Faith and Mission
From the Mission Team
‘Be seekers of truth and doers of Justice’
This week is Refugee week. This week highlights the issues affecting refugees. The theme this year is Healing and it aims to highlight aspects of the refugee experience and help the broader community to understand what it is like to be a refugee. It is also a week to celebrate the diversity and richness people bring to our communities.
Our Peace and Justice group have been busy creating a display for refugee week. The display is located in the college library. As part of the display you will see rag dolls that were inspired by the Ukrainian Motanka Dolls. By creating the dolls the Peace and Justice group hope to remind people of the many who have become refugees from the Ukraine and around the world. Shoes are also included in the display to represent the journey that many people have taken.
In Australia, the Loreto Sisters continue to advocate for refugees and asylum seekers, by supporting refugee tutoring programs, petitioning for more compassionate policies, and serving in a centre (The House of Welcome) for refugees.
The Loreto Justice Network has provided an online space for the Loreto province of Australia and South East Asia to learn more about the issue of refugees and asylum seekers. You are invited to enter the action centre (linked below) to learn more about refugees and asylum seekers and sign the petition ‘Time for a Home’.
Action Centre – Refugees & Asylum Seekers – Loreto Justice Network
From the College Liturgist
Refugee week was marked with a beautiful liturgy led by our year 3 students. Students shared details of their own refugee family stories and reported on alarming global refugee figures. With their help, we continued our prayers for Ukraine and the tragedy of families fleeing from their homeland in the face of ongoing war.
On Tuesday morning, Fr Chris celebrated Chapel Mass for our Year 8 students. On the Feast of St Aloysius Gonzaga, namesake of our own Mother Gonzaga Barry, the girls were reminded that kindness is the language of love. That to be kind to all, in one’s words and actions, is to live the life of love that Jesus demonstrated.
On Tuesday evening, 14 Junior school, students celebrated the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Holy Communion at St Ignatius Church. Vicar General, Fr Dean Marin used the story of “The Lion King” to draw a picture of the momentous occasion the evening was. He congratulated the girls on confirming the faith their parents had begun for them at Baptism. Fr Dean congratulated the girls on their choice of Saints names and we are proud to acknowledge that Venerable Mary Ward was chosen by a student for the first time! With help from Parish Priest, Fr Chris, the girls received their First Holy Communion in the second part of the ceremony. The girls will receive their certificates at Monday liturgy so that the community may extend their congratulations.
I wish to thank everyone who donated so generously to the Vinnies Winter Appeal. Junior Social Justice leaders helped Terry from Vinnies to load up his car with a great supply of food and warm blankets. The girls did a wonderful job driving this Appeal, reminding classes that everyone can make a difference, no matter how small, to someone else’s life. Thank you for your support.
Only one liturgy remains for this term on Monday morning. In this liturgy, led by Prayer Leaders, we will continue our prayer for the canonisation of Mary Ward.
Ms Isabelle Roberts