From the Principal
Dear St John the Apostle Community,
Last night many of our Year 6 students celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation in our Parish with Archbishop Christopher Prowse. It was a beautiful celebration. Everyone present entered into the moment with the greatest respect and openness.
In our Catholic tradition, sacraments are an important part of the life of faith. They have been described to me as specific moments in ones life where we and God are fully present to each other; where we are 'touched' by the divine, awakening in us the understanding that we have been made in the image and likeness of God. As such, they are transformative moments, empowering moments, nourishing moments, moments of grace and blessing that cannot be undone but rather lead us to be more fully who we are and thereby spread God's love more in our our world.
Archbishop Christopher spoke of three of the seven sacraments we identify in our Catholic Tradition. These three are the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation. Archbishop Christopher spoke of them as 'belong', 'believe' and 'become'. There is great beauty in these simple phrases. I will be reflecting on these more in the days to come.
I would like to thank the Parish team of Frs Gerard and Kimi, Marian England and Sharon Greaves who helped prepare families through the journey and organised last night's celebration. Thank you also to our staff members Beth Fear, Jack Gibson and Stephanie Stewart who all played a role in supporting students and who ensured that the classroom program involved and included all students.
I was touched most deeply last night by the attendance of quite a few students from different faith backgrounds who wanted to support their friends. What a kind and loving gesture.
Elections
I heard yesterday that 1 in 4 Canberra residents have already voted in this weekend's federal election and that, while they have legitimate reasons, this is likely because they are simply 'over it'.
In our house, elections are very important. My wife has usually looked up information about every local candidate and determined all of the numberings she will complete on each ballot paper to ensure her one vote has the greatest possible impact. I truly admire the way she takes her one vote very seriously and does not waste it. My older children are now becoming part of the conversation.
One issue you may not yet have considered in your own voting deliberations is the intentions of each political party in shaping the future of your child's education. At a federal government level, this is usually acted on through the mechanism of funding but even this is usually very philosophically driven.
The National Catholic Education Commission has prepared some information for those who would like to understand more about the impact of funding on Catholic Schools, including St John the Apostle. If you would like to ensure that your one vote can have its greatest impact then I would encourage you to read this information as part of your own considerations before voting tomorrow.
Enjoy your lovely weekend.
Matthew Garton (Principal)