Do you remember when the last Pope died?
I can vaguely remember the reporting on the conclave that then elected Pope Francis however I don’t feel like I personally or the world more broadly had the same reaction as what we have witnessed over this past fortnight since Easter Sunday and the passing of Pope Francis on Easter Monday.
The shock, grief, sadness and yet celebration of the life and influence of Pope Francis reflects the prophetic voice he had in the world. This was witnessed through his authenticity, connection to all people, commitment to justice especially those on the margins, care of the earth and his reclaiming of the joy of the gospel message. Much of his papacy and teaching is reflected in the Kildare Ministries transformative vision for ‘a community where all people are valued, where creation is recognised as sacred and where hope, justice and courage are our hallmarks.’ He was courageous in his desire to animate the life giving opportunities of Vatican II though his commitment to forming a synodal Church where all voices are invited as the place where the Holy Spirit can be heard and God revealed.
We pray for the Cardinals about to enter the conclave that they too hear the stirrings of the Holy Spirit and elect a Pope who can continue the legacy of Pope Francis in renewing our Church for these times.
It’s been a wonderful start to the term with whole school rituals to mark the Easter season, ANZAC Day and then our annual Mother’s Day celebration this morning. See the Mother’s Day Breakfast 2025 article in this newsletter. These events are part of our strategic commitment for ‘intentional connection’. A new addition to our Mother’s Day breakfast was the inclusion of a presentation about the Kildare Ministries Community Work Saltbush which we are supporting this year. Thanks to the generosity of our community, we raised $1800 towards our target of $10,000 to facilitate the ongoing work of Saltbush. Next week Maree, who is the Manager at Saltbush will be working with our Year 7 students to help build their understanding of how Saltbush brings the Living Justice Living Peace Charter to life through their work.
We have a busy term ahead with lots of activities and programs that will continue to support our goal for ‘intentional connection’ with Year 12 students on retreat next week, then Year 9 and 10 students engaging in different offsite camps and activities. Today our Year 8 students were enjoying a big day out in Torquay – what a perfect day to be by the beach.
In each of these experiences we are ensuring that we build in opportunities for connection with creation and the natural world. This is being led by our RE Team and our Identity and Mission Team. Yesterday Sr Adele Howard RSM worked with our RE teachers to explore the challenges and invitations of Laudato Si. She spoke about this new aspect of mission for the Church and Catholic education through our understanding of integral ecology and ecological conversion. I was reminded of the notion that it is harder to damage something you love and that we have a responsibility to help our young people fall in love with the natural world. It could be so easy in a world where our screens can become our focus point to miss the sunset, miss the smell of the lemon scented gum, miss the blooming of a flower, hear the sounds of the ocean waves or notice a ladybug passing by. We know too of the power of nature as being restorative and healing, a balm for our wellbeing. Sr Adele reminded us to look with our eyes up and see what incredible beauty we have around us where we live here in Geelong and our surrounding regions. Perhaps this weekend in the late Autumn sunshine you might take a moment to reflect on the message of Pope Franics and his call for us to care for our common home.
Shades of Gold
So many shades of gold
Autumn
Another miracle we take for granted
Another expression of the artist’s vision
The blending of the autumn hues
with the setting sun
Warm
Comforting
Perfect
Thank you for autumn, Lord.
– Author Unknown
Blessings
Luci
