From the Religious Education Coordinator
“Speak Lord, for your servant is listening”
As we end the term it is difficult not to reflect on where we were a year ago at this time. The recent re-emergence of two Covid clusters in Queensland is another eerie reminder of what we have overcome throughout the past year. A year ago the school was in lockdown and students were already involved in remote learning. Our playgrounds were empty and our churches relied on digital media to stream masses into our homes because we were unable to attend in person. It was the beginning of what would become a very challenging year for many. This week we made it to the end of the term and even managed to join as a whole school community in the College Hall for the first time since February 2020. What a blessed way to end the term!
Earlier in the week we also had our first official session of Sydney Catholic Schools’ 10:10 Project with 70 Year 10 students. Everyone at Good Samaritan has been incredibly excited to be one of the pilot schools for this new initiative as it supports so much of what we want to achieve as a Catholic school community. 2021 is a challenging time for any Catholic person but it is perhaps most challenging for young people as they are most susceptible to external pressures and influences of popular culture and media that far too often minimises or belittles the role of faith in our lives. Our students were led through an engaging discussion on who we are as men and women and how we are part of God’s beautiful creation. The sessions will continue throughout the year and will delve into some of the more difficult topics of our world and will look at them through the Catholic perspective. I look forward to reporting on these sessions as they happen.
Holy Thursday Prayer Service
On Thursday afternoon we celebrated Holy Thursday and the upcoming Easter Season with a full school prayer service in the College Hall. This was the first time since February 2020 that we were able to gather physically as a whole school community. It focused on the events from Palm Sunday up to Holy Thursday culminating in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament set against the backdrop of Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. The service also featured beautiful artworks created by Ms Elizabeth Nugent and Year 12 student Narelle Odeh. The artwork by Miss Nugent will be placed in our Blessed Sacrament Chapel so that when students come to pray towards the altar they need only look beside them to see Jesus Christ doing the same.
On behalf of everyone at Good Samaritan Catholic College I would like to wish everyone in our community a blessed and happy Easter and a safe return for Term 2.
Mr Matthew Bradbury
Religious Education Coordinator
