Recently I celebrated my first Mother’s Day with my baby daughter. It was a day filled with great joy of the special gift I was given by her - motherhood. My journey of motherhood has heightened my admiration for other mums around the world. It is a hard yet rewarding vocation. Your time is no longer your own, your worries before seemingly meaningless as you now focus on the care and wellbeing of your little one. Your days can be challenging with little thanks or gratitude at the end. You may question your decisions, you may feel inadequate. However, at the end of the day, there is a love and bond with your child that nothing in this world can replace.
For me, my faith is the factor that keeps me going. In Mary mother of God, we are given a perfect example of motherhood. A young woman not ready for the blessing bestowed upon her did not waiver in her faith, she showed great courage and fortitude. She is our example of love. A faithful disciple, an advocate for her Son. With him until the end. This May, the Catholic Church pays special devotion to Mary. I invite you as a member our community to take time this May to pause and reflect on the example we are given in Mary. How can her courage, her faithful inspire you in your life?
Mothers come in all shapes and sizes. Aunties, grandparents, friends and neighbours. This May, we give thanks for all mothers who guide us in our lives. May we take the time to appreciate the love they share with us. With this in mind, we pray:
Mary, you are the ideal example of Motherhood. Help all mothers to imitate your faith, modesty, humility, courage and obedience to God’s will. You are our eternal Mother. You care about all mothers and their children. Help these mothers and their children to be a living example of God’s graces and love. Amen.
Each year, our Year 10 students are given the opportunity to attend the annual AJASS Pilgrimage. Students from other Josephite Affiliated Secondary Schools in Victoria join together to journey to significant places in the Josephite story. This year, the students ventured to Penola in SA where St Mary MacKillop and Julian Tenison Woods established their unique religious order. Here are some student reflections of their experience:
The Pilgrimage was such a great trip full of sights, relics and important parts of the Mary MacKillop and Fr Julian Tenison Woods story. All the places we paid a visit to were very intriguing and so unreal because we had only seen them in photos. However, a huge highlight of the trip were the friends we made from all across Victoria who we hope to keep in touch with. (Elizabeth McIntyre, Year 10)
The AJASS Pilgrimage in South Australia was fulfilled with a variety of activities that included exploring Mary MacKillop's and Father Julian Tension Woods' history. Some places that we visited were the Mary MacKillop Interpretative Centre in Penola, SA, where we saw her home and school where she had established her order. We also visited the Tension Woods Tree and Statue Park and the Naracoorte Caves. Overall, the experience was insightful as we had the chance to go on this journey and meet other Josephite schools. (Elana Kralefska, Year 10)
We thank the students who volunteered their time on Sunday 5 May to serve at the annual Joseph's Corner High Tea. Joseph's Corner is a not-for-profit organisation established in response to the community's needs for free counselling and support for families and friends of those living with alcohol or drug addiction. Run by Sr Jeanne Dwyer rsj, this organisation has supported countless families in need. We are grateful our College can support the organisation with this event. The event raised over $5,000. If you would like to donate to this organisation, visit: https://www.josephscorner.org.au/
Danielle Fairthorne - Director of Catholic Identity
