Beaconsfield Campus – 1 November 2018

Elizabeth Hunt Scholarship

The Elizabeth Hunt Scholarship scholarship, awarded annually to two Year 12 students in the Diocese of Sale, is available to support students undertaking a Bachelor of Education or a Bachelor of Teaching at Australian Catholic University. Bursary recipients receive $1,500 per year for the four years of their course. Further details can be obtained on the Catholic Education Office, Diocese of Sale website or by contacting your Head of House.

The Scholarship commemorates the life and work of Miss Elizabeth Hunt, a much loved and respected teacher at St Patrick’s School, Pakenham, from 1905 until 1934. Applications are due by 23 November 2018.

Student Leaders 2019

Congratulations to each of the Year 11 students who have been selected to serve as College leaders in 2019. I would also like to acknowledge those students who nominated for a position of leadership and missed out on the opportunity to serve on this occasion. Whilst it is disappointing to miss out on an opportunity to lead in a formal capacity, I do thank-you for the wonderful contributions you make to the College in numerous ways.

College Captains 2019

House Captains 2019

VCAA Exams

The Year 12 students undertaking VCE studies have been working hard in preparation for this final assessment period, which began yesterday with the English exam. We wish students all the best as they undertake these formal external examinations. ATARs will be released on 14 December and we look forward to celebrating your success.

Religious Education News – Kevin Woodhouse

Year of Youth Gathering

At St Peter’s in Cranbourne, our region is holding a final gathering to celebrate the Year of Youth. Bishop Patrick will be in attendance. The agenda for the event can be found here. Students are encouraged to attend this day.

Plenary 2020

Last night I attended the St Michael’s Plenary session. It was led by Sophie Morley from the CEO. Bishop Patrick O’Regan was present at the meeting and provided insightful feedback to a number of questions asked by parishioners from all through our region.

The listening and dialogue process allows small groups to share their views about the question:

“What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?” The responses are collated and sent to the Plenary Council. All viewpoints will be considered. More information can be found at http://plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au/.

We will hold Plenary meetings here at school from 16 November onwards. Details of parent involvement will be sent to you soon. We are seeking parent volunteers to be part of this important process. The Plenary Council, to be help in 2020, has the ability to make recommendations for the future of the Catholic Church in Australia, and so it is important to give feedback about what each of us considers as important for the future of our church. Staff and students will also be asked to contribute.

REALTALK

This week we have welcomed REALTALK to the Officer and Berwick Campuses. This has been an opportunity for our students to reflect on what makes a positive and life-giving relationship. The leader of REALTALK, Paul Ninnes, has been very positive about the response of our students to the topic.

Virtual Reality Unit

Today in a Religious Education class for Year 10 students, we used VR to view a virtual tour of some of the holy sites in Jerusalem. The site allows students to walk through places like the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, the Holy Sepulchre, and where Jesus died and rose. It brought to life our study of sacred sites and students really enjoyed this opportunity, which will increase when the new classrooms come on line with the support for this type of learning.

All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day

On Thursday and Friday we celebrate All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. While St Mary MacKillop is our first saint in Australia, Mary Glowrey is the second Australian to be considered for official recognition as a saint. She was declared a Servant of God in 2013.

Mary Glowrey’s story is one of courage and commitment to the people of Australia, whom she served as a doctor, and then India, where she left an indelible mark of service and dedication to the poor. The museum at ACU Melbourne is well worth a visit, and her life is well worth knowing about. www.maryglowreymuseum.info/

On All Souls’ Day we pray for those who have passed from this life. Here is the prayer we will share in Care Group on Friday. Perhaps a photo of a loved one in your homes could trigger a prayer to be shared with your family for those whom we love:

On All Souls’ Day, we pray for those who have died – friends, colleagues, relatives; For other leaders whom we have known, worked with, laughed with, wept with, walked with, many of them are not famous. Some of them were part of our community this year. Their statues are not in churches but their pictures are in our homes and their stories alive in our community, and in us. We know of their goodness and their struggles. We now pray for them, and remember them with love, celebrating in faith their journey to God, now within the great communion of saints.

Today we pray:

For all of us, that we may live our lives close to God and meet him in Heaven.

For the deceased, especially those members of our family and parish community, that they may enjoy paradise in Heaven with Jesus.

For those grieving the loss of a family member, that they may feel God’s love and comfort at this difficult time.

For those who care for the dying, especially nurses, doctors, family members, and hospice workers, that God may work through them to touch others.

Lord, we ask you to be with us as we remember all of those who have died, especially those in our own families.

Amen