Religious Education Coordinator – Ian Anderson
Over the past few weeks we have experienced in the Mass, the Feasts of the Ascension of the Lord and Pentecost. Pentecost is the birthday of the Church and should call us to remember our call to, “proclaim the Gospel to all nations” (Mark 16:15). This commissioning is not just for the wise and learned but for all Christians. We can do this through our words, or we can do it through action. As a Mercy family, we live our faith; word, thought and deed matter to us. For the past few weeks, the College has continued on its mission to form your daughters in their Catholic identity.
MAG
MAG (Mercy Action Group) has begun again at recess on Tuesdays and involves students from a variety of year groups joining each other to work together and grow in faith. The girls primarily have sought out to knit garments with the overall goal to donate them as part of the College’s Winter Appeal. While many senior students are now attending, we are asking for students from Years 7-9 to also participate. This is a friendly, welcoming community of Mercy girls who seek to bring the joy of the gospel to people through their charitable actions. If your daughter would like to participate or has questions, Mr Anderson or any of the senior students would be more than happy to assist her in finding her place in our community.
ALPHA Programme
The Alpha programme is a faith formation programme developed about ten years ago by a group of Ecumenical Christians who wanted to help form faith in an ever changing world. ALPHA sets to ask students the big questions of faith in a safe and supportive environment without the stresses of assessment and formality. It speaks to the child of today in an authentic way, calling on participants to deepen their relationship with God. The ALPHA programme is held every Wednesday at recess this term. While we have students from Years 10, 11 and 12 attending, all students are welcome to join. The programme is aimed at students from Year 7 onwards.
Catechist Programme
This year, the College has added a new initiative to the Spirituality Calendar. We have a collection of 24 Year 10 students who, on Tuesday afternoons, minister by teaching the Catholic Faith at Burraneer Bay Public School. These students have been doing this since the beginning of Term 1 and have been doing a wonderful job bringing the Gospel to students, who without them, may never receive it. Our students remain behind school on these days, taking time out of their own busy schedules to teach, with lessons finishing at 3:10pm. I wanted to commend the Catechist team who continue to do so much good in their local community.
AMSSA
On 27 May, All Mercy schools in Australasia gathered together via Microsoft Teams for a virtual Conference. We had a collection of Year 8 students who represented the College at this Conference, listening to the stories of students from across the region, engaging with the Keynote speaker, a Mercy girl who now works as a lawyer fighting injustice with the United Nations, and sharing their own experiences of Mercy here in our local region. The girls were kind, engaged and were exposed to how large our Mercy family is beyond Burraneer Bay.
One Meal
On 5 May, five students, with Mr Anderson and their parents, attended One Meal to feed members of the local community, who lack resources. Many of these families suffer financial difficulties, whilst others are seeking community as they are lonely. It is our One Meal team that reaches out to offer these families a hand up of support so they feel less alone. At One Meal, we serve food, we bring in dessert for them and clean up at the end of the night. This is truly one of our College’s most valuable ministries.
Upcoming Events
On 3 June, eight of our Year 9 students have been invited into the city to participate in the Sistine Chapel Immersion at St Mary’s Cathedral. This digital light exhibition allows viewers to experience the artworks of the Sistine Chapel in an engaging and immersive way.
These students will be accompanying and supporting members of the St Aloysius Parish who are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this year. The day will include Mass, a guided tour of the St Mary’s Cathedral Crypts, the Immersion experience, and a concluding session in which our students will assist the Confirmation candidates in learning about their chosen Confirmation Saint.
For those families interested in experiencing the Sistine Chapel Immersion, this is part of Sydney’s Vivid Festival. Attached here is a link.
Ian Anderson, Religious Education Coordinator