Diocese Announces Major Developments in Education
This July, I had the privilege of being able to share with our valued staff, clergy, students and caregivers, news regarding one of the single biggest developments to Catholic education in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle’s history. The diocese will build a new high school at Chisholm and another at Medowie, scheduled to open in 2018 and 2020 respectively. St Mary’s High School at Gateshead and St Joseph’s High School at Lochinvar will also grow from offering Years 7-10 to Years 7-12 from 2018.
Marriage: what's in a name?
Surely the greatest thing about human beings, the clearest trace of our divine origins, is our capacity for deep and enduring love. The love between couples is not the only form of unconditional love, of course, but from earliest times it seems to have been a common and eminent part of our human experience. And couples who have declared their love to each other and chosen to be together for life seem always to have wanted to make their love and commitment known to the world. From the simplest village ‘hand joining’ to the announcement in The Times and the grand reception, couples have wanted to let their world know, and to have their world acknowledge, that their lives are now joined, that the two have become one.
Painting the Spirit of the Land
Cessnock teenagers and their families joined local Aboriginal elder and artist, Uncle Les Elvin, at Cessnock Regional Art Gallery for the annual CatholicCare Indigenous Art and Culture program, held over three weekends in June.
Stranger than Fiction
Catholic high school students Michael Almond, Lilli Thompson, Billie Wheildon, Eden Whitchurch and Emily Shakespeare are all performing in this year’s ASPIRE production, Stranger than Fiction. They explain the allure of this unique production and the joy of being part of the cast.
Making memories at a shared table
St Joseph’s Primary School in Gloucester has come up with a rather unusual twist to the traditional school lunch. On Mondays you won’t see any hot chips or lollies on the menu in the school’s canteen. Instead, students and staff pay five dollars to have a three course meal, made from fresh, wholesome and seasonal local produce, prepared with love in the school kitchen.
The Importance of Space and Place
The theme of NAIDOC Week this year is, ‘We all Stand on Sacred Ground: Learn, Respect and Celebrate’. As we commemorate this week, Professor Peter Radoll reflects on the meaning of space and place for Indigenous people and the real impact the proposed forced closures of remote Aboriginal communities in Western Australia would have.
CARE TALK: Helping young children to focus
CARE TALK is a monthly advice column in Aurora Magazine where a registered psychologist offers answers to common questions around mental health and counselling.
Following a missionary call at home
Claire McWilliam followed her heart and strengthened her faith while engaging in missionary work in Timor Leste last year. The experience encouraged her to continue, just closer to home this time, where she is currently a participant in the Catholic Diocese’s Pastoral Placement Program.
