Principal’s Message

“Let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works.” Hebrews 10:24-25

Dear families and friends of St Edmund’s College,

Welcome back to all members of our community. May we face this last term of the year with fresh vigour, confidence and determination to achieve, succeed and finish well.

I don’t usually recommend television programs to parents and carers through my Vortex articles (especially commercial television programs), but this week I must make a strong recommendation to our parent community to watch a two-part program called Mirror Mirror which aired on the Ten Network on Monday and Tuesday of this week and can now be viewed on Ten Play. The first ten minutes of this program were very powerful and shocking, demonstrating the ease with which children can be abused and exploited online on sites such as Omegle and WhatsApp. The program also looks into cyber-safety, how the internet impacts young children and what parents need to know about the dangers of the internet.

Mirror Mirror details clearly how the internet is changing the way we view the world, especially as we have the first generation of children who have only known life with mobile internet. Exploring multiple stories across the two episodes, the program takes a look at the ways internet companies are capturing our attention and rewiring our brains and meets the people whose lives have been irreparably affected in one way or another. Quite importantly within our community context, the program explores two significant how young children have such easy access to pornography and the consequences that virtual relationships and pseudo-connections have on today’s young generation.

The first episode of the two-part documentary focuses on the theme of “love”, focusing on various topics such as OnlyFans, social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, virtual relationships, influencers and chatting online. The second episode shifts to the theme of hate, looking at how easy it is for people to fall into the hole of hatred, prejudice and conspiracies. I would urge all parents and c areas to watch this documentary – I would suggest to watch it alone at first, and then select which sections of the program would be suitable to watch with your son, followed by some robust discussion about the issues raised.

I turned 60 last week, and have found myself in discussion with friends and family reminiscing on my childhood. How innocent it seems now to be at school, during the day, then come home and look forward to watching American sitcoms on television – Gilligan’s Island, The Brady Bunch, The Munsters, The Addams Family and so on. Life was simple. The world for young people is now completely different, with a requirement for a sophisticated level of cyber dexterity and cyber maturity.

It really does disturb me and worry me what our young people are being exposed to and how this affects their though patterns and behavioural patterns. Schools alone can come nowhere close to dealing with these issues – it will take a great deal of work from schools, families, communities and governments to ensure that our young people have the skills to rise above the cyber world which envelopes them.

Parents Scam Alert
There is a new scam circulating on mobile devices setting out to trick parents into communicating with a fake number by posing as their child in urgent need of help. Doing the rounds on mobile devices, this scam is one of many of this nature and one that parents need to be alerted of as soon as possible as the element of fear being instilled may cause them to contact scammers or reveal highly sensitive information to them. The recommendation is to remain vigilant. There are many scams happening through text so if you are not sure, don’t respond. If it is something important your family will find a way to call you.

Principal’s Awards
At Wednesday’s Assembly we introduced the Inaugural Principal’s Awards. These awards are presented to students who demonstrate exemplary qualities of leadership and reflect the many fine qualities of the Eddies Statement of Pride.

Principal’s Awards were presented to:
Reeves Dzapata (11 O’Brien) and Darrell Faranando (11 Clancy), who last term stepped in of their own accord to prevent a situation with two younger students from escalating further.

Paul Oscar Brown (11 O’Brien), Daniel Isherwood (12 O’Brien), Lorcan Jennings (11 Rice), Tadhg Loadsman (12 Treacy) and Connor Moloney (11 Treacy) for their leadership and outstanding work in this year’s musical production.

2023 Leaders
Also at Wednesday’s Assembly we presented our 2023 student leaders to the College community. These leaders will be formally inducted into their new roles at next year’s Opening College Mass. I very much look forward to working with these new leaders, and I thank our current leaders for a year of fine service to their community.

Junior School
Stewardship for Inclusive Community – Tyrone Lauvao
Stewardship for Gospel Spirituality – Jonah Ong
Stewardship for Justice and Solidarity – Zachary Apperley
Stewardship for Liberating Education – Matthew Bolton
House Leader Clancy – Michell Gane
House Leader Haydon – Jace Daly
House Leader Mulrooney – William Hancock
House Leader O’Brien – Thomas Walsh
House Leader Rice – Mitchell McCracken
House Leader Treacy – Benjamin Brooker

Senior Students
College Captain (Stewardship for Inclusive Community) – Deveraux Tapelu
College Vice Captain (Stewardship for Justice & Solidarity) – Liuaki Percival
College Vice Captain (Stewardship for Gospel Spirituality) – Damian Jelfs-Smith
College Vice Captain (Stewardship for Liberating Education) – Hamish Chapman
Clancy House Captain – Jack McDermott
Clancy House Vice Captain – Darrell Faranando
Haydon House Captain – Roy Kuchel
Haydon House Vice Captain – Nixion Lemisio
Mulrooney House Captain – Joseph McBride
Mulrooney House Vice Captain – William Bate
O’Brien House Captain – Kelven Ng
O’Brien House Vice Captain – Paul Oscar Brown
Rice House Captain – Callum Hicks
Rice House Vice Captain – Rhys Spence
Treacy House Captain – Tristan Borghouts
Treacy House Vice Captain – Jacob MacDonald

Prayers and Blessings
It has been a difficult few weeks with a number of members of our immediate community and wider community experiencing loss and suffering.

We pray for member of staff Mr Denzil Fox, who last week underwent extensive surgery. Denzil will now commence a long series of treatment and recovery.

We pray for Brayden Woodger in Year 12 whose father Peter passed away last week. We offer our prayers and blessings to his mother Kellie and sister Abbie.

We pray for the families of the two young girls from Stromlo High School, who were killed in a car accident a few days ago. One of the young girls was the aunt of Pharoah Feagai in Year 5.

We pray for the family of Thomas English, a Year 12 student of Marist College Canberra who was killed in a car accident in the holidays. Thomas’ father Dixon English is a member of staff at Marist.

I offer you a Blessing Prayer from Sr. Joyce Rupp. Joyce is a retreat leader, spiritual director and a prolific Catholic spirituality writer. This blessing is from her book, “Out of the Ordinary”.

Blessing Prayer for Another’s Healing
May you desire to be healed.
May what is wounded in your life be restored to good health.
May you be receptive to the ways in which healing needs to happen.
May you take good care of yourself.
May you extend compassion to all that hurts within your body, mind, and spirit.
May you be patient with the time it takes to heal.
May you be aware of the wonders of your body, mind, and spirit and their ability in returning you to good health.
May you be open to receive from those who extend kindness, care, and compassion to you.
May you rest peacefully under the sheltering wings of divine love, trusting in this gracious presence. May you find little moments of beauty and joy to sustain you.
May you keep hope in your heart.
Amen.

Blessed Edmund Rice, pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Joe Zavone
Principal
Christus Lux Mea

“Let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works.” Hebrews 10:24-25

Dear families and friends of St Edmund’s College,

It was an absolute pleasure to be in the audience of our College musical “Little Shop of Horrors” last week. I am very proud of our boys and their performances, especially the boys who held the lead roles.  I must congratulate Daniel Isherwood (Year 12) and Tadgh Loadsman (Year 12) who shared the lead role of Seymour.  Both Daniel and Tadgh gave wonderful performances and beautifully held the show together.  Congratulations also to students in the three other lead roles, Paul Oscar Brown (Year 11) Lorcan Jennings (Year 11) and Connor Moloney (Year 11).  All the lead performances were outstanding and were supported well by the many boys in minor roles (Hamish Chapman, Damian Jelfs-Smith, Lachlan Nicholls, Lachlan Vearing) and in the chorus (Harrison Bond, Matthew Bool, Benjamin Brooker, Owen Clausen, William Clausen, Riley Fakhouri, Brody Grainger, Nicholas Isherwood Cedric Johnson, Andre L’Aimable, Douglas L’Aimable, Harry Raby). Of course, we also had the wonderful support of the students from Merici College and Canberra Girls Grammar. We all know that a good musical production does not only involve what happens on the stage.  My most sincere thanks to all students and teachers who worked behind the scenes in bringing the musical to life (Patrick Barnes, Ethan Dixon, Fletcher Harrison, Brock Heisner, James Hahn, Mackenzie Jones, Jacob MacDonald, Aidyn McKay, Flynn Na Champassak, Charlie Sneddon, Josh Wink, Yuan Yumul, Ms Kylie Rose, Mr Lachlan O’Neill and old boys Alex Pippos and Steve Quilliam).

I must single out the ongoing efforts of Musical Director, Mrs Margaret Thomas and Director, Mr Nigel Palfreman.  Margaret and Nigel were instrumental in allowing students to shine in the production, polishing and refining skills and talents through numerous rehearsals.  The performing arts program is a significant part of St Edmund’s College, and this year’s musical production was instrumental in shining a light on the wonderful talents of both students and staff in our performing arts department.

Last week we launched the current edition of The Pelican, our alumni magazine.  The Pelican is issued twice a year and highlights several of our old boys who share their experiences and stories about the College and life after school.  It is an absolute delight to read these stories and find out what our old boys are up to.  The digital version of The Pelican can be found at this link.  The current edition of The Pelican features the following stories:

• Ron Harvey, Class of 1954
• Jim Rice, Class of 1971
• Matthew Percy, Class of 1991
• Chris De Britt, Class of 1992
• Steven Kontowicz, Class of 2002
• Chris Bucknell, Class of 2012

A reminder that as this week is the final week of Term 3, we commence Term 4 in summer uniform.  This means that students will be wearing shorts, and the puffer jacket, beanie and blazer can be stored away until next year. The uniform shop will be open at the following times in the holidays:

• Wednesday 5 October 1pm – 5pm
• Thursday 6 October 8am – 12pm
• Friday 7 October 8am – 12pm

Congratulations to Andre Jugovac (Year 12, Treacy) for being selected to travel to Argentina in January for three months to train with San Jorge Athletico Football Club. Andre will defer his university studies, so that he can ‘live the dream’ and enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that he has worked so hard to achieve. This is a great achievement and exciting opportunity for Andre, and we wish him all the very best with the journey and with his football career.

Congratulations to our Year 9 and 10 World of Money classes for their successful mini–Market Day last week.  Students in these classes have been learning how to start and run a business including marketing and finance. Last week they organised Market Day with a large variety of stalls to put their learning into practice. Although it rained for most of the afternoon, the weather did not dampen their spirits and all of our students were delighted to purchase and experience Vietnamese rolls, tie-dyed shirts, Super Spider drinks, a barbeque lunch, a range of baked goods and so on.

This week we held the second of our Parent / Teacher Meetings for the year.  These meetings are invaluable experiences and allow parents the opportunity to catch up with teachers and receive feedback about progress in subjects, suggestions for growth and improvement and development of skills. The Parent / Teacher Meetings only serve as one means of communication between parents and teachers, with the Parent Portal providing on-going communication.  Of course, we also encourage direct communication between teachers and parents at any time of the year in order to facilitate the best possible learning development for our students.

I wish all our students and families a safe and happy holiday and look forward to seeing everyone back for a great finish to the year in Term 4.

May God’s blessing go with us at all times.
At the end of this school term we pray
that You keep us safe and give us rest,
so we start Term 4 renewed and refreshed,
full of health and good energy,
ready to come and learn again.
Give Your peace and Your joy
to every student and their families.
Fill this school with Your love,
and guide our hearts from above,
full of faith, full of hope, full of joy, and full of love.
Amen

Blessed Edmund Rice, pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Joe Zavone
Principal
Christus Lux Mea

“Let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works.” Hebrews 10:24-25

Dear families and friends of St Edmund’s College,

Last week was one of those rare occasions where all of us were witnesses to a significant moment in history with the passing of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and the transition to King Charles III. Regardless of how we feel about the monarchy and its relationship to Australia, most of us could not help but be saddened at this event and look back with astonishment and admiration at the Queen’s life of great service. I would like to share with you this statement from Archbishop Timothy Costelloe Sdb, President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.

“The death of Queen Elizabeth II, after a long reign marked by extraordinary constancy, fidelity, courage, and service, will bring great sadness to many people in Australia, including members of the Catholic community. As the Queen enters into the great mystery of eternal life with the Lord, we will pray for the repose of her soul and the support and comfort of her family, her nation, and the wider community of the Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth was never reticent about acknowledging her Christian faith. Her annual Christmas message invariably focused on Jesus Christ as a model of humble and generous service. It was a model she strived to emulate throughout her long life. May she rest in peace.”

Mobile phones

In an article in the Sydney Morning Herald (dated 14 August), journalist Lucy Carroll quotes child psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg who says restricting phones in secondary schools is critical to cut distraction, deal with rising cyberbullying and help students catch up academically after months of isolation.

In the article, Finnish education expert Pasi Sahlberg has urged caution, however, in implementing outright restrictions. “I am sceptical about a system-wide ban because it undermines the benefits that technology brings to learning, health, and safety, and more importantly, it reduces the necessity in schools to learn, safe, responsible, and healthy use, living with digital media and technologies.”

At St Edmund’s College, we are aware that parents and carers have given their children mobile phones to protect them from everyday risks involving personal safety and security. Our guidelines aim to educate our young men about how to monitor and manage their phone use, to ensure they are fully engaged in their learning in the classroom and maintaining good social connections during break times.

For students in Years 7-12, mobile phones are allowed before and after school, at recess and lunch. Mobile phones are not permitted to be used or seen during class time or in any meetings or gatherings. At times mobile phones will be used in class for an educational purpose, but this will be at the explicit and direct instruction of the class teacher.

In Junior School, mobile phones are not to be used at all during the school day, including recess and lunch.

Learning how to manage the use of phones is an opportunity for our students to develop self-discipline and self-control. We often use our pastoral / formation sessions and house meetings to explore the consequences of misuse of technologies and help our young people understand that phones can be both a powerful tool and how their misuse can cause harm to themselves and others.

At home, we encourage families to have a charging station where phones and other technologies are docked each evening. This has the benefit of allowing adolescents and young adults the opportunity for uninterrupted sleep, which we know is essential and eliminates the chance of distraction.

Police warning about technology

In recognition of Safeguarding Sunday, which was celebrated last week, I bring to your attention the warning from the Australian Federal Police and police forces across all Australian jurisdictions about a worrying online sextortion trend targeting young Australians.

Investigators are warning that overseas offenders are increasingly preying on Australian children, particularly teenage males, coercing them into producing explicit images and then extorting them for money. Sextortion is a crime that can involve child victims being manipulated by online offenders into sending sexualised images, often through the offender pretending to be another young person. An offender will then threaten to share the content with others unless their demands are met. These demands include more images, sexual favours, and money.

Authorities globally are seeing a significant increase in offshore criminal syndicates targeting teenagers. Investigators hope highlighting the trend will encourage children who have become victims to seek help and report the crime to the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child

Some of the AFP’s tips to keep children safe include having the privacy settings of their social media accounts set to ‘friends only’ or ‘private’ and turning off any location settings that could show where they go to school or where they live. Parents should also encourage children not to share any personal information with ‘friends’ they meet online. There are further details at this link.

Acknowledgements

• Congratulations to the First XI Football team and their coach old boy Ben Nicoletti (Class of 2020) for their grand final victory last Saturday.
• Congratulations to Seth Marsden (Year 7, Treacy) for winning his class at the 2022 Victorian State Junior Motocross Titles. The titles are a four-round series held throughout the year.
• Congratulations to the following basketball teams for their grand final wins last weekend: U14s Div 2, U16s Div 2, U16s Div 3, U19s Div 3, U19s Div 4B, U19s Div 6. Many thanks to the coaches of all our basketball teams and the Head of Basketball, Mr Joel Richardson, for their work this year.
• The musical, Little Shop of Horrors, had got off to a tremendous start with a great deal of positive feedback and compliments. I will write more about the musical next week as I am seeing it this week.

Prayer for Safeguarding Sunday 

(www.catholic.org.au/safeguarding-Sunday)

Gracious God,
You love and care for all your children,
especially the smallest and most vulnerable.
We entrust to you the lives of children and adults at risk
who have been sexually abused
and whose trust and innocent have been destroyed.

Help us to hear their cries of pain
and to take responsibility for those whose lives have been broken.
Help us to recognise the hurt felt by those wounded by abuse,
and the failure to be heard.

We pray that with the help of your grace,
communities and families will find understanding and support,
so that now and in the future
their wounds may be healed
and they may find lasting peace

Let your grace and love fall gently now upon children and adults at risk,
giving then the inner strength, peace, and resilience
To seek out assistance when required.

We ask this through Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever,

Amen.

Blessed Edmund Rice, pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Joe Zavone
Principal
Christus Lux Mea

“Let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works.” Hebrews 10:24-25

Dear families and friends of St Edmund’s College,

There was some great spirit in the air last week and especially on the weekend as many of our sporting teams entered their semi-final and grand final games. At the time of writing this article not all details were available regarding the Rugby Union grand finals, but we were all buoyed by the fact that we had 12 of our 16 teams in grand final games.  A special congratulations to our senior teams, the Second and First XV, for their wins on Sunday.  We will have a summary of all weekend Rugby grand final details on our social media platforms over the next few days.

Our First XI Football team is off to their grand final game this coming Saturday, and no doubt we will have several of our basketball teams moving towards their grand final games in the coming days.

Last Friday we held an informal whole school assembly to remind our boys about appropriate behaviour and sportsmanship. I must say that I was very proud of our student spectators on Sunday. They demonstrated a very high level of sportsmanship in terms of their reactions to the opposing teams, and I received extremely positive feedback from several parents and members of the wider Rugby community saying the same thing.

A few years ago Pope Francis wrote that “To give the best of oneself in sports is also a call to aspire to holiness”. He explained that sports can be a great instrument of formation and sanctification, especially for young people.  To be good at a sport takes commitment, something often lacking in a throwaway culture and a culture of instant gratification.  “The Christian life resembles a marathon rather than a short sprint,” the document explains. “Sport helps us in this regard by teaching that it is worth embracing long-term challenges.”  Good sportsmanship acknowledges the skills and talents demonstrated by players from both teams, as well as acknowledging the long-term time and on-going effort of the players ands coaches.  A victory without good sportsmanship is a hollow victory, if a victory at all.  We will always work hard here at St Edmund’s to put the positive culture of sport and the many values and qualities associated with this well and truly above the perception that the final prize is the win and nothing else.

Many thanks to the fathers and father figures who attended our Father’s Day Mass last Friday.  The Blessed Sacrament Chapel was bursting at the seams and we will need to have this event at a larger venue next year.  We are embarking on a program here at the College to partner with our community of fathers to focus on their work in enhancing positive relationships.  Currently we have two Father-Son weekends every year held at Tuross.  This semester’s weekend is booked out and I would encourage anyone interested in this program to talk to Mr David Kelly or Mr Michael Monagle to discuss the nature of the program and the timing for next year.  We are also participating in a program called The Fathering Project, which is an evidence-based organisation that aims to promote positive fathering behaviours and fathers’ engagement with their children. The Fathering Project recognises that fathers, and father figures, play a vital role in children’s lives. The evidence demonstrating fathers’ potential to positively influence their children’s health and mental health, social success and academic achievements is now robust, indisputable, and compelling.  See https://thefatheringproject.org/about-us/ for further information about the program. We will keep you informed of the programs and resources that emerge from our participation in The Fathering Project.

Some great fun and good learning was had by students in Mr O’Rourke’s Year 6 class least week.  I was kindly invited to view their Science projects based on energy, and what I saw was truly a festival of imagination, knowledge and entertainment.  Students developed their own drones, cars, lifting-equipment and even a poker machine!  Thanks to Mr O’Rourke and his students for this wonderful event.

Acknowledgements

• Congratulations to Tom Wragge (Year 8, Mulrooney) for receiving a sports award from local politician Andrew Leigh (Member for Fenner). Tom was presented with a Local Sporting Champion Award in recognition of his achievements representing the ACT and Baseball Canberra at the 2022 Australian Junior League Championships (Adelaide) and previously at the 2021 Australian Little League Championships (Lismore).
• Congratulations to Phillip MacNamara (Year 6, Mulrooney) for representing the ACT and St Edmund’s College at the School Sports National Swimming Championships in Brisbane a couple of weeks ago.

Prayer for Fathers

Loving God,
you entrusted your Son Jesus,
the child of Mary,
to the care of Joseph, an earthly father.
Bless all fathers and father figures
as they care for their loved ones.
Give them strength and wisdom,
tenderness and patience;
support them in the work they have to do,
protecting those who look to them,
as we look to you for love and salvation,
through Jesus Christ our rock and defender.
Amen.

Blessed Edmund Rice, pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Joe Zavone
Principal
Christus Lux Mea

“Let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works.” Hebrews 10:24-25

Dear families and friends of St Edmund’s College,

On Friday of last week, I was privileged to listen to the speeches of the thirteen Year 11 students who put themselves forward for our 2023 Captain and Vice-Captain positions. Each one of these students clearly articulated their vision for the role and how best they could serve the Eddies community. As I said to all Year 11 students at the end of the speeches, any of the thirteen candidates could fill these positions successfully and effectively. It makes me a very proud Principal to know that we have an excess of outstanding students who could become our main student leaders. Of course, this will lead to nine of these students being disappointed, but hopefully we will find ways to make use of their wisdom, their experience, their insight and their leadership qualities. I thank all of our thirteen candidates for their mature and perceptive presentations.

I was reminded of the nature of leadership demonstrated by all of our candidates when I was sitting in Mass on Sunday, listening to the First Reading. This was Sunday’s First Reading:

“My son, be gentle in carrying out your business, and you will be better loved than a lavish giver. The greater you are, the more you should behave humbly, and then you will find favour with the Lord; for great though the power of the Lord is, he accepts the homage of the humble. There is no cure for the proud man’s malady, since an evil growth has taken root in him. The heart of a sensible man will reflect on parables, an attentive ear is the *sage’s dream.” (Sirach 3:17-18, 21, 29-30) (*a sage is someone who demonstrates wisdom, insight and sound judgement).

In this extract the writer advises humility in daily affairs. We live in a contemporary culture and lifestyle that is drowning in social media and self-promotion.  Pride and ambition tend to overlook the subtle details of life and relationships. Pride gives us a sense of being more important than we really are. But in the end, the proud are diminished as neither pride nor ambition build anything of lasting value.  Humility, on the other hand, gives us a true sense of place. It reminds us of our status as creatures before God and equality before others. Humility helps us accept life’s burdens, those personal limitations and life situations which do not seem to have rational explanations. Humility teaches us openness of mind and heart to learn from others. Finally, humility allows us to walk in the shoes of others and act with compassion, especially with the poor.  We always talk about “strong character” here at St Edmund’s.  Humility runs to the core of our character. It is not a mask we put on as a means of social self-abasement or a means for social climbing. True humility is simply to know our place in the greater scheme of things. It is to look at ourselves through God’s eyes and lovingly accept what we see.

The last line of the first reading strongly resonated with me. “The heart of a sensible man will reflect on parables” – there is a great parallel here to the College motto, “Christ Is My Light”. A sensible person will reflect on the parables, the stories given to us by Jesus, and hopefully will act out the values of those parables and follow in the path laid down for us by Christ.  Listening and reading the parables closely and carefully (“an attentive ear”) will makes us all sages, allowing us to make decisions in a wise and judicious manner. I clearly was witness to the values and messages of the parables in the candidates’ speeches last Friday, and I know that the College will be in good hands with our upcoming student leaders, our very own sages.

Rugby Union Grand Finals

At the time of writing this report, I am aware that at least 12 of our 16 rugby teams have made the grand finals, including our First XV who be competing against Canberra Grammar for the title of premier rugby union school for 2022. Specific details about venues and times can be found on our social media platforms. Of course, students attending the grand final games must be in complete winter uniform (no exceptions) and must demonstrate the epitome of good sportsmanship.  Any students who do not demonstrate the highest level of sportsmanship will be asked to contact their parents and leave the venue.

Acknowledgements

• Congratulations to Tom Wragge (Year 8, Mulrooney) and AJ Sanft (Year 8, Treacy) who represented Canberra at the 2022 Softball NSW State Championships in Blacktown over the weekend. Tom made the transition from representative baseball exceptionally well in his first softball championship and AJ has previously played representative baseball and softball. AJ was also awarded the Players Player medal for the Canberra team over the weekend.
• Congratulations to Old Boy Jeremiah Simbiken (2018) for signing a three-year deal with NRL team, the Redcliffe Dolphins. The Dolphins start their first pre-season training later this year.
• Good luck to the 12 teams representing the College in the winter basketball semi-finals this weekend across Saturday and Sunday at Tuggeranong and Belconnen.
• Good luck to the 12 teams representing the College in the rugby union grand finals this weekend across Saturday and Sunday an ANU North Oval in Turner.
• Good luck to the 3 teams representing the College in the football (soccer)  this Saturday, with with First XI semi-final played at home.

Prayer for Humility

Loving Lord,
We pray for the heart position of humility.
Humility in such a way that we do not cheapen our own worth or value within,
but that we take the alignment that we are here for a greater purpose than just our own gain.
We pray that You will highlight to us what it truly means to live a humble life,
and that our own worth will be revealed by Your Light.
It is only then that we may truly live in freedom and right standing,
for we will hold our own value correctly.
Lord, we welcome You to mould and secure our hearts in true humility by Your lead.
In Jesus name,
Amen.

Blessed Edmund Rice, pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Joe Zavone
Principal
Christus Lux Mea

“Let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works.” Hebrews 10:24-25

Dear families and friends of St Edmund’s College,

On Thursday evening of last week, my wife and I attended the Inaugural Tim Fisher Oration on Ethics in Public and Political Life at Parliament House, along with a group of Year 11 students and staff. The keynote speaker was John Anderson AO, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and leader of the National Party from 1999 to 2005. Mr Anderson spoke about the strengths of our democratic nation and highlighted some of the current challenges of society and the importance to “speak up and turn up”.

Tim Fischer AC was an Australian politician and diplomat who served as leader of the National Party from 1990 to 1999. He was Deputy Prime Minister in the Howard Government from 1996 to 1999.  After leaving politics, Fischer served as chairman of Tourism Australia from 2004 to 2007, and was later Ambassador to the Holy See from 2009 to 2012. “It is fitting that an oration has been established to honour Tim Fischer, who spent a lifetime serving his nation as a soldier, parliamentarian, both state and commonwealth, minister and diplomat. It is also fitting that the oration ‘calls forth young people to protect and promote the common good through ethical attitudes and action in public and political life’, as Tim demonstrated ethical leadership throughout his long service” (Catholic Voice, 5 June 2022). The Tim Fischer Oration was an opportunity not only to reflect on his life, but to consider how we are all called, including the generation of future leaders, to protect and promote the common good.

Many thanks to those from St Edmund’s who attended the Tim Fischer Oration last week.  Staff: Mr Michael Monagle (organiser), Ms Caroline Devlin, Mr Jack Chalker-Harris and Mr Jeff Vayo.  Students from Year 11: Paul-Oscar Brown, Hamish Chapman, Ronan Kovacevic, Lorcan Jennings, Roy Kuchel, Liuaki ae Lotu Percival, Charlie Sneddon, Rhys Spence, Devereaux Tapelu, Lachlan Vearing.

Gold Academic Awards

Congratulations to the following students for receiving a Gold Academic Award at the last assembly. Silver and Bronze Academic awards were awarded to students at their most recent House Assembly. The achievement of the Gold Award clearly demonstrates the dedication, diligence and determination that these students apply to their studies and academic growth.

• Patrick Barnes (Year 9, Rice)
• Tomas Gamez (Year 8, Treacy)
• Reuben McBride (Year 9, Mulrooney)
• Noah Nouri-Girones (Year 9, Haydon)
• Evan Richards (Year 9, Mulrooney)

Reminders from last week …

Musical, “Little Shop of Horrors”

I encourage all our students and families to attend our College musical, Little Shop of Horrors. The College has a wonderful tradition of staging popular and successful musicals, with this production looking like it will continue that great tradition.

Little Shop of Horrors is about a down and out, skid row floral assistant named Seymour who becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant with a mysterious craving for fresh blood.  The plant, “Audrey II”, grows into an ill-tempered, foul mouthed, R&B singing carnivore who offers Seymour fame and fortune in exchange for feeding its growing appetite, finally revealing itself to be an alien poised for global domination.  Sounds crazy but it works brilliantly.  We have a large group of students and staff working on this production.  You will be rewarded for your support of their hard work and talent with a great night out.

Performance dates are 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 September in the College Hall.  Tickets can be purchased through this link.

2023 Enrolments

Our enrolments for 2023 are progressing very smoothly.  If you are aware of any families who may be considering enrolling their son and have not yet done so, please ask them to contact the Enrolments Office.  This may include families who have a son whose needs are not being met at their present school and may benefit from our Yarwun Gifted and Talented Program; or Year 10 students in other schools who would benefit from our Sports Academy Program, or students with an interest in Hospitality who would benefit from our partnership with the Hyatt Hotel Canberra, or students with an interest and talent in Rugby League who would benefit from our partnership with the Canberra Raiders.

Financial Assistance for Families

Some of our parents may not be aware that the ACT Government offers some financial assistance to school students at government and non-government schools.  This is done through the Future of Education Equity Fund Years P–12. Information about this assistance can be found at this link.   Of course, parents who require specific assistance with College fees are encouraged to contact the Finance Team at the College to discuss the possibility of fee concessions, or you may wish to contact me to discuss your situation.

Prayer for Peace, St. John Paul II

Lord Jesus Christ,
who are called the Prince of Peace,
who are Yourself our peace and reconciliation,
who so often said, “Peace to you”,
please grant us peace.
Make all men and women witnesses of truth, justice and brotherly love.
Banish from their hearts whatever might endanger peace.
Enlighten our rulers that they may guarantee and defend the great gift of peace.
May all peoples on the earth become as sisters and brothers.
May longed-for peace blossom forth and reign always over us all.
Amen.

Blessed Edmund Rice, pray for us
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever

Joe Zavone
Principal
Christus Lux Mea

“Let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works.” Hebrews 10:24-25

Dear families and friends of St Edmund’s College,

I encourage all our students and families to attend our College musical, Little Shop of Horrors. The College has a wonderful tradition of staging popular and successful musicals, with this production looking like it will continue that great tradition.

Little Shop of Horrors is about a down and out, skid row floral assistant named Seymour who becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant with a mysterious craving for fresh blood.  The plant, “Audrey II”, grows into an ill-tempered, foul-mouthed, R&B singing carnivore who offers Seymour fame and fortune in exchange for feeding its growing appetite, finally revealing itself to be an alien poised for global domination.  Sounds crazy but it works brilliantly.  We have a large group of students and staff working on this production.  You will be rewarded for your support of their hard work and talent with a great night out.

Performance dates are 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 September in the College Hall.  Tickets can be purchased through this link.

2023 Enrolments

Our enrolments for 2023 are progressing very smoothly.  If you are aware of any families who may be considering enrolling their son and have not yet done so, please ask them to contact the Enrolments Office.  This may include families who have a son whose needs are not being met at their present school and may benefit from our Yarwun Gifted Program; or Year 10 students in other schools who would benefit from our Sports Academy Program, or students with an interest in Hospitality who would benefit from our partnership with the Hyatt Hotel Canberra, or students with an interest and talent in Rugby League who would benefit from our partnership with the Canberra Raiders.

Financial Assistance for Families

Some of our parents may not be aware that the ACT Government offers some financial assistance to school students at government and non-government schools.  This is done through the Future of Education Equity Fund Years P–12. Information about this assistance can be found at this link.   Of course, parents who require specific assistance with College fees are encouraged to contact the Finance Team at the College to discuss the possibility of fee concessions, or you may wish to contact me to discuss your situation.

Congratulations

We congratulate the following students for their achievements and wish them luck in their endeavours:

*Kado Ramalli (Year 6 Clancy) and Brayden Kent (Year 6 Haydon) have been selected in the Under 11’s  and Under 12’s Southern Country Pride side, participating in the Oztag City vs Country tournament in November.

*Steve Nealon (Year 9 Haydon) and Evan Richards (Year 9 Mulrooney) have been selected in the ACT Capital Football Under 15’s and Under 14’s teams, with National Championships taking place in Coffs Harbour, NSW next month.

*Lachlan Cheney (Year 8 Mulrooney), Hunter Harlor (Year 12 Treacy), Liam Guthrie (Year 12 Mulrooney), Ethan Guthrie (Year 10 Mulrooney), and Kyler Peisley (Year 7 Mulrooney) for representing the ACT and St Edmund’s College at the School Sports National Swimming Championships in Brisbane this week.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Last Sunday was a significant day in the tradition of the Catholic Church, with the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  I would like to share with you a beautiful reflection by the Archbishop of Melbourne Peter Comensoli, who considers the meaning of the Assumption for us.

“Today we celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This very special feast of Mary is, in fact, really a feast of Our Lord Jesus: what happened to Mary at the end of her life is the direct result of what Christ did at the end of his earthly mission. The Assumption of Mary is a mirror of the Ascension of Jesus – the glorious reward of a live lived for God.

From the beginning of Christianity, the Church has understood herself to be a community brought into existence by Christ and sustained in the love of Christ. For this reason, the very first task of the Christian community – our first task – is to remain in a relationship of life and love with God. In this regard, Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church, is our primary point of reference. It is from Mary that we learn of our bond with Christ. What God saw and loved in Mary, God sees and loves in his Church. So, our identity as the Christian community is bound up in the life of Mary.

Mary’s assumption, her passing body and soul into heaven at the end of her life, reveals the destination of all who, by their lives, have shown they belong to Christ. Our human destiny is not ultimate destruction – our human destiny is eternal life. As Christians, we believe in Mary’s assumption because it is proof to us of this ultimate destiny for all humanity. But this hoped-for destiny is conditional on our being like a mirror to Mary: faithful, humble, hopeful, trusting.

Mary’s assumption is our encouragement. In her lived example we find a way of living that is transformative and sanctifying: it changes our lives and binds us closer to God. In the midst of the ordinary circumstances of our lives our spiritual Mother points the way to her Son, our redeemer. Through her we can learn to live in this passing world focused on our goal in heaven.  Our Lady Queen of Heaven, pray for us.”

Prayer

Almighty ever-living God,
who assumed the Immaculate Virgin Mary,
the Mother of your Son,
body and soul into heavenly glory,
grant, we pray,
that, always attentive to the things that are above,
we may merit to be sharers of her glory.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Blessed Edmund Rice, pray for us
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever

Joe Zavone
Principal
Christus Lux Mea

“Let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works.” Hebrews 10:24-25

Dear families and friends of St Edmund’s College,

Our students in Year 10 and Year 11 are needing to make some very important decisions in the next few weeks.

Year 10 moving into Year 11 2023

Year 10 students will soon commence the process of discerning the direction of their senior study.  This is a significant process, with students considering their senior pathway and package of subjects.  They will of course be guided carefully through this process by a number of people within the College – the Heads of Faculty, Heads of House, the Careers and VET advisers and our Assistant Principal, Teaching and Learning.

Of great interest to students this year is the number of partnerships we have to enhance student pathways.

• The College has partnered with the University of Canberra through the new St Edmund’s College Sports Academy. This provides an opportunity for our students to consider a sports-focused pathway that offers direct, non-ATAR entry to a number of undergraduate courses at the University of Canberra. This means that a tertiary pathway is now open to students who may not have necessarily considered a tertiary education, or who were wanting a more tailored, individual approach to their tertiary pathway. Students interested in this pathway should speak to Mr Joel Richardson (Head of Health and Physical Education) in the first instance. Please feel free to inform families not currently at the College of this great new partnership and invite them to contact the College for further details.
• St Edmund’s College is partnering with the Canberra Raiders through our Sports Science program. The Raiders partnership will provide a clear connection between St Edmund’s College and the Canberra Raiders for students playing Rugby League, maintaining and engaging these students at a high level both academically and physically. Regular on-field training will be developed by College staff and the Canberra Raiders. Students will participate in Rugby League Gala Days and have a clear representative program. Whilst this partnership is aimed more at students in Years 9 & 10, it also has significant benefits for senior students. Students interested in this pathway should speak to Mr Justin Giteau (Health and Physical Education teacher) in the first instance. Please feel free to inform families not currently at the College of this great new Rugby League pathway and invite them to contact the College for further details.
• The College is also in partnership with the Hyatt Hotel in Canberra. This partnership will allow our Hospitality students to immerse themselves in all aspects of the Hospitality industry, engage in real work opportunities and work alongside experts in the Hospitality field to develop their skills and competencies, be mentored and coached and build their professional network. This is a wonderful initiative for our students, providing a unique opportunity for them to broaden their skills and options. Students interested in this pathway should speak to Ms Rebecca Jarman (Hospitality teacher) in the first instance. Please feel free to inform families not currently at the College of this great new Hospitality pathway and invite them to contact the College for further details.
• Of course, we continue our pathway for gifted students through the Yarwun Gifted and Talented Program. If you are aware of a family outside of the College who may benefit from the Yarwun Gifted and Talented Program, please advise them to contact the College (Mr Tim Bibbens in the first instance) to discuss this program.

There will be a Year 11 2023 Information Night at the College on Wednesday August 17 commencing at 6pm (see this link).  We will be providing an overview of the pathways available to Year 11 and 12 students at St Edmund’s College and some information with regards to study packages and course selection in the lead-up to subject selection meetings. Head of Faculties and other members of staff will be on hand to answer questions about specific courses and to offer their advice and expertise.

This evening is open for all current Year 10 St Edmund’s Students and new, prospective families who are looking at enrolling at St Edmund’s College in Year 11, 2023.

Student Leadership – Year 11

Students in Year 11 have commenced their discernment of student leadership positions for next year.  This is always a very exciting time in the life of the College, as we witness a large number of students wanting to represent their fellow students by leading the College in some way.

Our model of leadership at the College is based on the concept of servant leadership. St Edmund’s College strives to teach and to embody the pattern of servant leadership exemplified by Jesus Christ. Jesus explained to his followers that their practice of leadership was to be distinctly different than the self-seeking, self-serving, and domineering style of leadership often found in the world: “Whoever would be first among you must be servant of all” (Mk 10:42-44; Mt 20: 25-28).

Good leadership motivates and mobilises others to accomplish a task or to think with creativity, vision, integrity and skill for the benefit of all concerned. Servant leadership serves others by investing in their development and wellbeing for the benefit of the common good. Thus, good servant leaders serve their community through investing in others so that together they may accomplish a task for the greater good.

To best exemplify the concept of servant leadership, since last year our Captains positions have been aligned to one of the four Touchstones from the Charter of Edmund Rice Education Australia. The College Captain has stewardship for Inclusive Community; the Academic Vice-Captain has stewardship for Liberating Education; the Mission Vice-Captain has stewardship for Gospel Spirituality and the Service Vice-Captain has stewardship for Justice & Solidarity. Thus, by their very nature, the Captains lead the school in areas that are very closely related to gospel values and Jesus’ mission.   The Captains will be supported in their stewardship roles by the House Captains and Vice Captains, and by their peers and teachers.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Mr John Owens, our acting College Advisory Council Chair, who has now been appointed as our permanent Advisory Council Chair.  We look forward to working closely with John and the Advisory Council in setting the direction and vision of the College for the next few years.

Solemnity of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop

Each year at around this time, we celebrate the Solemnity of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Australia’s beloved first saint. We celebrate the important role Mary Mackillop played in making education accessible for children in our country. Mary MacKillop devoted her life to ensuring a holistic Catholic education for children from rural, poor families.  She was canonised by Pope Benedict XVI in St Peter’s Square, Rome on Sunday, October 17, 2010.

Mary MacKillop was an ordinary woman who lived an extraordinary life. She was born in Fitzroy, Melbourne on January 15, 1842 to Scottish immigrants Alexander and Flora MacKillop and died in North Sydney on August 8, 1901.

After living what she described as “a most unhappy” early life, largely due to financial hardship, Mary moved to Penola, South Australia at age 18 to work as a governess for relatives. There she met Fr Julian Tenison Woods and they set up a school for underprivileged children before going on to establish the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart – the first religious institute established by an Australian. The Order grew and the Sisters travelled the countryside setting up schools, orphanages and other good works for those in need.

In 1871 Mary was excommunicated following a dispute with the Bishop of Adelaide, but the following year, the Bishop lifted the excommunication order and exonerated Mary of any wrongdoing. She travelled to Rome by sea in 1873/74 to have the rule of her Order approved by the Pope himself.

Today, there are about 800 Sisters of St Joseph, still working with the poor and marginalised in Australia, New Zealand, Timor Leste, Scotland, Ireland and Peru.

Even at the time of her death, those who knew her, or knew of her extraordinary work, spoke openly of her holiness – her heroic goodness. The official Cause for the Canonisation of Mary MacKillop was begun in 1925. In January 1995, Pope John Paul II beatified Mary during a Mass at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney. This followed official recognition of a woman being miraculously cured of cancer after praying for Mary’s intercession. The recognition in December 2009 of a second miracle, also a woman being cured of cancer, ensured Mary’s path to Canonisation.

St Mary MacKillop’s impact on Australian education was remarkable.  She was a trailblazer and a leader who passionately advocated for the education of underprivileged children and children in remote areas where others either would or could not go.  For such children and their families, Mary opened a door of hope into the future.

Source: https://www.columban.org.au/media-and-publications/articles/features/2019/saint-mary-mackillop-feast-day

Prayer

Ever generous God,
You inspired Saint Mary MacKillop
to live her life faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ
and constant in bringing hope and encouragement
to those who were disheartened, lonely or needy.
With confidence in your generous providence
and through the intercession of Saint Mary MacKillop,
we ask that our faith and hope be fired afresh by the Holy Spirit
so that we too, like Mary MacKillop, may live with courage, trust and openness.
Ever generous God hear our prayer.
We ask this through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Blessed Edmund Rice, pray for us
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever

Joe Zavone
Principal
Christus Lux Mea

“Let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works.” Hebrews 10:24-25

Dear families and friends of St Edmund’s College,

Last weekend saw a celebration of community and spirit here at St Edmund’s.

The Blue and White Ball was a tremendous success last Friday evening at the Hellenic Club. My sincere thanks to the very large number of parents and old boys who attended and supported the Old Boys and Friends Association.  We also had many staff in attendance.  I know from talking to parents on Friday night and throughout Heritage Day on Saturday that they had a wonderful time. It is events like the Blue and White Ball that often act as a barometer for community spirit within a school, and we certainly had an extremely high reading on the barometer. Our guest speaker was old boy Troy Gray (Class of 1990) who delighted everyone with his stories. Music was provided by old boy Keiran Sloan (Class of 1994) and his band Big Boss Groove and the MC was old boy Matt Percy (Class of 1991). It truly was a great night, reflective of the strength of our community spirit.  We also raised a fair amount of money for Karinya House and Home.  Thanks to the committee members who worked hard to get this event up and running after a few covid-related false starts, especially members of staff Mrs Michelle Taylor and Ms Bridget Cusack.  We are extremely fortunate to have Matt De Jongh at the helm of the Old Boys and friends Association.  Matt is a great supporter of the College and works tirelessly to ensure that the sense of community spirit with parents, the old boys and members of the wider community is strong, healthy and active. My great thanks to Matt for his work with the Blue and White Ball and with Heritage Day.

The Heritage Day events on Saturday were also a great success. We commenced with the Old Boys Mass in our Blessed Sacrament Chapel. My thanks to Mrs Margaret Thomas and Ms Caroline Devlin for the beautiful music at the Old Boys Mass in the morning; to Mrs Rebecca Jarman for catering for the old boys’ morning tea, to Mr Fred Zarb for showing the old boys around the College and to our chaplain Fr Chris Eaton for celebrating Mass. We had a good number of old boys at the morning tea, especially the Class of 2002 who had their 10-year reunion that day.  Ms Bridget Cusack prepared a very special display of old photos and memorabilia which was loved by the old boys.

We were blessed with perfect weather and had a wonderful day of rugby, culminating in another victory for our First XV.  My deepest thanks to the large number of parents, old boys and staff who attended.  The student behaviour was great and there was such a strong display of sportsmanship through the day demonstrated by both our boys and the Marist boys. I was so impressed with the sense of healthy and positive rivalry on the day. I have written to Mr Matt Hutchison, Headmaster of Marist College, to thank him for a day of great sport, sportsmanship and friendly rivalry. School spirit was indeed tangible and strong on Saturday.

My thanks to Co-Curricular Manager Mr Lee Boswell for the set up on Saturday, ensuring everything was ready to go early in the morning; to our First VX manager Mr Trent Masters for his organisation and structure of events surrounding the First XV and of course to Mr Neil Roberts, our First XV coach, especially for the  design of the Heritage Jersey, sponsored by Tiffen and Co. The war memorial theme of the Heritage Jersey was a very special touch.  Of course, congratulations to our First XV team for their Heritage Round victory, keeping hold of the Heritage Cup for another year. Photos of the day can be seen on our social media pages and Mrs G Photography Facebook page (thanks so much to Kelly Grainger for her wonderful photography and for the many hours she puts into capturing the spirit of the College so beautifully).

Community spirit and school spirit are developed and built both in and out of the classroom, and we are blessed to have a depth of spirit here at St Edmund’s.  I was quite proud to hear this from our own community and from visitors on both Friday and Saturday, and through the many emails I have received since the weekend.  This was also reflected on Saturday as I walked former principal Br Bob Wallace from the main building to the grandstand; he was quite impressed that every single student who walked past us greeted us verbally – a “very good sign” according to Br Bob!

St Edmund’s College Prayer

Dear Lord,
Grant that we may live each day to the full, inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Let us cast away all worries and concerns into your Divine care.
Christus Lux Mea
Give us strength to confront all challenges that we face with hope and faith.
Let our community seek truth in all that we search for.
Christus Lux Mea
Let us stand for others always giving generously without counting the cost.
Amen

Blessed Edmund Rice, pray for us
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever

Joe Zavone
Principal
Christus Lux Mea

“Let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works.” Hebrews 10:24-25

Dear families and friends of St Edmund’s College,

I am very much looking forward to our Blue and White Ball this coming Friday, followed by our annual Heritage Day this Saturday, 30 July, where all our Rugby matches will be against Marist College here at school.  The last time we had a “normal” Heritage Day was in 2019, with the last two years either being cancelled or heavily modified due to covid restrictions at the time.

Heritage Day kicks off at 10.00 in our Chapel with the Old Boys Mass celebrated by our College chaplain, Fr Chris Eaton. All old boys and their families and friends are invited to this Mass. This is followed by morning tea, tours of the College (depending on demand) and then a series of reunions with old boys catching up with each other, either at school or at another venue.  We then have the main games of the day at around 3.00.  Both the First XV Rugby team and the First XI Football (Soccer) team will be playing on College fields at around the same time.  We had outstanding attendance at our last normal Heritage Day, and I encourage as many members of our community as possible to be there on the day and celebrate a day of old boys’ spirit, community spirit and of sporting talent and sportsmanship.

We will have a special assembly on Friday 29 July to clarify with students the appropriate behaviour and attitude for the Heritage Day games, and especially for the First XV game in the afternoon.  Some of the points covered in the assembly will be as follows:

• Students spectating are to wear full winter uniform (no variations at all).
• All students are to demonstrate positive sportsmanship throughout the whole day, and especially during the First XV Rugby game in the afternoon. Students not demonstrating good sportsmanship and appropriate behaviour will be asked to leave the grounds.
• This demonstration of good sportsmanship is particularly important at times when the opposition scores a try or kicks for goal.
• Students are to be respectful in their dealings with the opposition players and spectators – not using derogatory language or negative physicality before, during and after a game, including not booing during a game.

We would also expect all our old boys attending to behave in a similar manner, supporting the expectations of the College. We are very much looking forward to a great day on Saturday.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Jesse Borghouts (Year 9, Treacy), James Eppelstun (Year 9, Clancy) and Shannan Tardrew (Year 9, Treacy) who were selected to represent the ACT at the U15 School Sport AFL Tournament in Albury, NSW.

Congratulations to Luke Sakamoto (Year 10, Rice) who has been selected in the Under 16 ACT School Boys Team for soccer. The competition will be held for a week in September in Sydney.

Congratulations and many thanks to Ms Caroline Devlin (English and RE teacher) for organising a large collection of books to be sent to Trinity Catholic College in Lismore.  Trinity Catholic College has been devastated as a result of the floods in Lismore, with facilities ruined, resources lost and students attending school at another site.  Ms Devlin delivered the books herself during the last school holidays.

Canberra Avenue

I must express my great thanks to members of our community and the community of St Clare’s College for the wonderful support of the e-petition regarding the safe crossing of Canberra Avenue.  We now have over 500 signatures which means that the issue can be raised and discussed at the Legislative Assembly.  I also thank the Leader of the Opposition, Elizabeth Lee MLA, for sponsoring the e-petition and for her support of the issue. Hopefully we can look forward to a positive outcome, allowing our students to cross Canberra Avenue in safety, whether this be a 40kmh school zone or other options.

Gospel

Last Sunday’s Gospel gives us the origin of the Lord’s Prayer.  It is ironic that the most significant prayer in Christianity has such humble beginnings.  Many of the world’s most famous speeches have a great, inspiring story and background about them, either about how they were written or when and where they were presented. In Luke 11:1-13, the narrative details to the background to the Lord’s Prayer are very sparse. Luke very casually says that when Jesus uttered this model prayer, it happened one day when Jesus was praying in a certain place. The disciples see Jesus in prayer, and one of them asks Jesus to teach them how to pray.  There was something about watching Jesus pray that made the disciples want to learn how to pray as Jesus prayed. There was something special about the prayer life of Jesus, with the way he prayed showing something of his relationship with God the Father.

The prayer that Jesus gave the disciples is what we call the Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father.  It is so rich in its simplicity. We pray for five things in this prayer, (i) the hallowing of God’s Name, (ii) the coming of the kingdom, (iii) daily bread, (iv) to be forgiven on the basis of the fact that we are ourselves engaged in acts of forgiveness all the time, and (v) that we are not led into temptation.

In Matthew’s version of Jesus teaching the prayer to the disciples (Matthew 6:7-9a), we learn that Jesus also says to the disciples, “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him”.  I have taught in Catholic schools now for about 37 years now, and most times that I have heard people pray the Lord’s Prayer (either staff or students), it has always seemed so rushed and tokenistic that it means virtually nothing.  Jesus has given us a very simple but powerful prayer – let us immerse ourselves in its simplicity and power and take our time in praying this prayer, pausing after each phrase and reflecting on exactly what we are praying for, and not be like the “babbling pagans” who just pray for the sake of praying.

Prayer

Our Father,
who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen

Blessed Edmund Rice, pray for us
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever

Joe Zavone
Principal
Christus Lux Mea