Faith, Justice & Formation

Return of Friday Morning Masses

With restrictions easing we will be resuming our Friday Morning Masses from Friday 19 June. While we love sharing this time with our whole community there will be some restrictions still in place as we move forward.  Please note the following:

• Only 50 people will be able to attend.
• Sadly, no parents will be able to attend at this stage – staff and students only.
• Staff and students will need to book a place on the Booking Sheet sent out each Monday via email.  Names need to be in by Wednesday and they will be confirmed on Thursday.
• Priority will be given to the staff and students connected to the group leading the Mass that day, however, ALL are welcome to book in for any Mass.
• At the Mass each Friday attendants must enter via the main doors only, have their name marked off and then sit at a seat where there is a coloured dot.
• There will be organ music but no choir and no singing until further notice.
• Tongs will be used to distribute communion.

Upcoming Masses will be led by:

[Hopefully more will be able to attend by this time or earlier.]

We look forward to welcoming you back into the Chapel and celebrating as a community again.

SPC Winter Appeal

It's that time of year again when it's cold and the days are getting darker.  We are so fortunate to have a home to go to and hopefully warmth through blankets, as well as food and hygiene.  In order to help those who are sleeping rough and to show them the dignity they deserve through our love and care, we will be holding our Annual SPC Winter Appeal on Tuesday 23 June.

We ask that every student (if possible) to bring at least the 3 items listed below:

• A blanket or sleeping bag (the simple ones from Kmart and the like are great or the blankets/sleeping bags can be used ones if they have been cleaned),
• A toiletry item (all small in size so they are easy to carry when on the streets) allocated by House,
• A food item allocated by House.

Optional extras to bring are: NEW beanie, scarf, socks, underwear (in packet), men’s singlets.

ALL items will be collected in Homeroom on the Winter Appeal day (Tuesday 23 June) ONLY.  Please make sure items are new, that you do NOT bring anything not on the list and that you do not bring items late.  (We just cannot cater for many days of collections and need to get it sorted at once – thanks for your understanding.)

Our College community has always been so generous and will no doubt continue with the Appeal this year.  If your own family is in hardship, we do not expect you to contribute, so others may wish to bring more (everything is a minimum request), and if you are really in need also please contact me confidentially so we can help you in your time of need.

SVDP are always in need of our help so if you would like to make a monetary donation, please visit: https://fundraise.vinniesnsw.org.au/donate-to-vinnies/

Thanks for your support and see below for images of the toiletry items requested.

Toothpaste of any brand; 120 – 150g

Toothbrushes of any brand – one or more

Soap - Any brand; not full size; no pumps [or cakes of soap]

Shampoo - Any brand; small / travel size shampoo (and conditioner – optional)

Deodorant - Any brand; roll on or spray; small size (not large spray cans)

Moisturiser - Any brand; no pumps; needs a lid; unisex or for men 

Black Lives Matter

Our world has certainly had a shake-up in recent months and more recently with all that started in the USA and moved around the globe. Many of us may be sitting at home thinking ‘what has this got to do with me?’.  It is important for us to be aware that it has everything to do with us.  We are one race – the human race – and we all have a role to play in challenging systemic racism in society. 

Riots and rallies aside, the issue deserves examination. We can all make a difference and contribute through the way we talk, stopping the jokes that harm, considering the people we hire, changing the assumptions we make, and understanding the policies and programs we support at any level of government.  With information and understanding we can make our voice, and our heart, heard.

In Australia, our Aboriginal brothers and sisters deserve our support.  We cannot talk the talk, without walking the walk.  People may not always present the same as us or behave in the same way as us, largely due to the fact they do not have the same opportunities as us.  While all life is sacred because it is the image and likeness of God, at present this issue is about black lives and how they are not treated the same as white lives in most places around the world.   We are called to love our neighbour – friend and foe – so even if we are not directly impacted, we all bear responsibility for acting to bring about change. This is advocacy. 

To bring a liberation from segregation and racism we must first look at the starting point, and from there what we do shows that black lives matter as much as white lives, and at this point it is about bringing them to the same starting point or about removing the fence.  It is currently black lives that are damaged more readily, thus the outcry for #blacklivesmatter because everything already tells us that white lives matter. 

This article is not intended to be political, rather to highlight a justice issue. If we believe in justice and that God created all humanity in His image, we therefore agree that black lives matter. The way we tackle this is up to us – if we all contribute to the solution then violence and destruction will lessen, and peace can grow.  A liberating education, which is one of our Touchstones, speaks specifically about all that is going on. We offer an education at St Patrick’s College that, supported by good family life, enables us to help improve the lives of others, therefore creating a better world for all.  So, let us talk kindly and look to the issues that underlie all that we are seeing, and, where we are comfortable, let us act and advocate.

Here is a short clip that may interest and enlighten you.  This monologue comes from the play City of Gold that our Theatre Club members saw last year and was reperformed this week on the ABC (mild language warning) - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-09/meyne-wyatt-delivers-powerful-monologue-on-racism/12333854

For some practical tips on how to be an ally for racial justice this is a good summary - https://ideas.ted.com/how-you-can-be-an-ally-in-the-fight-for-racial-justice

We wholeheartedly agree that black lives matter and we continue to keep all in our prayers with this Prayer for Racial Justice –

God of justice,

In your wisdom you create all people in your image, without exception.

Through your goodness, open our eyes to see the dignity, beauty, and worth of every human being.

Open our minds to understand that all your children are brothers and sisters in the same human family.

Open our hearts to repent of racist attitudes, behaviours, and speech which demean others.

Open our ears to hear the cries of those wounded by racial discrimination, and their passionate appeals for change. Strengthen our resolve to make amends for past injustices and to right the wrongs of history.

And fill us with courage that we might seek to heal wounds, build bridges, forgive and be forgiven, and establish peace and equality for all in our communities.

Amen.

St Patrick….pray for us

Blessed Edmund…pray for us

Live Jesus in our hearts…forever

Gillian Daley

Director of Identity