WELCOME BACK TO TERM 3

The students return to the classroom this week as the world excitedly turns its attention to the Olympics in Paris. For two weeks the able-bodied Olympics take place followed by two weeks of the Paralympics. A month of the world’s finest athletes trying to reach the pinnacle of their sport. The Wollongong Diocese has four ex-students representing their country – Kieran Wolley (skateboarding); Blake Govers (hockey); Ellen Perez (tennis) and Natalie Van Coevorden (triathlon). We wish them well and I hope all will support them. .

The next eight weeks will be the last ones full of learning for our Year 12 students. The positivity and shared sense of care is clearly visible in so many of these students as they go about preparing for a future that is still unclear for some and more defined for others.

Term 3 in a school’s life is always one where mixed emotion’s exist. The sadness at seeing the graduating class (leaders of the school) come to an end of their formal schooling and leaving the community, is mixed with the excitement of badging new College leaders for the 2025 school year.  Both our Year 11 group and our Year 12 group are wonderful students who have demonstrated a capacity to do very well.

We wish our Year 12 students all the very best for the trial HSC Exams that commence next week and we are confident that they will present their best selves in these exams. These exams are the major preparatory opportunity for the Year 12 students to experience HSC conditions and timings. So it is important to engage in them fully.

FEAST OF ST MARY OF THE CROSS MACKILLOP – AUGUST 8TH

Mary MacKillop was born in 1842 in Fitzroy, Melbourne. On 8 August 1909, she died, having suffered a disabling stroke in 1902. Inspired by a meeting with Fr. Julian Tenison-Woods, Mary MacKillop took her vows at the age of twenty-five, and the religious name, “Mary of the Cross”. In doing so, she founded the congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph. Soon after taking her religious vows, Mary MacKillop founded several schools. Within five years of taking her vows and founding the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, Mary had established over thirty schools in South Australia. By that time, more than one hundred women had joined the Sisters of Saint Joseph.

Mary was very conscious of the plight of the poor and needy. She worked with families that lived in isolated areas of Australia. As a result, Mary MacKillop pioneered a new form of religious life in Australia, and commenced a “system” of “Josephite” schools that would provide education, especially for the children of the poor. In 1873, Pope Pius IX gave Papal approval for the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph.

Even today, many Australians can say that they too have felt the impact of the enormous work started by St. Mary of the Cross (MacKillop), having been educated or cared for, by the Sisters of Saint Joseph. She was noted for her trust in the providence of God and miracles of healing have been attributed to her. She was declared a Saint by Pope Benedict XVI on the 17th October 2010, with over 8000 Australians travelling to Rome for the occasion. In January 2013, St Mary of the Cross (MacKillop) was declared by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, to be the Second Patron Saint of Australia. This means that Australia now has two Patron Saints: Mary Help of Christians and St. Mary of the Cross (MacKillop).

2024 SCHOOL MUSICAL - THE PIRATE QUEEN

Well, how much talent do we have at St John's. Wonderful actors, dancers, singers and musicians were all on display for the musical performances. The Irish pirate Grace O'Malley came to life onstage (and in the audience and aisles) to fantastic music accompaniment and dancing. Galleons full of pirates sailed across the Hall  and all were enthralled.

A massive thank you to all the students and Staff involved. Too many to mention all by name, but a special mention goes to Mr Mark McKinnon. Mark is retiring at the end of this year after having a major role in the school musical and play productions for the last 26 years. As a school, we cannot be more thankful for this modest but enormously talented musician and director.

A fitting farewell for Mark was organised by the students which took place after the Saturday night performance.