THE news of a breakthrough in the case relating to the disappearance of Sunshine Coast teenager Daniel Morcombe has led several Queensland Catholic schools to offer spiritual sup-port and solidarity to his family.
Siena Catholic College, on the Sunshine Coast, where Daniel was a student before his disappearance on December 7, 2003, held a spontaneous Red-Ribbon Day on August 15 in support of the Daniel Morcombe Foundation.
Principal Graeme Hight said the day was an initiative of school captain Drew Leishman.
“The events of the past weeks have certainly brought the disappearance of Daniel Morcombe back into the national spotlight and we continue to pray for some form of a resolution to this situation that is so obviously draining on the spirits of the Morcombe family,” Mr Hight said.
“Although very few, if any, of our current students will have had a personal connection with Daniel, the fact that he was one of us is obviously very important to them in keeping his memory alive.”
Mr Hight said Drew bought 70m of red ribbon and organised a team of fellow students to help ensure every student and staff member could spend the day in solidarity with the Morcombes through the wearing of red ribbons.
Drew said while he was still in primary school when Daniel disappeared his older sister entered Year 8 in 2004.
“With what has been happening, I wanted them to know that we haven’t forgotten about Daniel and I wanted us to show our solidarity for them and what they are still going through,” he said.
“We have a day for Daniel in October each year and the Morcombes have come to that a couple of times, and one year we helped paint a trailer that they take around to schools to raise awareness.
“We also have ‘Daniel’s chair’, a waiting chair at the back of the school and we also dressed that up last Monday with red ribbons.”
Mr Hight said he had assured the Morcombes of the college’s ongoing support.
“Denise and Bruce are a shining example of parental love through their doggedness in seeking not only the answers to Daniel’s disappearance but their continued work to prevent other families going through their pain and despair, the purpose of the Daniel Morcombe Foundation,” he said.
“Denise phoned me this morning (August 22) and I assured her of the college’s continued support during the current waiting and offered additional supports in things like the college choir if a funeral does happen.”
Police have confirmed that a pair of shoes found at a search site in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast hinterland is the same brand that Daniel Morcombe was wearing when he disappeared in 2003.
Three bones and the shoes had been located at a Beerwah search site before bad weather halted the search early last week.
Police have charged a 41-year-old man with Daniel’s murder.
