Strength and Kindliness

Shrove Tuesday

This week, students, families, friends and parishioners gathered to celebrate Shrove Tuesday with a pancake breakfast before school.  Thank you to everyone who came along and supported Project Compassion.

Ash Wednesday 

The season of Lent began on Ash Wednesday. We gathered together as a whole College community and were delighted to see some parents and parishioners join us for the special celebration! Our Choir sang beautifully and our Student Leaders led us prayerfully. We received the ashes on our foreheads as an expression of our faith and a sign that we seek God's forgiveness. 

Lent is a time of prayer, fasting and giving to others. Through prayer we come closer to God so that we are better able to realise our baptismal promise to live justly as Jesus teaches us. Fasting joins us in solidarity with the poor who often have no choice but to go without basic needs such as food, water and shelter. Giving to the poor or ‘almsgiving’ is a sign of our commitment to justice and our thanks for all that God has given us. 

Lent prepares us for the season of Easter, the most important time in the Church’s calendar. By praying, fasting and giving alms, we are reminded of Jesus’ death and Resurrection. Jesus brought the promise of hope to all people so that we may “Have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10), so that with our neighbours, we can go further, together. 

Project Compassion

Ash Wednesday also marks the beginning of the annual Caritas Australia Project Compassion Appeal. Donations to Project Compassion allow Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, to work with local communities around the world to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.

The theme of Project Compassion 2023 is ‘For All Future Generations’ and reminds us that the good we do today extends to impact the lives of generations to come. It invites us to make the world a better place by working together now and finding long-term solutions to global issues.  We encourage you to put your compassion into action this Lent through prayer, fasting and almsgiving in support of Project Compassion. Each TA has received a small Project Compassion box for cash donations. 

Alternatively, this year we have created three online donation pages and are waiting to see which of our houses will raise the most money. 

Will it be Brigidine, Augustine or Delany? Please scan the relevant QR code to enable you to donate today. 

First Week of Lent 

(Week beginning Monday 27th February)

We begin our annual Lenten Project Compassion journey by learning about Laxmi, a 16-year-old girl living in Jajarkot, a remote district in Nepal where almost half of the population live below the poverty line.  Tragedy struck when Laxmi was 10 years old and her father passed away. Her father worked hard to pay for his children's education and after losing him, Laxmi was at risk of falling further into extreme poverty.

With the support of our partner Caritas Nepal, Laxmi joined a child's club at her school where she was encouraged to resume her education. Through the child’s club, Laxmi developed the skills and confidence to become a leader, advocating for clean water taps at her school. 

Laxmi is now excelling in her studies and working towards her dream of becoming a civil engineer. She continues to be involved in the child's club, serving as an advisor and mentoring the next generation of young leaders at her old school.   

Watch a short film about Laxmi’s story here.

Kylie Morrissey

Deputy Principal - Catholic Identity and Community