R.E News - Assistant Principal / Mission

Mary Help of Christians and Catholic Schools Week

When students are asked who is the patron saint of Australia, many will quickly say Mary MacKillop. They get half marks. We have 2 patron saints. The other, as some astute students point out, is Mary Help of Christians. In the early days of the colony when there were no priests, the Rosary was a significant factor in keeping Catholicism alive. The Catholic Church in Australia remained faithful to Mary and was the first nation to choose her as patron under the title 'Help of Christians'.

Mary Help of Christians has been the official patroness of Australia since 1844. Her feast day was celebrated on May 24, which this year coincided with the start of Catholic Schools Week celebrating this year, 200 Years of Catholic Education. The feast day was celebrated at the Cathedral with Bishop Kennedy. O'Connor students provided the music for Mass and did a terrific job including a stirring rendition of Father Rob Galea's tribute to Catholic Education "Faith in the Future". Included here is a link to Father Rob's original version. It is well worth listening to.

A BEAUTIFUL MASS: Celebrating 200 Years of Catholic Education in Australia and the Feast Day of Mary Help of Christians

Lasallian Youth Gathering and Founders Day

Speaking of patron saints, as readers will know, O'Connor also has two patron saints, Angela Merici and John Baptist de la Salle. On June 25, the last day of term, we honour these two extraordinary educators and religious orders that contributed so much to the 200 years of Catholic education in Australia. A statue honouring Angela is to be unveiled and blessed by Bishop Hanna (an ex-student of De La Salle College) in the school gardens. At the time of writing the statue will not be ready and the blessing will occur at a later date. This will not stop the celebrations on Founders Day which include an assembly, a mass, concert and house sports. Participation all contribute to house points toward the prestigious Spiller Cup. Special guests include students and staff from St Ursula's Kingsgrove including ex O'Connor principal Sr Mary Talty. Following Founders Day and into the holidays O'Connor has over delegates attending the Lasallian Youth Gathering in Sydney where they will have some great experiences immersed in the charism of the Lasallian family. More of this great event in upcoming newsletters.

St Joseph the Worker

In this Year of St Joseph, it is timely to take some time to reflect on the importance of some of our Catholic traditions. One of St Joseph's titles is Joseph the Worker and under this title there is a feast day at the start of May. Below is a reflection on St Joseph the Worker by Bishop Vincent Long van Nguyen.

"Have you ever imagined St Joseph as a migrant worker? Would he have taken with him as many tools of trade as he could carry when he fled with Mary and the child Jesus into Egypt? What would it have been like for him trying to find work in a foreign land to support his family? Would anyone help them, or would these ‘outsiders’ be exploited or left to fend for themselves? 

During the COVID-19 pandemic temporary seasonal workers have had a very difficult time. Many came to Australia for jobs that disappeared because of the pandemic. Nonetheless, these workers found themselves ineligible for the Jobseeker allowance. Many could not go home. They became stranded in Australia because of closed borders. Without work or access to government support, they were forced to rely on charities. 

Those who did find work were often exposed to risk of infection with the virus – for example in the coronavirus outbreak that centred on the meatworks in Colac in mid-2020, or in food delivery or cleaning. 

Sadly, the exploitation of migrant workers is not something that only happens in other countries. 

Before the pandemic, over a million overseas workers on temporary visas came to Australia each year. Even in the best of times, temporary seasonal workers are more vulnerable to exploitative working conditions than workers who have Australian citizenship. FairWork Australia says that “employees under the [Pacific Labour] Scheme have the same workplace rights as other employees in Australia”. But temporary seasonal workers might not know that. They are less likely to know what their rights are, and to be able to effectively assert them. It is not uncommon to hear stories of unreasonable accommodation charges and other levies being imposed. There have even been reports of passports being held by employers. 

Migrant workers often lack friends and allies who can help them. 

Can we see in the faces of temporary seasonal workers the face of St Joseph, seeking work in a foreign land, trying to support his family? Can we see migrant workers as our sisters and brothers in need of our care? Can we welcome them into our homes, communities and churches and defend their dignity and rights? 

Let us entrust temporary seasonal workers in Australia to the protection of St Joseph the Worker". 

Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv is Bishop of Parramatta and chair of the Bishops Commission for Social Justice, Mission and Service  

Mr Damian Roff

Assistant Principal

LASALLIAN VOLUNTEER APPLICATIONS 2022 OPEN  

Lasallian Mission Services are excited to announce that applications for the Lasallian Volunteer Program 2022 are now open. This unique long term volunteering program is a one of a kind opportunity for personal growth for dedicated Young Lasallians wishing to share their time and talents. The LMS team have been calling RECs to book in an appropriate time at school to do in-person promotion.

Our Founders - St Angela Merici and St John Baptiste De La Salle

Year of St Joseph

Saints Mary and Joseph Cathedral Parish

Keeping in touch with what is happening in the Cathedral Parish is easy through their website and Facebook pages.

With such a difficult year it has been harder for parishioner's to give to the parish through the plates, particularly when the church was closed. The Parish account details are available on the Parish bulletin. 

Information about our founders

La Salle Website

Ursuline Sisters Website