APRE NEWS

Dear Parents and Carers,

Sunday was the Feast of Mary MacKillop, the first Australian saint. Mary was a person of action and didn’t wait for someone to knock on her door. She loved the poor and worked hard to care for them in any way that she could. Mary shows us how to open our eyes and ears, our hearts and our minds to the needs of others. She shows us how to serve others with kindness, love and understanding. 

Following on from Ms Sleba's reflection about the need for society to be more caring, Mary MacKillop was a true example of compassion, caring for one's neighbour. At this week's assembly we prayed as a community that we... 

" be more like St Mary MacKillop, and welcome those who feel unloved, uncared for and unaccepted and asked God to help us to reach out to others who need our help and support." 

May we all be more like Mary MacKillop!

STAFF FORMATION DAY: On our BID Pupil Free Day, I led our staff through a module entitled Living Within the Catholic Story. I share part of that here ...

In his book Divine Renovation ,  Fr. James Mallon offers “belong, believe, behave” as the essential paradigm for a renewed Church – a Church of true disciples of Jesus.

Mallon argues that the pre-1960s' approach for many churches was “behave, believe, belong”. Act and look a certain way (behave). We’ll teach you the basics of the faith (believe). Then you’ll be a legitimate church member (belong).   

However, Jesus followed the belong, believe, behave paradigm, as Pope Francis has eloquently pointed out. He entered into relationships with others, regardless of where they were, spiritually (or morally, socially, etc). He befriended tax collectors, prostitutes, and others. Once they felt a sense that they could "belong", Jesus then invited them to follow Him, to "believe". After they chose to believe, he would ask them to "behave" a certain manner, so they could live an abundant and fruitful life.

Dr Pat Coughlan (TCS Executive Director) in his address to teachers in 2019, used triangles to describe the relationships of these 3 concepts. In the past Belonging came with many strings attached, unquestioning belief and required, compliant behaviour. Behaviour also required that children attended a Catholic school – 100% Catholic enrolment and almost all Catholic children attended Catholic schools. It was impositional, fear driven and black and white.

However, the message in Toowoomba Catholic Schools is all are welcome! People belong because of who they are rather than compliance to certain beliefs or behaviours. This is invitational and accepting. The Good News of Jesus is: “I love you. Because I love you, I want you to have the fullness of life that I offer. But I love you no matter what.”  People need to belong, they may be invited to believe, and behave. However, no matter what, they always belong. 

I asked our staff to reflect on and share "What Belonging Looks like, sounds like, feels like at St Saviour's Primary School."

I share the responses with you...

SAVE the DATE: Sunday September 12 9am Mass

We are half way through the term! Enjoy the rest of your week,

Judy