Issue 13 SJC News 2020

Season of Creation

In our last newsletter, Touchstone leaders Lachlan Kelly, Thomas Romaniuk, William Baum and Patrick Fitzgerald, launched our Edmund Rice Advocacy for Change, ‘Speak up for Climate Campaign: 28 Days For Climate'. During each week the students are sharing facts on our Student Messages and school social media sites focusing on Water, Energy, Waste and Emissions. During the final week of term, they will conclude the campaign by sharing a video message created by all EREA Colleges Nationally, a quiz and the sharing of the ways our students and families have acted on the fun facts to enact change for our climate.

Every year, Christians of all denominations join in prayer and action for our common home and celebrate the Season of Creation starting on 1 September, the Day of Prayer for Creation and ending on 4 October, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. This year, amid crises that have shaken our world, we’re awakened to the urgent need to heal our relationships with creation and each other. During this year’s Season of Creation, we enter a time of restoration and hope, a jubilee for our Earth, where we hold tight to God’s intention to see the flourishing of the whole of creation. ‘Young people demand change. They wonder how anyone can claim to be building a better future without thinking of the environmental crisis and the sufferings of the excluded.’ Pope Francis Laudato Si’ #13

To Live Life to the Full

The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the mental health of many members of our schools, parishes and communities. In fact, most of us will experience a mental health problem at some point over the course of our lives. Understanding mental health will help us to be aware of those who need our support. Our education facilities, parishes, organisations and communities can be places of acceptance care and healing, not places of rejection, judgment or stigma. People living with mental health issues are part of the Body of Christ – ‘us’ and not ‘them’ – and share equally in Jesus’ promise of the fullness of life (Jn 10:10).

Social Justice Sunday took place last Sunday 30 August via our online Mass celebrations. This year, the Australian Bishops’ Social Justice Statement is titled: To Live Life to the Full: Mental health in Australia today. The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the mental health of many members of our schools, parishes and communities. Understanding mental health will help us to be aware of those who need our support. The Bishops invite us all to reject stigmatisation, to work for the transformation of social determinants of mental ill-health, and to call for policies and service provision that meets the needs of people in need of support.

Having been a carer for my mother as she lived with mental illness, I found this quite a powerful statement calling for a compassionate response for caring for those in our care with dignity and the normalisation of seeking assistance and improving policies to support people to their right to live life to the full. You can access the Social Justice Statement 2020-2021 here: http://bit.ly/SocialJustice_2020

Blessings to all of the Dad’s, Grandads and caregivers in our community for Father’s Day! Please support the upcoming Barwon Health ‘Shaka Up Initiative’ being launched by our VCAL students, all the funds stay in Geelong to support men’s mental health programs. We are blessed at St Joseph’s to have such a compassionate, supportive community where we truly look out for one another at every level with the professional supports of our Wellbeing Team, College Clinicians, Heads of Campus, Coordinators, House Leaders, Homeroom teachers, Teachers, Education Support Staff, our many essential non-teaching staff, all led by our good shepherd, principal Tony Paatsch. Bless him and all of us in this year of 2020.

Jesus, you invite us all into the fullness of life.

You invite us to share in your ministry of love and true compassion.

May we be empowered by your Spirit to reach out to all people in need.

May we build communities of welcome and inclusion. Amen.