Immersion to Timor Leste
During the holidays I had the privilege of accompanying Mr Mark Gannon, Assistant Principal of the Junior School, and 7 Year 11 students on an immersion in Timor Leste. Mrs Julie Sligar and Mr Nicholas Kmet accompanied a second group to Suva in Fiji. An immersion is an opportunity to live the culture of another place with the people, enabling us to see the world from a different viewpoint. We pilgrims in Timor Leste certainly learned a great deal by being with our Marist family in a place that has undergone a period of devastation in its recent history.
Timor Leste was brutally invaded in 1975 by the Indonesian army and became an occupied country for 25 years. When the Indonesians finally withdrew, there was civil unrest, the towns were left ravaged and almost 80% of the teachers left the country. Currently, 42% of the population of Timor Leste is below the age of 18, and 57% is below age 25. This young population needs classrooms and teachers. As a privileged Marist community, we hope to continue to support the Timorese people as they rebuild the many schools that are currently shells, and to build new schools to accommodate their young population. Their ability to grow the nation to be independent and self-sustaining now depends on investment and education.
The Immersion experience allowed us to see the positive growth in many schools as a result of the funds raised by Australian Marist Solidarity. The Timorese and Fijian people are faith-filled, humble and grateful for all that we do to support them. We were humbled by them. We are privileged to be ambassadors for our country, and supporters of the work of the Marist Brothers and Australian Marist Solidarity in Timor Leste and Fiji in Australia on our return.
I congratulate the young men who accompanied me and faced some different and challenging experiences, and those who represented us at the Champagnat Institute in Fiji. In Term 4, we hope to present more about what we learned to the College community at assembly, and we will call for pilgrims to be a part of the Immersion program in 2025.
Mrs Cathie Clarke.
More photographs of the immersion in Timor Leste can be accessed via this link Timor-Leste 2024 Photos
Fiji Immersion
During the first week of the recent school holidays, a group of seven Year 11 students and two staff experienced Immersion in Fiji.
We encountered the Fijian culture and people who we found to be so openly friendly, welcoming and inclusive. We strongly felt the Marist characteristics in our encounters with the community that we joined for the eight days of our visit. During the week, we lived in the Brother’s House and we visited the Marist Champagnat Institute, St Marcellin Primary School, Marist Angels Kindergarten and Marist High School, Suva.
The time spent in the Institute was particularly special as each St Greg’s boys was assigned a buddy who they spent time with throughout the school day and even had the opportunity to go home with for dinner one night. This unique experience gave us a first-hand experience of life in Fiji.
Our time in Fiji was truly something we will never forget, thanks to the people we interacted with. We felt a strong Marist spirit which was evident in the actions of everyone there. Although we were all put out of our comfort zone at many points, we were all made to feel like we belonged, and we felt a strong connection due to our shared Marist values. The Immersion week was an incredible opportunity for not only personal growth but also an increasing global awareness amongst the participants.
St Gregory’s College 2024 Fiji Immersion Group:
• Brayden-John Bowen
• William Degeling
• Ben Dolan
• Marcus Federico
• Nicholas Larsen
• Jason Lee
• Zach Moroney
• Mr Nicholas Kmet
• Mrs Julie Sligar
Mr Julie Sligar
NAIDOC ASSEMBLY.
Last Friday 26 July, we celebrated the NAIDOC Assembly. This year the theme is Keep the Fire Burning: Blak, Loud and Proud. By participating in the assembly today, our College community of St Greg’s had an opportunity to reflect on how we might keep the fire burning. Using dance, song and reflections, our NAIDOC assembly was a celebration of what it is to be Blak, Loud and Proud.
Our young Indigenous men and women should be proud of the stories they shared, and their commitment to culture as a cornerstone for learning.
The prayer from today’s Assembly summarises our hopes for in our College community who stand beside those who are marginalised, in our country and in neighbouring lands:
God of wonderous possibility
Take my story and my life
Give me courage to stand for justice
God of dreaming and mystery
Forgive my blind complaining
Give me vision to walk remembering your history
God of truth and love
Take my bruised hands and feet
Give me strength and grace to stand for truth
God of safety and singing
Take my mouth and my voice
Give me words that inspire and encourage
God of knowledge and creativity
Take my whole being
Help me stretch, broaden and deepen.
God of goodness and hope
Take my connections and influence
And help me stand for voice and justice.
Amen
CatholicCare Foster Caring
Please find a link below from a Memorandum sent to Catholic Schools and Parishes from Most Rev Bishop Brian Mascord which outlines the challenges of the foster care system.
https://dow.sh/bmfc24
Should you wish to enquire about becoming a foster carer, please contact CatholicCare Wollongong directly on 4227 1122 for more information.