Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

In Homegroup and Assembly Prayer, the Mater Dei Community acknowledged the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. During this time we reflected on our calling as Christians to build ‘Unity in Christ’ by loving one another and celebrating diversity over difference.

Life would be so boring if we all looked, thought, or behaved in the same manner. While we know deep down diversity can strengthen us as a community, it can be challenging to handle differences of opinion, expressed in thought and behaviour. This is when prayer can help us to shed a different light on a subject and see an issue from the perspective of a neighbour.

In the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we held what was unique, central and pressing to each of us in our hearts. We recall that we are called by Christ to shape our expression of Christianity that is personal, communal, and meaningful, and in this spirit, we pray together that Christ may be made a living reality in our time and place today!

Sorry Day - Friday 26 May

The 26 of May every year since 1998 has been recognised as National Sorry Day. It was on this date in 1997 that the Bringing Them Home Report was tabled in our Federal Parliament. A report of truth-telling, a report of heartache, a report of humanity and the injustices faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

2023 marks the 25th anniversary of this report. This report told the truth of the Stolen Generations, as survivors of past government policies that allowed for the forcible removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. This period lasted right up until the 1970s, with some homes for Aboriginal children not closing until the 1980s.

In Homegroups, we took the time to reflect, to pray and to contemplate the deep trauma inflicted on these individuals and families. We pay tribute to those who were courageous enough to tell their stories. We acknowledge the hardships they endured and continue to endure, and the personal sacrifices they made. In the Christian way, we are called to stand in solidarity, raising our voices against injustice, and responding to the radical call of Jesus to love each other.

“Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labour.

For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

National Reconciliation Week

Sorry Day opened the door for National Reconciliation Week to be celebrated across Week 6, around the theme ‘Be a Voice for Generations’. This theme encourages all Australians to be a voice for reconciliation in tangible ways in our everyday lives – where we live, go to school, work and socialise. For the work of generations past, and the benefit of generations future, we can consider how we act today for a more just, equitable and reconciled country for all. This theme has been reflected in Homegroup and classroom prayer this week.

God of justice and truth,

We seek your guidance to embody the prophet’s call to do good and to seek justice.

May we grow with the courage and compassion of Christ,

and walk in the way of peace and reconciliation.

May God’s Spirit enliven and embolden us to stand in solidarity with others

until ALL are treated with dignity and worth.

Amen

Sacred Heart Parish News

Last Sunday 28 May, we joined with Sacred Heart Primary and Mater Dei Primary Schools to lead the Parish Youth Mass at Sacred Heart, Kooringal. The students and staff who joined us represented the College so well, leading the beautiful music and the singing. Thank you to Mr Saxon and Mrs Saxon for preparing and supporting our students in this endeavour.

The Sacred Heart Parish Community will be celebrating the Feast of Sacred Heart on Sunday 18th of June after the 9am Mass with a Morning Tea to follow in the Sacred Heart Primary School Hall. Please feel free to join us.

We hold the Year 4 Students from Sacred Heart Primary and Mater Dei Primary Schools in our prayers as they make their preparations to receive the Sacrament of First Holy Communion. Students from Sacred Heart will make their First Holy Communion on Saturday 17 June and students from Mater Dei will make theirs on Saturday 24 and 25 June.

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference -

Indigenous Voice to Parliament Statement

The Australian Catholic Bishops have met to discuss the Indigenous Voice to Parliament and the proposed Referendum scheduled for October this year. Together they have outlined some principles and steps to support the journey forward. Australia’s Bishops have encouraged Catholics to read and discuss the Uluru Statement from the Heart – the document from which the Voice proposal emerged.

While the Bishops (based on a decision they took in May 2022) will, later this year issue their annual Social Justice Statement on the place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in Australian society, they decided to issue a statement at this point in the referendum process.

Some excerpts from their Statement (May 11, 2023):

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have lived in this land for many thousands of years.

Their custodianship, however, is not recognised in the Australian Constitution.

This is an omission which needs to be rectified. A constitutionally enshrined Indigenous Voice to Parliament is proposed as a way to achieve this.”

“We acknowledge that a Voice is not the only possible way of recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in our Constitution, but it is the way requested by those who gathered at the historic meeting at Uluru. This could be a significant step towards a more just and equitable Australia.”

“This is an important moment in the history of the nation, and it can help us to move towards a deep and just reconciliation. It also offers a mechanism to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.”

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference endorsed the Uluru Statement from the Heart in 2021, with the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia taking the same step last year.

Please access the Uluru Statement here.

Vinnies Winter Warmth Appeal - responding to a growing homelessness crisis

As the weather turns chilly we all can appreciate the comfort and security of a warm home, a cosy bed and appropriate winter clothing. It is at this time of the year that we need to remember that many members of our community, our neighbours right here in Wagga don’t enjoy these comforts and necessities.

The economic climate has changed significantly for individuals and families. After a string of 11 successive interest rate rises, homeowners and renters are facing extreme pressure to keep a roof over their heads as mortgages and rent prices are increasing exponentially.

The working poor has emerged as a term we previously haven’t heard much about in Australia, as it's usually reserved for poorly paid employees in developing nations. Today, the “working poor” describes people in our society who are gainfully employed, in many cases full-time, but whose low-income jobs mean they are still living below the poverty line because their wage simply isn't enough to cover necessities. Wage growth across many industries has not kept pace with inflation and this impacts home security and the capacity to cover basic household expenses like groceries and medical bills.

This year, we will partner with Vinnies in the Winter Warmth Appeal to draw attention to the issue of older women experiencing homelessness. The true extent of this problem in Australia is likely to be hugely under-reported as older women who are at risk of homelessness are often ‘hidden’. Many will stay with their children or friends, live in their car, or stay in unsafe relationships to avoid sleeping rough.

For many of these women, homelessness is triggered by a crisis such as the death of a spouse, divorce, serious illness, rent increase or eviction. Partner violence or elder abuse can also lead to older women being forced to flee their homes.

It is a basic human right, and in a well-developed nation, it is justified for us to believe that everyone should have a safe, affordable and secure home. Equally, the working poor and homeless people should also be able to access clothing and bedding to ensure their comfort and warmth throughout the winter months. They seek our human kindness!

How can we help? How can we model Jesus’ intentions for humanity?

In Homegroups between now and the end of this term, each member of our community is encouraged to donate at least one item to the Vinnies Winter Warmth Appeal. You may like to purchase a new pair of winter socks, a beanie, gloves or a scarf.

Please give generously, clear out your cupboards with items you no longer wear and share them with those who need them most. Please check to ensure any second-hand items are clean and still fit for use.

Your generosity will help end the experience of spending a perishingly cold winter outside, homeless and alone. On behalf of the Student Representative Council, we thank you for your commitment to this important cause.

Mrs Amelia Bright | Acting Leader of Mission

"Mater Dei Matters"

Issue 5 · 02 Jun 2023

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