Issue 10 SJC News 2020

Celebrating Refugee Week at St Joseph’s College

Next week we will be celebrating Refugee Week at St Joseph’s College. Di Makings our Refugee Coordinator and the Identity Team have planned a week of events to celebrate the theme, ‘The Year of Welcome 2020’. The 2020 theme is celebrating 'The Year of Welcome'. It promotes harmony and togetherness. The theme unites individuals, communities and organisations from many different backgrounds behind a common cause. The common theme is a reminder that, regardless of our differences, we are called to be welcoming as we all share a common humanity. We wish to promote the need for our community to provide a safe and welcoming environment for refugees and asylum seekers especially during this time of COVID 19 isolation. This year, an advocacy action we are taking is to support a petition in our RE classes for Sathees, an asylum seeker from Sri Lanka who came to Australia in 2014 by boat. Sathees was 14 years old when he took that trip alone to Australia. Upon arrival in Australia Sathees didn't know any English. Seven years on Sathees has worked extremely hard to learn English, pass Year 12, complete his Diploma of Community Services and always front of mind for him has been to give back to a country who has provided a safe place for him to live for the past seven years.

Faith News

Being prayerful, mindful and expressing gratitude are all-important ways to support our wellbeing along with connecting to our faith communities. Many of our Parishes have continued to live stream and provide a recording of the Sunday Mass via their webpage or Facebook page. Many families have found comfort in this new way to gather and share a moment of faith together. Some Parishes have also begun to book in up to 20 Parishioners to celebrate Mass together following COVID guidelines. Look up your local Catholic Church for details.

In his encyclical, "Ecclesia de Eucharistia" ("A Eucharistic Church"), St. John Paul II encouraged the practice of spiritual communion, “which has been a wonderful part of Catholic life for centuries and recommended by saints who were masters of the spiritual life.” In the original document sent out by the Archdiocese of Melbourne in March it stated ... all Catholics are dispensed from their Sunday obligation until further notice (canon 1248). So we are encouraged towards active participation in the life of the Church through activities such as time in personal and family prayer, reflecting on the Scriptures, making a spiritual communion with Christ, and participating in a Mass online.

We congratulate Bishop Mark Edwards who had been a strong supporter of our St Joseph’s College Community on his new appointment as the Bishop of the Diocese of Wagga Wagga. We also send our best wishes to Fr Matthew Thomas (SJOC 1993) who has presided over many of our Graduation Masses. He enjoyed catching up with his family in Geelong during these visits. He has moved from his Swan Hill parish in the Ballarat Diocese to join the Sacred Heart Parish in sunny Mildura. We pray for them as they begin a new pastoral and spiritual journey with their Parish communities.

Mary Malone - Acting Director of Identity