Compassion- 

Brigidine College Indooroopilly

We began the year exploring the theme of Compassion by developing a booklet resource for all staff that could be accessed easily in the middle of COVID. Our Guest speakers included Scott Stephens from the Radio National’s Minefield program with Waleed Aly reflecting about the concept of Compassion, as well as Jesse Zarb, who spoke about the importance of compassion as a graduate student of Brigidine College. She particularly talked about the area of mental health where she was continually assisting her mother to get out of bed every day during the formative years of Year 11 and 12 and how the support of the community assisted her through this difficult time.

The theme of compassion ran through all of our College liturgical life, including Opening Mass, Easter liturgy, Brigidine Day and Mission Day Masses. One of the key focus points on Mission Day was the concept of ‘walking with and having empathy for all’. Students and staff were invited to participate by bringing a pair of shoes to place at the foot of our prayer space which then became a donation to St Vincent de Paul community service. 

This year, the Justice and Democracy, St Vincent de Paul and Environment groups looked at ways of expressing the theme practically through key events. Justice and Democracy focused on cultural diversity where the 36 nationalities in our College were acknowledged and celebrated. About 25 students from Year 9 participated in the immersion to Blind Eye ministries and St Vincent de Paul during the Easter break. They were exposed to the concepts of primary, secondary and tertiary homelessness and what it would be like to live on the streets in Brisbane today. Students witnessed powerful storytelling from the CEO, Michael McDade. 

One of the wonderful things we also explored, was inviting Kildare Ministries Trustee, Sr Brigid Arthur, into our Religion and Ethics classroom to discuss the Compass documentary, ‘Nun in a Cage’ and her experience of being an advocate for refugee families and people seeking asylum. The Year 12 class also stood in silent protest on the Holy Lawn as a sign of respect and solidarity with Asylum-seekers and refugees illegally detained in Australia.

Year 12 student Ameya Jaurigue, who has been heavily involved in social justice activities at Brigidine, was a finalist for the QBANK everyday heroes award for her advocacy and consultation work with others.   She has also is a finalist for the federal Young People's Human Rights Award by the Australian Human Rights Commission and will be flying down to either Canberra or Sydney for the ceremony in December.

What is Compassion?

Compassion: a physical “kick in the guts”.  

There are many scenes in the Gospel in which Jesus feels compassion after witnessing human suffering.  In the Greek translation, the word suggests “a cramp in the belly.” True compassion, therefore, is not an abstract or noble thought but a physical kick in the guts, because the Good Samaritan does not “pass by” the suffering person.  

“The real difference is between those who stop and those who do not stop to help the injured…If I spend an hour simply shouldering a person’s pain, I get to know them better; compassion is never shown from a “distance”  

When we look upon those who need our mercy – a classmate, people affected by flooding, the refugees, migrants, the poor – we should be impelled to stop, to touch.  “If I see, I stop and I act. If I wipe away a person’s tear, I know I am not changing the world; but I’m changing it for that person!”  

How do we give this expression? 

Our staff and students engage in social justice through concrete situations. These include visiting Brigid’s House on a weekly basis, visiting the Uniting Church Indooroopilly to assist in the form-filling clinic with people who have asylum-seeker status.  Staff and students also visit the Women’s shelter, supporting young mothers and children. Brigidine students from Years 11 and 12, as well as Brigid’s Women’s group (graduate students) visit the shelter and assist in playing with children and giving those young mothers respite for a couple of hours from parenting.

The Justice and Democracy group recently invited Sr Rosslyn from the Franciscan Sisters (FMM) to discuss human trafficking. Our students hadn’t previously considered the seriousness of this issue, but it is now close to their hearts, as Brigidine supports ACRATH (Australian Catholic Religious Against the Trafficking of Humans).  Furthermore, our girls are encouraged to be compassionate to all those in our community; with special awareness afforded to those going through difficult times. 

Our staff have embraced the spirit of compassion through supporting each other and members of our community who are experiencing hardship. Members of our community have unfortunately experienced flooding, COVID, illness and injury and our staff have re-implemented our ‘Brigid’s pantry’ whereby staff can gift meals to each other. 

Staff also visited a number of different families affected by the floods earlier this year to provide emotional and physical support during this difficult time.

We are reminded to live the spirit of compassion in our daily lives at Brigidine College.