From the Religious Education Coordinator
In our Church ……
This week the Church celebrates the Feast of St Josephine Bakhita, the Patron Saint of Sudan and of Victims of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking. St Josephine Bakhita, also known as ‘Mother Moretta’ was kidnapped at the age of nine and sold into slavery. Such was the trauma experienced that she forgot her birth name and her kidnappers gave her the name Bakhita meaning ‘fortunate’. Flogging and maltreatment were part of her daily life. She experienced the moral and physical humiliations associated with slavery.
It was only in 1882 that her suffering was alleviated after she was bought for the Italian Consul. This event was to transform her life. In this family and, subsequently in a second Italian home, she received from her masters, kindness, respect, peace and joy. A change in her owner’s circumstances meant that she was entrusted to the Canossian Sisters and her next fifty years were spent witnessing God’s love through cooking, sewing, embroidery and attending to the door. She was a source of encouragement and her constant smile won people’s hearts, as did her humility and simplicity.
As she grew older she experienced long, painful years of sickness, but she continued to persevere in hope, constantly choosing the good. During her last days she relived the painful days of her slavery and more than once begged: ‘Please, loosen the chains… they are heavy!’.Surrounded by the sisters, she died on 8 February 1947. February 8 has been designated as a day of prayer, reflection and action to end the injustice of human trafficking.
In our Community……
On Tuesday we gathered together as a Marist Sisters’ College community to celebrate our Opening Mass as St Mary’s Cathedral. This was a wonderful opportunity to bring parents, staff, students and parishes together to celebrate the Eucharist and to mark the commencement of the 2023 academic year.
Our Year 7 students were blessed and presented with their Marist Sisters’ College badge to welcome them as our newest members of the College and Year 11 students were blessed and presented with their Senior Student badge to acknowledge their transition to the senior school. Candles were also blessed and presented to new staff members welcoming them into our Marist community.
Our Marist Heart, a symbol of the great love of Christ was carried in the entrance procession expressing our Marist tradition. As Marists, we follow Christ by “thinking, judging, feeling and acting” as Mary in all things. Mary’s presence is kept alive by us living her spirit of faithfulness and compassionate service, so that others may feel God’s tender and merciful love. By adopting Mary’s approach, each of us can walk in the shoes of others with “delicacy and sensitivity”, holding them close to our hearts. This is why the symbolism of a heart is a significant symbol for us, as Marists.
The names of every member of the College community, printed on scrolls was enclosed in the Marist Heart within our Marist Heart, a symbolism of the importance of our community who we love and support.
Thank you to Father Alki Langi from Holy Name of Mary Parish Hunters Hill who celebrated the mass and to Father Steve Drum from Ryde-Gladesville Parish and Father Michael McLean from St Mark’s Drummoyne Parish who concelebrated the mass.
Thank you to the College Leaders, Readers, Altar Servers and Ushers who were involved in the Mass. A huge thank you to Mrs Caroline Marsh and the choir for their wonderful and beautiful singing throughout the Opening Mass. Thank you to Dr Anne Ireland, Mrs Melinda Alvarez, the Leadership Team and staff for all their support in the preparations leading up to the mass and on the day.
It was wonderful to see such a strong sense of community through a celebration of our faith and tradition at Marist Sisters’ College Woolwich.
Mrs Caroline Morizzi, Religious Education Coordinator
This article on College life meets The Archbishop’s Charter for Catholic Schools – Charter #1, #2
