Principal News

Creator Spirit,

We acknowledge that we are all of your creation,

Help us to understand your traditions and stories

Listen to our prayer as we turn to you,

Please hear the cry of our land and its people,

May we continue to learn from you and each other.

Teach us to respect all cultures.

Teach us to care for our land and waters.

Help us to share justly the resources of this land.

Help us to bring about spiritual and social change.

Help young people to find true dignity and self-esteem by your Spirit and education.

May your power and love be the foundations on which we build our families, our communities and our Nation and may we always be reminded,

that we are in this together.

Amen

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

The dates for NRW remain the same each year; 27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey— the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.

Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Today we work together to further that national journey towards a fully reconciled country.

Reconciliation is a journey for all Australians – as individuals, families, communities, organisations and importantly as a nation. At the heart of this journey are relationships between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We strive towards a more just, equitable nation by championing unity and mutual respect as we come together and connect with one another.

On this journey, Australians are all In This Together; every one of us has a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and in playing our part we collectively build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories and cultures.

https://www.reconciliation.org.au/

Dear Parents, Students and Friends

This year is the 50th Anniversary of the Sisters of Mercy (rsm) and the Marist Brothers(fms) working and teaching together here in Griffith.

In 1970 St Brendan’s School (boys) and the secondary department of St Patrick’s School (girls) combined to become Catholic High School, a co-educational school for students from Years 7 to 10. The sisters and girls moved to this site, with Brother Clement Terry as founding Principal and Sr Rita Savage Assistant Principal.

Fifty years on and today there are neither Sisters nor Brothers on staff and the school is now Marian Catholic College, a systemic 7-12 co-educational, part of the Catholic Education, Diocese of Wagga Wagga.

Today we celebrate and remember the charisms or “life-force” that both religious orders have left us to carry on and continue their work. Both orders have a “Marian” lens through which we can come to know and understand the message of Christ and our College Vision Statement unifies their charisms and the intent of Catholic Education in our Diocese by saying, “Marian Catholic College is a vibrant faith community engaging with Jesus and His message. Embracing Mary’s way of courage and acceptance, we fulfil Christ’s promise of ‘The Way, The Truth and The Life’ in a dynamic and diverse learning environment.

It is through the charisms of our founding religious orders, the Sisters of Mercy and the Marist Brothers that we are asked to find within ourselves this “life-force” which can also be seen as God’s grace and make it our own and live it though our actions and words. This is expressed in our College Mission through Faith, Learning, Care, Service and Stewardship.

May the Marist symbol of the “Water from the Rock” and the statue of the founder of the Sisters of Mercy, Catherine MacAuley be a constant reminder of our call to action to live their charisms and our Mission in our lives daily.

It has been a pleasure seeing our students back at school! The “happy noise” around the school grounds is the pulse of our College. Welcome back.