideas of equality before the law; others faced police dogs and fire hoses to defend injustice; most of us stayed home.”

Somebody I read about recently didn’t stay home. His name was Fr Paul Frederick Jackson SJ.  He was a Jesuit priest like Pope Francis. Fr Paul passed away on July 5 this year in Patna, India.  Fr Paul was a renowned Islamic scholar and a beloved friend to many who engaged in Muslim-Christian dialogue.

Paul Jackson was a senior in 1955.  He was Dux of the College. Played 1st XV rugby, 1st XI cricket and was a Cadet Under Officer – Commander “A” Company and a YCS leader.  One of his mates at school, William Power wrote:

“Father Paul Jackson SJ was an exceptional person, devoted to God and to helping all about him.  He held no prejudice and worked sedulously towards improving relations betwixt the Hindus and Muslims in India”.

Courageous? I think definitely yes.  A life lived in service of others.  Certainly, a strong believer in being kind and generous to others.

As the poet Robert Frost penned, ‘There never was any heart truly great and generous, that was not also tender and compassionate.’

Let’s all aim to be courageous and kind.

Yours in Jesus, Mary and St Marcellin.

Peter McLoughlin

Headmaster