Faith and Mission News – 2 June 2022

Masses at the Cathedral

On Tuesday 31 May, students attended Mass at the Cathedral for the first time in quite a while. Each campus held a separate Mass at which both the Feast of the Visitation of Mary and Reconciliation Week were acknowledged. The students are to be commended for their reverence and participation in the Mass and huge thanks to our students who had roles as readers, leading processions or assisting in any way.

The Feast of Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth, continues the ‘yes’ of Mary from the moment she agreed to be the mother of Jesus then to undertake a journey to her older cousin who was pregnant with John the Baptist, inspires us to also say ‘yes!’ The visit is one of intimacy between the two women, both filled with the Holy Spirit and having a deep bond with one another. Mary brings Christ to her cousin Elizabeth whose exclamation of faith is repeated each time we recite the Hail Mary: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”

Father Brian Boyle and Father DJ were our presiders at both Masses and we thank them for their ongoing support of our College. Our wonderful choir and musicians accompanied the Mass under the direction of Ms Ross. Dr Paul Taylor, Diocesan Musical Director, added to the grandeur of the occasion by playing both the entrance and recessional processions on the magnificent Cathedral pipe organ.

Reconciliation Week

Each day this week, our daily prayer focussed on our need and our desire as a community for continuing the work of reconciliation with our First Nations peoples. It is five years since the Uluru Statement from the Heart where First Nations peoples from across the country gathered at Uluru to put their signatures to the statement inviting the nation to create a better future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

FIRE Carriers Commissioning

To mark the beginning of Reconciliation Week, we held the commissioning ceremony of our new CMC student and staff FIRE Carriers. This was held at the Coolock Campus, with some St Mary’s students travelling across for the ceremony, conducted in front of the assembled Years 7 to 9 students.

The commissioning was performed by Troy Firebrace, Aboriginal Education Officer at Catholic Education Sandhurst Ltd. It started with a spiritually enriching didgeridoo performance by Jaeyln Ilsley (Year 10) and continued with impactful readings from our St Mary’s and Coolock FIRE Carriers.

The ceremony marks the official beginning of our FIRE (Friends Igniting Reconciliation through Education) Carrier Project which promotes respect, fairness and inclusion for Aboriginal people.

Our new CMC FIRE Carriers have a very important leadership role in the school community and will now begin working on actions that promote reconciliation in our College and local community.

Congratulations to all the 2022 FIRE Carriers.

Ms Mallory Thompson, reGEN Learning Leader & Ms Josie Garner, Koori Education Worker