“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 a very significant week for community events here at the College.
Last Wednesday evening we had “SEEN 2022” – the annual TAS Exhibition. My thanks to Jason Moore (Head of TAS) and his staff for a truly inspiring exhibition. The talent and skills of our students were outstanding (there was a beautiful metal large sculpture in the shape of a pear that I would have bought in a heartbeat!) and the students’ love of working in the TAS area was very apparent.
On Thursday evening we were privileged to have Mat Rogers at the College. Mat was a professional rugby union and rugby league player at an international level and was at the College to launch his new book, “A Father’s Son: Family, football and forgiveness”. Mat was fascinating, with his very personal story rising above his rugby league and rugby union experiences. Mat interacted beautifully with Andrew McFarlane (2022 College Captain) and Deveraux Tapelu (2023 College Captain) who acted as the “interviewers” for the evening. The chat was thoroughly enjoyed by members of the school community and members of the general public who attended the launch. Thanks to our Community Development Officer Lauren Reid, assisted by Executive Assistant Mikhala Andersen, for the organisation of a very successful book launch.
My thanks to the Heads of House and Monica Day (Assistant Principal Student Wellbeing) for a great House Farewell day last Friday. Each Year 12 student was farewelled by his tutor in front of parents and students in the house. The relational quality that our senior students have with their tutors and Heads of House was very strongly demonstrated, and the day served as a fitting end to our Year 12 students’ school experience.
My thanks also to Brenda Galvin (Defence Transition Mentor) and Michael Monagle (Assistant Principal Mission & Identity) for their organisation for our Remembrance Day ceremony. There is a beauty in the simplicity of this ceremony, with the whole school community coming together at 11.00. We were also joined by Year 12 parents who at the College for the House Farewell morning tea. I had many Year 12 parents remark on the respectful silence of the whole student body during this time. Thanks also to Tristan Borghouts (Year 11) and Henry Page (Year 6) for leading the ceremony.
Of course all of these events have a team behind the scenes who ensure that the events run well – so many thanks to the maintenance team, IT team, canteen team and our administration / support staff for their very hard work and support.
As stated above, Year 12 students have now finished their classes, with only their exams and Graduation events left in the next two weeks. Year 12 students finished well, engaging in the activities of their Farewell Rites of Passage Week. There is still some silly behaviour from a very small number of students who have an outdated and juvenile sense of entitlement around their “right” to engage in “muck up activities”, but I have been so impressed by the vast majority of our Year 12 students who finished their time respectfully, with maturity and dignity, but still with a sense of enjoyment and fun.
This coming Friday (18 November) we have another important community event. The White Ribbon Day Family Walk involves St Edmund’s College students and their families walking in support of White Ribbon Day. Participants are meeting at 5:30pm at the Commonwealth Flags and the will walk ‘Bridge to Bridge’, followed by a picnic barbeque at 7pm at our grandstand. Please see this link for further details.
Unfortunately I will not be able to attend the Walk as I will be representing the College at the 150th Anniversary Gala Dinner of the Sts Peter and Paul’s Old Cathedral in Goulburn. Sts Peter and Paul’s Old Cathedral in Goulburn served as the mother church for the Diocese of Goulburn until 1973. The Cathedral was officially opened by Archbishop Polding in 1872, and with the completion of its restoration, will be officially blessed and re-opened to the public on 30th November 2022.
World Day of the Poor
Last Sunday (13 November) the Catholic Church acknowledged its annual World Day of the Poor. I would like to share with you a little of Pope Francis’ message on this day. As usual the Pope’s words are profound and meaningful. The whole text can be found at this link. This is very much within the context of our 2023 scriptural theme which you find at the top of my Vortex articles each and every week, “Let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24-25).
Pope Francis states, “Where the poor are concerned, it is not talk that matters; what matters is rolling up our sleeves and putting our faith into practice through a direct involvement, one that cannot be delegated. At times, however, a kind of laxity can creep in and lead to inconsistent behaviour, including indifference about the poor. It also happens that some Christians, out of excessive attachment to money, remain mired in a poor use of their goods and wealth. These situations reveal a weak faith and feeble, myopic hope.
We know that the issue is not money itself, for money is part of our daily life as individuals and our relationships in society. Rather, what we need to consider is the value that we put on money: it cannot become our absolute and chief purpose in life. Attachment to money prevents us from seeing everyday life with realism; it clouds our gaze and blinds us to the needs of others. Nothing worse could happen to a Christian and to a community than to be dazzled by the idol of wealth, which ends up chaining us to an ephemeral and bankrupt vision of life.
It is not a question, then, of approaching the poor with a “welfare mentality”, as often happens, but of ensuring that no one lacks what is necessary. It is not activism that saves, but sincere and generous concern that makes us approach a poor person as a brother or sister who lends a hand to help me shake off the lethargy into which I have fallen. Consequently, “no one must say that they cannot be close to the poor because their own lifestyle demands more attention to other areas. This is an excuse commonly heard in academic, business or professional, and even ecclesial circles… None of us can think we are exempt from concern for the poor and for social justice” (Evangelii Gaudium, 201). There is an urgent need to find new solutions that can go beyond the approach of those social policies conceived as “a policy for the poor, but never with the poor and never of the poor, much less part of a project that brings people together” (Fratelli Tutti, 169). We need instead to imitate the attitude of the Apostle, who could write to the Corinthians: “I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance” (2 Cor 8:13).”
A reminder of important dates for the rest of the year
- Friday 18 November: last day for Year 11 students
- Tuesday 22 November: 2023 Student Leaders Formation Day & Dinner
- Tuesday 22 & Wednesday 23 November: examinations for Year 10 students
- Friday 25 November: last day for Year 10 students
- Friday 25 November: Year 12 Graduation Mass, Assembly and Dinner
- Monday 5 December: Junior School Activity Day
- Tuesday 6 December: Junior School Presentation Ceremony (9.15); Years 7 – 11 Presentation Ceremony (11.00)
- Tuesday 6 December: last day for Year 4 – 9 students
Prayer for World Day of the Poor
God of Justice,
open our ears to hear the cry of the poor
and to seek them where they are.
Let their cries for healing and wholeness move us to real action.
Open our hearts to deepened relationship with those in need
that we may draw near in love and our shared identity as your children.
Open our mouths to advocate for love and care as a human right,
not a privilege of the economically secure.
Let us hear in the cry of the poor the hope of future liberation,
grounded in the love of a good God.
Remind us that what we do to the least ones, we do to you.
Amen
Blessed Edmund Rice, pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever.
Joe Zavone
Principal
Christus Lux Mea