RETIRED Australian Army General Peter Cosgrove has described the Catholic faith as like “a glue binding communities together”.
General Cosgrove, as official ambassador for Catholic Education Week celebrations from July 22 to 28, will meet with various groups of Catholic school students, staff, parents and parishioners in Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton, Toowoomba and Brisbane
He made the comment in relation to this year’s theme – Celebrating Community – Family Parish School.
“While community and solidarity aren’t unique to Australia, they are something that we should continue to promote and celebrate,” the former defence force chief said.
“I believe we have a great sense of community in Australia.
“Queenslanders will particularly resonate with the thought that sometimes a tragedy that impacts on the community will challenge that sense of community.
“I got to see the state after Cyclone Larry in 2006.
“I also saw the tragedy and the nobility of the community after the floods and cyclone last year.”
General Cosgrove said he was honoured to have been invited to be the ambassador for Catholic Education Week and looked forward to sharing some of his experiences with Catholic school communities around Queensland.
“People of faith should rejoice in a strong sense of community and nurture these attitudes wherever they find them,” he said.
“We should acknowledge that these values are not just ‘Australian’, they’re also Christian.
“Even those in our community who profess themselves to be without hope…. we know that they are God’s creatures and they’re part of our community.”
Queensland Catholic Education Commission executive director Mike Byrne says the commission is delighted General Cosgrove accepted its invitation.
“General Cosgrove’s strong Catholic faith, outstanding career, and in particular his well-known peace-keeping work in East Timor, and community rebuilding in Innisfail following Cyclone Larry, make him an ideal ambassador for this year’s celebrations,” Mr Byrne said.
General Cosgrove is the Chancellor of the Australian Catholic University and was Australian of the Year in 2001.
He grew up in Sydney, attending primary school at St Francis Catholic School in Paddington and secondary school at Waverley College run by the Christian Brothers.
General Cosgrove has spent a total of eight years living in Queensland at Townsville and Enoggera army bases. His elder sons attended Marist College, Ashgrove and youngest son attended St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace.
Catholic Education Week is an annual state-wide event that promotes the distinctive mission of Catholic schools throughout Queensland.
It is a special opportunity for all Catholic education ministries to share what they are doing with their school, parish and wider communities.
Liturgical celebrations in schools throughout Queensland are among the week’s highlights.
Cairns diocese’s Catholic Education Office has prepared the 2012 liturgies.
There are 292 Catholic schools in Queensland educating 138,000 or one in five Queensland students and employing more than 17,000 teachers and staff.
