Catholic Regional College St Albans eNewsletter

FAITH MATTERS

In 2015 Pope Francis officially acknowledged that the Catholic Church embraces the Season of Creation. The theme for this year’s Season of Creation is: ‘A home for All, Renewing the Oikos of God'. Oikos is the Greek word for home. This theme reminds us of the common bond Christians share as we reverence all creation as God’s good gift, recognize our inter-dependence and give thanks for the opportunity to care for our earthly home.

The scientific community, Indigenous Peoples, local communities and many others are unanimous that solutions are available for humans to live in new ways that are in harmony with creation and that collaborative action is our way forward. Pope Francis says in his video message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation: “We need a change that unites us.” One of the Pope’s recurring messages is that all sectors in society have a role to play, and he urges us all to raise our ambitions for a healthier, safer and fairer future for all.

Over the next few weeks our Catholic Regional College St Albans will be celebrating the Season of Creation through REFLECTIVE PRAYER, CREATIVE AWARENESS AND ACTIVE DIALOGUE.

Week 1 Creative Awareness: For the Season of Creation this year the Social Justice Council are working on a campaign for zero litter in our yard. That is to say, we are committed to never having waste and rubbish on the ground in the yard again. We want our school to be a home for all! To support our campaign we are running a competition to make a puppet out of recycled material to be the mascot of our Zero Litter goal.

Here's how the competition will work: email Hayden at hodoherty@crcstalbans.com.au with your name and home room to register by this Friday the 3rd of September and you will receive a link to a how-to video for making a puppet along with worksheets and a materials list. You can make as many puppets as you like, however your puppet(s) must be completed by Thursday 16th of September. Email 3 photos of your puppet to Hayden by 5pm on Thursday the 16th. Make sure you include the name of your puppet and what materials you used to make it. Winners will be announced on the last day of term!

Week 2 Active Dialogue: The Social Justice Team is hosting an Environment Forum on the 7th September 3pm - 3:45pm. The forum will be an opportunity to share their reflections on this year's school theme Listening to the Cry of the Earth and discuss changes they want to see happen in the world. The Forum will also be an opportunity to discuss how our school motto `Love one another as I have loved you’ is the foundation of our call to action on improving outcomes for the environment. Finally, Catholic Regional College St Albans has joined The Laudato Si Action Platform, so we can join with other organisations to engage with decision-makers, and a sense of belonging in local communities and neighbourhood ecosystems.

Week 3 Prayer Reflection. During this season of creation students will be praying with nature by creating a nature mandala. A nature mandala is a circular and non-permanent symbol using found objects like leaves, sticks and seeds placed in circular patterns to represent the circle of life. This nature-based activity is a creative and meditative project that the whole family can do and have fun with together, or could be completed on your own. Here is a short prayer to say as you complete your nature mandala.

“Call us again O God, to till and to keep. Gather us into the power of just relationships that heal and sustain. Enlighten us by your Spirit that renews the face of your Earth and safeguards a home for all. Amen”.