Faith & Mission

Sadly, this has been a heart-wrenching few weeks, both on the world stage and more locally. On Tuesday, 8 March we celebrated International Women’s Day, a day we reflect on the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and the call to action for accelerating gender parity. And, ironically, just as we were celebrating the important role of women, we were simultaneously confronted with the heartbreaking scenes on social media of Ukrainian women transformed by war into refugees, struggling to keep their families safe as they flee their war-torn country.

As we commence our Lenten journey, our students and staff continue to offer prayers for the people of Ukraine impacted by this humanitarian crisis. On Shrove Tuesday, 1 March, Game Changer students cooked and sold hundreds of pancakes before school, aiming to raise much-needed money for Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion appeal. Game Changer students are planning to host other fundraising appeals to support the work of Caritas Australia who offer hope to countries like Ukraine who are already ravaged by the COVID pandemic but who concurrently face other crises. Our Marist Catholic faith impels us to show love and kindness to all those we meet on the road, especially those who experience daily struggle and uncertainty.

Trinity Catholic College, Lismore
Closer to home, we were saddened to receive news of the devastating floods that ravaged northern NSW and Queensland. Our Marist community was particularly sorry to receive news of the impact of the floods on Trinity Catholic College, Lismore. As a Marist College, our students have pledged offers of prayerful, financial and in-kind support to the Trinity Catholic College community in the coming months. To commence this campaign, Game Changer students will host a sausage sizzle on Wednesday, 16 March at lunchtime. All students are encouraged to bring a gold coin and purchase a sausage, all proceeds of which will go towards supporting the community of Trinity Catholic College.

Human Dignity – Professional Learning for Staff
On Monday, 7 March some staff engaged in a Professional Learning module on Human Dignity facilitated by Dr Anna Rowlands. Unable to visit Australia because of the pandemic, Dr. Anna Rowlands, a professor of Catholic Social Thought and Practice, Lecturer in Contemporary Catholic Theology and Deputy Director of the Centre for Catholic Studies at Durham University, UK, prepared a series of online modules for the professional learning of teachers in Catholic schools. The module we commenced focused on Human Dignity as a crucial underpinning for reflection on how we work, the crossing of borders, and care of the young, vulnerable, elderly and dying. From the conditions of our birth to how we bury our dead, Rowlands reminded us, dignity is a reoccurring question and struggle throughout our lives. May our Loving God, creator and sustainer of life, bless us all with the courage to defend all life and the strength to respect all peoples so that we may truly follow the call of Jesus to be neighbour.

Geralyn McCarthy