On Thursday of this week the staff from OLMC joined with staff from Antonine College to work with Emeritus Professor John Warhurst. We explored the history of the Church in Australia and the changing nature of the expectations and needs of the Church around the world. As a member of the Plenary Council, John helped us to develop our understanding of Synodality and what it means for us to be a Synodal Church. While challenging at times, the sessions filled us with great hope for the future. It has certainly engaged our staff in conversations regarding how we best support young people in our school to connect to their faith, community and voice.
We were also very privileged to host staff and students from Mercy schools all over Australia who came together to explore the rich heritage of the Australian Mercy tradition on the second day of a pilgrimage. The program also explored the modern-day engagement of Mercy Ministries and the ways in which they are important and relevant to our young people. The students who participated were engaged and enthusiastic and they are wonderful ambassadors for their schools and our Mercy community. It was also a timely reminder for me, that the future of the works of Mercy will be left in the hands of passionate and committed people.
We have certainly hit the ground running this term with a number of important events. We have begun the process of looking towards 2024 with a subject information evening and expo. The process of selecting subjects and making choices begins for most of our students this term and will no doubt be the topic of conversations at home. As I do each year, I strongly encourage you to read the subject handbooks, to talk with your child and to help them research pathways. Please encourage your child and support them as they make what can be very tough decisions.
Last week Year 8 students attended camp. Blessed with exceptional weather, they were able to enjoy a chance to challenge themselves with new activities while getting to know each and their teachers a little better. The staff have spoken in glowing terms of their enthusiasm and participation. They engaged with every activity and spoke enthusiastically about everything that they were doing.
Term 3 is an important one for making decisions. Almost everyone is contemplating where they want to be and what they hope to achieve in 2024. It is also a term with so many important community events. House Arts will be upon us soon and so will Mercy Day. These are both occasions when we share an enormous amount of fun together but also times when our students shine. The theme of this year is, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ (Luke 10:29b). Term 3 will challenge students to see others, to recognise their neighbours and to develop an appreciation of the depth of what it means to be a neighbour. We are very much looking forward to this journey.