Dear families and friends of St Edmund’s College,
As we approach this Christmas season of joy and hope, I want to take a moment to extend my warmest wishes to you all. Christmas is a time of reflection, gratitude, and togetherness – a moment where we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and the boundless love He brings into our lives.
At this special time of the year, we remember that St Edmund’s College thrives on the support, dedication, and involvement of each parent and carer. Your continuous encouragement and partnership in nurturing our students academically, spiritually, and emotionally are invaluable.
We have journeyed through a year with moments that tested our resolve and celebrated our triumphs. Such ebbs and flows are inherent in the tapestry of any community or family. What distinguishes a resilient community is how we navigate these highs and lows together. Our community’s resilience lies in our ability to come together at these times, extending unwavering support to each other, whether consciously or unconsciously. This support manifests in various forms for different individuals, yet it is the unifying thread that binds us. I have witnessed this collective strength within our community time and again.
Even as recently as this Monday I was deeply moved by an incredible display of generosity and support as we presented our hampers to the Narrabundah chapter of St. Vincent de Paul. This year, we contributed the largest number of hamper donations to Vinnies, despite the challenging cost of living that affects most of our own families. I extend my sincere thanks to all our students and their families for transforming this year into an exceptionally meaningful one for the numerous families supported by our local Vinnies.
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our students, our dedicated staff members, and our broader community, whose collective efforts have fostered an environment of positivity and growth.
As we embark upon 2024, buoyed by increased enrolments and waiting lists in certain year groups, we do so with a renewed sense of purpose and a clear vision. Collaborating closely with our parent community, we strive to nurture young men of strong character and vibrant spirit. Our commitment to forging tailored learning opportunities, hand in hand with our passionate teachers, remains unwavering. Additionally, our engagement with the broader College community through our diverse co-curricular program remains a priority.
The anticipation of commemorating our upcoming anniversary – a remarkable milestone of 70 years as Canberra’s oldest continuing Catholic school – fills us with excitement and pride.
Instead of concluding with a prayer, which is customary in Vortex, I would like to share an excerpt from the writings of Joan Chittister, a revered American Benedictine nun known for her prolific contributions as an author and speaker. I have many of Joan’s works and they hold a special place in my bookcase, serving as a perennial source of inspiration whenever I seek rejuvenation. The passage I am sharing with you is from her book, “Aspects of the Heart: The Many Paths to a Good Life” (Garratt Publishing, 2012).
A Wise Heart.
In the Book of Provers, we are instructed to “get wisdom.” Wisdom, in other words, is not a free gift. We are told to develop it. We are, then, required to seek meaning in life, to understand that life is not a series of events. Life is a series of learnings. Wisdom is what we are meant to cull from every event in life.
Wisdom is the depth of soul that enables us to understand what must remain in our lives when everything else – the job, the health, the security, the excitement – goes, as all those things someday, inevitably will. Lin Tang says, ‘The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of the nonessentials.’
It is through what we believe spiritually that carries us through life. It is the well of wisdom from which we are meant to draw. We must be careful as we seek wisdom not to confuse the spiritual with the religious. Religious rigidity and self-righteousness have destroyed a great deal in life. Only that which nurtures the truly spiritual in us, the search for the presence of God in every small dimension of life, is a real wisdom.
If, by the time we die, beauty has moved the silent centre of us, love has wracked our hearts, and the word of God has seeped into our heart, we will be as wise as any human being can ever hope to be.”
May this Christmas season fill your hearts with peace, love, and happiness. Let us cherish the precious moments spent with loved ones, spreading kindness, and embracing the spirit of giving. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, may His blessings guide us through the coming year, filling our lives with purpose and grace.
Wishing you and your families a Merry Christmas filled with great blessings and a New Year brimming with love and happiness.
Joe Zavone
Principal
Christus Lux Mea