Dear Parents, Students, Staff and all associated with St Catherine's Community

Faith in the future - I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.

This week will see schools across the Sale Diocese reflecting, acknowledging and celebrating in a special way our distinctive mission and ministry of the Church as part of Catholic Education Week.  Catholic Education Week is celebrated each year and presents a special opportunity for our Catholic school communities and other Catholic Education agencies to celebrate our rich story in terms of faith as well as achievements and areas of excellence.

In the spirit of the theme of Catholic Education Week, it gives us a wonderful chance to pause, pray and proclaim the Spirit of the Living God who is alive and lives within each of us.

This year's theme, "Faith in the future - I have come that they may have life and have it to the full," is a combination of a quote from John's Gospel and the theme for the bicentennial celebrations of Catholic education in Australia.  It provides an opportunity for all members of the school community to considerr the call of the Gospel to build the Kingdom of God here and now.

National Reconciliation Week

Tomorrow, 27 May, sees the commencement of National Reconciliation Week (NRW) for 2021.  National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn more about and celebrate our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, as well as to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

The dates for NRW are the same each year: 27 May to 3 June.

These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey — the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.

• Thursday 27 May is the anniversary of the 1967 Referendum which saw over 90% of Australians voters choose, yes. Yes, to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people being counted in the census and yes to the Government to create laws that could assist in addressing inequalities
• Thursday 3 June is Mabo Day which recognises the important contribution by Eddie Koiki Mabo in bringing forth a case that accepted the claim that Mer Island is home to the eight tribes of the Meriam people and has been for hundreds of years before the arrival of the British, nullifying the claim of terra nullius.

In 2021, reconciliation is more than just raising awareness and knowledge. This year’s theme urges the reconciliation movement to consider more impactful action that can be undertaken. The National Reconciliation Week theme for 2021 is, More Than A Word: Reconciliation Takes Action.

At its heart, reconciliation is about strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples, for the benefit of all
Australians.

“… A reconciled Australia is one where our rights as First Australians are not just
respected but championed in all the places that matter …”
Kirstie Parker – Board Member, Reconciliation Australia

Read More

Acknowledgement of the Land
As we gather to pray for Reconciliation may we remember that 27 May and 3 June are
important dates in Australia’s history. 27 May marks the anniversary of the 1967
referendum when Australians voted to remove clauses in the Australian Constitution
that discriminated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 3 June marks
the historic 1992 Mabo decision in which the High Court of Australia recognised native
title—the recognition that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights over
their lands did survive British colonisation; and so we acknowledge that we gather
today on the land of the First Peoples, and pay our respects to their elders both past
and present, for they hold the memories, the culture and the wisdom upon which our
nation’s future will be built.

Yours in Catholic Education

Kevin Browning
Principal