What is cultural clothes day? Cultural clothes day is a significant day in all our lives where the students wear traditional clothing which express a sense of belonging to their culture and a desire to preserve it. Participating in cultural clothes day, is an opportunity to celebrate the diverse cultures that weave together to make up the fabric of St Edmund’s College. The money raised goes towards Caritas to support and make the lives of people better today and into the future.
Why is it important to St Edmunds? Cultural events at St Edmunds promote acceptance and appreciation for various cultures. Celebrating our diversity as well as our shared interests brings us closer together and educates us. It has an impact on how we see the world, our society, and how we communicate with one another. Being a part of a culture at St Edmunds has an impact on how we learn, remember, communicate, and act.
St Edmund’s has its annual Cultural clothes day on Thursday the 7th of April, where we raise valuable funds for ‘Project Compassion’ (Caritas). The students will learn about individual stories from around the world that are facing hardship and how the money raised will support these families and communities. It is this joy and sense of purpose that frames the Project Compassion fundraiser. Student leaders will promote/ take orders for our Caritas fundraiser this term. On this day students are encouraged to celebrate belonging to their culture as well as raising valuable funds for Caritas.
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12
 Third Week of Lent We are now in the third week of Lent with the Project Compassion story of Janice, a Wagilak woman and traditional dancer who tells her family’s stories through movements handed down over generations. Like many remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, Janice’s faces a range of challenges – low employment and education, financial hardship, poorer health and lower life expectancy. With your help, Caritas Australia supports Djilpin Arts Aboriginal Corporation, which operates a centre for traditional and contemporary Aboriginal arts and culture, providing employment and generating income for local communities. Janice believes that Djilpin Arts’ work is essential to create opportunities for young people to stay on-country, to share intergenerational knowledge between elders and the younger generation – to promote healing, and to keep culture alive. Watch a short film about Janice’s story here. Please support Project Compassion: lent.caritas.org.au | 
Photo: Richard Wainwright/Caritas Australia |
Prayer
Loving God, We thank you for the gift of our lives and for the life of every person, both near to us and far away. We thank you for the wonder of all your creation. Through fasting, almsgiving and prayer may this Lent draw us deeper into the warmth and light of God’s love. May we see the world more clearly, especially those who are often overlooked. May we come closer to your heart, which you showed through the cross of Jesus. May we be full of hope for all future generations.
We ask this in Jesus’ name.
men.
Liam Guthrie
Mulrooney House Captain