Faith and Mission
Faith and Mission
Investiture Assembly
Our Marian community proudly commissioned our newly appointed student leaders during our Investiture Assembly last Wednesday, 23 February. The Student Leaders and some Year 10 students led the College through a liturgy with thoughtful prayers, readings and reflections. Our Gospel Choir, led by Mr Cooper, took the stage once again with a reverent rendition of the hymn, Refiner’s Fire. Sienna, one of our Liturgy Leaders, concluded our liturgy by blessing our new student leaders with the following prayer.
We bless our new School Leaders who were commissioned here today.
We bless them with a sense of ‘feasting’ on the qualities of servant leadership.
May they lead by feasting on the wonderful differences found in our Marian community and all that unites us together.
May they feast on being patient, good communicators and peacemakers during
conflict.
May they feast on being optimistic, collegial and forgiving when faced with challenges.
May they feast on being enthusiastic and inclusive when representing all students and;
may they hold the light of God’s love for all.
We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen
Student Leaders
Throughout the year in the Marian News, we will introduce a new student leader, leaders or leadership group who will write about the goals and aspirations of their role and detail some of the work they have been doing at school and within the community. Alongside these proactive student leaders, we have a team of staff in various roles who support their endeavours. Miss Wendy Smith, our Education for Justice Leader plans and supports social justice and outreach programs, as a way to enrich students’ spiritual growth and understanding of their mission of service which gives witness to the Kildare Ministries Vision for Living Justice Living Peace.
In this issue, we are introduced to Bettina, Cindy, Eleni and Vy who lead the Marian College LEO's Club and who meet with Miss Smith on a regular basis.
Who are we?
The Marian College LEOs club is a not-for-profit organisation working under Lions Club International. We seek to bring about social change in a way that promotes Leadership, Experience, and Opportunity (LEO). With the effort of 30 Year 10 to Year 12 students, we are able to hold weekly and annual events for the school community (typically barbeques) to raise awareness and money for a plethora of charities and organisations.
This year, we will work alongside the Justice Democratic Forum (JDF) Leaders to raise awareness of our Living Justice Living Peace charter, our College theme: Compassion - Walking with and having empathy for all and justice issues within our College community, local community and wider community.
Our Living Justice Living Peace calls us to Walk in Solidarity.
Ukraine is facing a humanitarian crisis. As Russia and Ukraine face political turmoil, many civilians are fleeing the Ukraine in search of a new home. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine stems from a long history of political tension, however the lives of innocent people should not be caught in between warfare. Many have left their entire lives behind to escape the potential battlefield, and are in need of immediate support in the form of basic necessities such as food and water, shelter, emergency healthcare and psychological support.
As individuals, we are called to seek the relief of those suffering. So how can we do this?
The Marian LEOs are called to walk in solidarity, and hope to raise awareness and donate to charities who are able to give urgent, on-site assistance. We believe it is important to make sure we thoroughly educate ourselves and spread awareness of causes that bring about justice to all. It is important to keep in mind that the ideas of some leaders may not be representative of the people they govern. As a result, many people around the globe stand in solidarity against the injustices occurring against innocent people. As has been evident throughout the last couple of weeks, we see nations pray together, people stand together and the world come together in solidarity to ease the brewing tensions.
Our Living Justice Living Peace charter reminds us to live with compassion. This year’s College theme, Compassion - Walking with and having empathy for all, challenges us all to find ways to put this into action, just as the Good Samaritan did in Luke 10:33-34. The Marian LEOs Club take this into consideration when planning our events. The theme of Compassion - Walking with and having empathy for allhas inspired us to donate funds to charities who are on the ground assisting Ukraine during these difficult times, namely Caritas and Care Australia.
Kildare Community Works
March is Women’s History Month, which is celebrated across the world from March 1 to 31st. It is a time to reflect and remind ourselves of the accomplishments women in society have made throughout the years. These accomplishments include the areas of politics, science and culture. Throughout February, the Marian LEOs Club raised funds for Wellsprings for Women, the Kildare Ministries Community Works organisation who support the furthering of women’s rights. Furthermore, our goal will be to educate the Marian community about Wellsprings for Women throughout the year and encourage learning about the history of women not too unlike ourselves.
Written by the LEO Leaders Bettina, Cindy, Eleni and Vy and
Mrs Casey
Assistant to the Principal: Faith and Mission.