Deputy Principal - Identity and Religious Life of the College
World Refugee Day
“Refugees are not numbers, they are people who have faces, names, stories, and need to be treated as such.”
Pope Francis
World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the globe. It falls each year on 20 June, and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home countries to escape conflict or persecution. World Refugee Day is an occasion to build empathy and understanding for the plight of refugees and to recognise their resilience in rebuilding their lives. In Australia this year, Refugee Week will be held from 20 to 26 June. It is an annual event that aims to create a culture of welcome by raising greater awareness about why refugees flee their homelands, the rights they are due, and the challenges they face in establishing themselves in a new country.
Historically, Australia has been a place of welcome for refugees from around the world. As a result of this welcome, refugees have made a positive contribution to Australia’s multicultural society. However, in recent years, the Australian Government has been criticised internationally for its failure to uphold the rights of refugees. Although the right to seek asylum from persecution is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, asylum-seekers who arrive in Australia without a visa are subjected to a number of punitive measures that can significantly impair their mental health and general well-being. There are approximately 30,000 asylum-seekers affected by these measures. Negative political rhetoric and the resulting community stigmatisation of asylum-seekers has also had harmful consequences.
Recently, there were renewed calls for Nades and Priya Murugappan, and their daughters, Kopika (aged 6) and Tharnicaa (aged 4), to be released from detention where they have been held since March 2018. While this request has been granted this week by the Government, there is sustained community support for the family to be returned to Biloela. It has cost the Australian taxpayer over six million dollars to keep this family in detention. Today more than ever, we need to ensure that the safety and rights of refugees are protected. In Australia, it is the responsibility of our government, and each one of us, to ensure people forced to flee from their homes can live with dignity and with hope.
For a fuller understanding of the Catholic Church’s teaching on migration, visit the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office.
Encounter Youth
The next Encounter Youth Parish event will be held this Sunday, 20 June, at Little Flower Church, from 6.30 to 8.30pm. Please register using the QR code on the poster below.
Fundraising for Indigenous Literacy Foundation
Our upcoming raffles of four passes to Broncos home games will support the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. Break 1 tomorrow, Friday 18 June, will be the last opportunity for students to purchase tickets in the draw for the upcoming Broncos v Sharks game. Winners will be announced tomorrow at 2.00pm. Tickets are $2 each or three tickets for $5. Tickets can also be purchased online. Tickets in the draw for the upcoming Tigers game can also be purchased online. The draw for these passes will take place at the end of Week 1, Term 3.
NAIDOC Week
Sunday 4 to Sunday 11 July is NAIDOC Week - the national celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, and cultures. The theme for this year’s celebration is Heal Country. It highlights the importance of Country to First Nations Peoples’ identity and the concerns shared by them about the exploitation, desecration, and destruction of lands, waters, sacred sites, and cultural heritage. Healing Country means hearing those concerns and providing greater involvement, management, and empowerment by Indigenous peoples over country. It means embracing First Nations’ cultural knowledge and understanding of Country as part of Australia's national heritage.
Did you know?
The Coming of the Light is celebrated by Torres Strait Islanders on 1 July each year. It recognises the arrival of The London Missionary Society and Melanesian leaders in 1871, and the adoption of Christianity by Island communities. This year is the 150th anniversary of the Coming of The Light. A number of celebrations are planned in Brisbane from 1 to 4 July.
Cross Country Carnival
The re-running of the Interhouse Cross Country Carnival will take place on Day 1 of next term, Monday 12 July. The day will commence and conclude at the usual times (8.30am and 3.00pm). Students will attend Periods 1, 2, and 4 and be transported to Teralba Park for the Carnival. This carnival was postponed from the end of Term 1 due to the COVID shutdown. I again remind families of the importance of student participation in, and attendance at, this compulsory college community event. It is an expectation that all students will be in attendance on the day to cheer on their House and each other. All students are expected to compete if they are fit and able to do so. Students unable to compete on the day can volunteer to assist with a number of tasks that will help the day run smoothly. All students are to wear their sports uniform to and from school; however, they are also invited to show some House spirit by wearing accessories in their House colour. Students may wear to school on the day, shirts (preferably with a collar) and ribbons in their House colour. The Z Club will be selling drinks at the Carnival. Drinks will cost $2 each and can be paid for using student ID cards. There will be no EFTPOS facilities.
House Masses
Invitations to the Greccio, Villa Spada, and Rieti House Masses have been emailed to all students and families in these Houses. Everyone is most welcome. The House Masses commence at 6.00pm at Little Flower Church, Turner Road, Kedron, as per the schedule below:
Greccio - Tuesday 20 July
Villa Spada - Tuesday 27 July
Rieti - Tuesday 17 August.
Richard Rogusz
