It has been an exciting year for Catholic Life at Good Samaritan Catholic College. The faith dimension of the College is continuing to grow with increasing student involvement and a number of opportunities to discover their faith. There have been a many school based initiatives, Youth Events as well as the Australian Catholic Youth Festival which was held in Sydney as well as preparation beginning for World Youth Day in Panama 2019.
2017 saw the re-launch of EvanGELisation, the College’s Youth Group. ‘GEL’ standing for ‘Gospel Equals Love’, was a great way for students to start their week by catching up with friends over a hot drink followed by prayer in the Chapel. The theme for GEL this year came from John 10:10, “I have come so that they may have life, and have it to the full”. This is a personal invitation by Jesus to have a relationship with God. Through Praise and Worship, Lectio Divina, Scripture reading, special intentions and spiritual reflections, students were able to grow in faith and come to know the person of Jesus more deeply. Thank you to the large number of students from all year groups who have made this project possible.
Throughout the year, a number of senior leaders participated in Youth Events including the Primary Schools Evangelisation Day and the ‘A Public Faith’ student forum. ‘Captiv8 Joy’ was the theme for this years Primary Schools Evangelisation Day and was a wonderful opportunity for students to demonstrate leadership qualities and participate in the evangelising mission of the Church. The ‘A Public Faith’ student forum included presentations focusing on the philosophical foundations of free speech, the law around relations between Church and State and the relationship between religion and government from a global perspective. Nora Takriti and Joel Capinig, students in Year 11, summed up the day with these wise words, “Australia is a nation built on religious diversity, so in order to thrive, we must engage in a forum of open dialogue, dialogue that is not constricting.”
The Fr. Rob Galea concert, held on the 16th June for students in Year 10 and Year 11, was a night of lights, fun and prayer. This inspiring man shared motivating stories of his past and how he came to realise the importance of relying on God in his teenage years. Through song, he reminded all who were there to be thankful for the blessings in our life. This concert marked the beginning of the amazing opportunities students would have at the Australian Catholic Youth Festival later in the year. Students left the concert filled with the fullness of God’s love and excited for what was to come in December.
Of course the Australian Catholic Youth Festival (ACYF) was the major event in the world of Evangelisation this year. This festival was held in Sydney from the 7th - 9th of December and all Year 10 students, as well as a volunteer group from Year 11, were fortunate to attend. In the lead up to the festival, Emma Reedy, Erin Andrew, Fridurik Nickel and Mitchell Keogh, generously gave up their time as they represented the College as Youth Ambassadors, attending a number of youth forums. These students played a vital role, making decisions about the event and establishing a sense of excitement and enthusiasm amongst those attending. The ACYF was an amazing opportunity for our students as they gathered with approximately 15 000 other young Catholics from all over Australia. The festival line up saw the return of some festival favourites including Fr Rob Galea, Steve Angrisano, and Genevieve Bryant as well as newcomers including Gary and Natasha Pinto and Emma Pradd. These musicians and speakers offered great insights and a unique way to engage in prayer. The Australian Catholic Youth Festival theme, “Open new horizons for spreading joy: Young people, faith and vocational discernment”, was drawn from Pope Francis’ address to the young people at the Vigil at WYD Krakow 2016 where he challenged young people of the world to boldly engaged with their faith, their relationship with Jesus and the world. Our students proudly accepted this challenge, engaging openly in all aspects of the festival. The ACYF was truly an unforgettable experience and a faith pilgrimage for all students.
Whilst it seems like only yesterday we returned from World Youth Day in Poland, Term 4 saw the start of preparations for World Youth Day in Panama 2019. With the official school assembly launch of WYD, countless year group and lunch time meetings as well as the information evening taking place, Term 4 was definitely a busy and exciting time. WYD is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the current Year 9 and Year 10 students. Each will partake in their own pilgrimage and faith journey and share with the whole world the hope of many young people who want to commit themselves to Christ and others. As a school community, we cannot wait to share and experience this journey with them.
Finally, thank you to the staff and students who showed their ongoing support and dedication to Evangelisation this year. Special congratulations to the College’s Catholic Life Leaders, Nora Takriti, Joel Capinig, Eve Samuel- Ghalib and Domenic Santaguida who have done an outstanding job in creating a strong faith culture at our College.