2023 | ISSUE 11 | SJC Newsletter

Identity News

Celebrating World Youth Day Lisbon

Charlie Purdy, St Joseph’s Religious Education Coordinator along with other pilgrims on the Melbourne World Youth Day Leaders Program have met with Pope Francis in a special private audience and Q&A arranged by Archbishop Peter Comensoli. Charlie described it as a surreal experience where joyful reflections and listening took place. Charlie also met with the Australian ambassador to the Holy See, Chiara Porro, and discussed the knowledge and wisdom of Aunty Miriam Rose and dadirri. Our other pilgrims Natasha Scanlan, George Cotter, Ethan Withers and Rafael Gaio have arrived to beautiful sunshine in Tomar, in preparation for the Youth Day pilgrimage events across 14 days. This included a candle lit procession in Fatima before travelling to Lisbon to participate in the major events of World Youth day including the Papal welcome, catechesis, and youth festivals, as well as the final pilgrim walk and vigil with Pope Francis with young Catholics from around the world.

#wyd #melbwyd

Some early reflections of World Youth Day 2023 from our St Joseph’s pilgrims:

My favourite part about WYD so far, is definitely meeting and interacting with people from all the different cultures. Spiritually, WYD has helped me to recognise the importance of faith and has helped me connect with fellow Catholics from across the world.

George Cotter – Year 12 Brophy

My favourite part of this World Youth Day experience so far has got to be exploring all the places that Portugal has to offer and all the cultures I’ve encountered, and the people I’ve met. Spiritually, while on WYD, I have been able to strengthen my connection to my faith and have been able to share connections of my group’s faith and their life experiences.

Ethan Withers – Year 12 Foley

We pray that this WYD will enliven our Church anew, as Pope Francis shared when launching the World Youth Day theme ‘Mary arose with hast’, Luke 1:37.

Dear young people, it is my dream that at World Youth Day you will be able to experience anew the joy of encountering God and our brothers and sisters. After a long period of social distancing and isolation, we will all rediscover in Lisbon – with God’s help – the joy of a fraternal embrace between peoples and generations, an embrace of reconciliation and peace, an embrace of new missionary fraternity! May the Holy Spirit kindle in your hearts a desire to “arise” and the joy of journeying together, in synodal fashion, leaving behind all false frontiers. Now is the time to arise! Like Mary, let us “arise and go in haste”. Let us carry Jesus within our hearts, and bring him to all those whom we meet! In this beautiful season of your lives, press ahead and do not postpone all the good that the Holy Spirit can accomplish in you! With affection, I bless your dreams and every step of your journey. Pope Francis, Rome 15-8-22

We keep in our prayers Parish Priest Emeritus Fr Des Panton, who passed away last Wednesday. Fr Des was Parish Priest at St Thomas Parish, Drysdale from 1980 to 2012. May Fr Des Rest In Peace.

Daly River Immersion Reflection Part 1

The Daly River Immersion team have returned from Darwin this week with many new cultural insights and understandings and memories they will cherish forever. They bonded together through the team work required to engage in the carefully planned itinerary of immersive experiences across the week.

Some highlights include:

Spending a day with community elder, artist and educator, Miriam Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann AM

NAIDOC activities in Nauiyu community: Rock painting and handprints

Sharing bush tucker on the Daly River with the local community – cooking up damper, kangaroo tail and freshly caught bream.

Time with the students and staff from St Francis Xavier, Nauiyu.

Exploring Litchfield National Park Cathedral termite mounds.

Dinner with Tejinder, his family and friends from the Sikh Family Food Van in Darwin.

Izaak Gleeson sharing his barber skills with the community.

The Principal and staff of St Francis Xavier school ensured that they created opportunities for our students to engage with their students such as contributing to the school library relocation, meeting with elders to experience life by the river with a wonderful cook-up. The photos captured during these times reflect the generous, positive nature of our students and their willingness to participate and learn from the staff and students at the school.

The most enjoyable aspect of the Daly River immersion for me was meeting Miriam Rose. She is such an inspiration to all people in Australia and it was a real privilege to spend the day with her. Miriam’s wisdom and humour created a great vibe during our time in Nauiyu, she showed us the importance of family and education. Just wanted to say thank you again for allowing me on this amazing trip. I had a fantastic time and am really glad I asked about going. Thank you to the staff, Ms Zanos, Ms Adams, Mr Smith, Ms Malone and Bernie Carthew for all your hard work in making it happen.

Blake McMahon - 2023 Jordan House Captain

Three words I would use to describe this immersion to family and friends are insightful, capturing and fun. I learnt that the best way to enjoy an experience is to take it in first hand and appreciate it instead of taking photos the whole time. The most enjoyable aspect of the immersion for me was not only developing a connection with the community of Nauiyu, but getting to know everyone on the trip a little better. My initial assumptions of Nauiyu being on red dirt and a little run down community were completely blown out of the water when I saw that it had a nice school with good facilities, houses with air conditioning, a general store and asphalt roads.  This Immersion was an experience I will remember for the rest of my life and I highly recommend it to anyone who gets the opportunity.

Henry Stephens - Year 11

We look forward to sharing some more reflections in our next newsletter after the team have had time to debrief and reflect further on their immersion experience.

Mary Malone
Director of Identity