Religious Education Coordinator

Mr Colm McCaughan

Religious Education is a unique subject in that it is both academic and spiritual. As a Faculty we are always challenged to see a deeper meaning behind the content that we are teaching and to allow for boys to have opportunities to experience God at both a Sacramental and prayer encounter level.

However, Term 3 can often be overwhelmingly academic, with the two juggernaut exam blocks of the Trial HSC and the Year 11 Preliminaries dominating the scene and often swamping the team with essays! Our boys performed admirably and we are praying for some outstanding results in the HSC proper next Term!

That being said, we had some wonderful moments of evangelisation this Term. September 6, we celebrated the Rite of Welcome for seven of our students who will be either received into the Catholic Church via Baptism or fully initiated into it through the Sacrament of Confirmation. Parents, Godparents and friends were invited to witness this first step on these boys’ spiritual journeys and it was very moving to see the level of support they felt from the entire community. They will officially receive their Sacraments on 27 October at St Kevin’s parish.

We hosted two Reflection Days this Term. Year 9 in Week 3 hosted by David Kobler from ‘Your Choicez’, who specialises in teaching teenagers about respectful relationships and what true masculinity in the sight of God looks like. The students engaged wonderfully in this topic and entered into some thought provoking discussion.

Year 12 Reflection Day’s theme was ‘A Future Full of Hope.’ These young men were asked to reminisce about their time at the College and how far they have come. They were encouraged to always turn to their faith and recognise it as a source of hope that they can use to be true Marist Men (Good Christians and Good Citizens) in the community. This was an excellent preparation for their Graduation Mass and Ceremony on 24 September, where they were sent out into the world, armed with the outstanding education they have received here, but also with a quiet, determined faith that will always bring hope to them and others.

It has been another exhausting Term, but when one is working for the Kingdom of God, one doesn’t work a day in their life!