Catholic schools in Brisbane archdiocese have been engaging in life-changing experiences to help them deepen their insights on the gap between the rich and the poor, and the Christian response to such realities. Journalist ROBIN WILLIAMS reports
MORE and more Queensland Catholic school stud-ents are giving up their holidays to put their faith and spirituality into practice on the world stage.
In September students from Southern Cross Catholic College, Scarborough; St Peter Claver College, Riverview; St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace; and Clairvaux MacKillop College, Upper Mt Gravatt, undertake journeys of pilgrimage or immersion both overseas and within Australia.
Eight St Peter Claver College students headed to Apia, Samoa, to tutor students in English and spend time living with local families.
Year 11 student Kaitlyn O’Connor found the Samoan immersion the experience of a lifetime and said all students gained an insight into how fortunate they were.
“My billet’s name was James,” she said.
“He welcomed me so warmly into his family and being in his home environment was a great experience.
“They were wealthy in their community so I stayed in a big house with electricity although there was no running water in my house which was a challenge as we had to bucket shower, not flush the toilet and we had trouble when it came to general sanitation such as washing our hands.
“James lived with his mum, dad, three brothers, sister-in-law, nephew and two foster cousins.”
Kaitlyn said the St Peter Claver students had returned as changed people.
“We all feel so fortunate to be able to bring this back into the Claver community as we now have a different outlook on the life we regularly take for granted,” she said.
Students from St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace, didn’t leave Australia for their immersion experience, with 24 boys and two teachers travelling to the Northern Territory during the September holidays on an Indigenous Awareness Immersion.
Terrace communications/public relations director David Potter said the trip aimed to educate the boys about Australian Aboriginal history, culture and spirituality, thereby raising their awareness of the contemporary issues faced by indigenous people.
He said while students visited numerous sites of significance, from Uluru to Darwin, the students really enjoyed spending time with an Aboriginal community.
“A highlight of the trip was the visit to Barunga, an Aboriginal community outside of Katherine,” he said.
“Boys stayed in the community, visited the school and spent time with the local kids and loved it.”
Mr Potter said the Terrace students had committed to ongoing projects to provide funds, clothes and sporting goods to Northern Territory young people, including those at Barunga.
“Students are encouraged to reflect on their experiences and keep a journal of their observations, learning and thoughts,” he said.
“As a follow-up to the immersion, students are challenged to find a way to make a difference by developing a plan to provide further assistance to some of the people they visited.”
Three preschools in the Colombo area of Sri Lanka were among the destinations for a group of students and teachers from Southern Cross Catholic College (SCCC), Scarborough.
Campus minister Phil McGreevy said the immersion provided an experience the students and teachers would keep with them for the rest of their lives.
“For every student and teacher who gave up their school holidays to go to Sri Lanka, it was a conscious decision to walk with the poor,” he said.
“As a Lasallian school, social justice in all expressions is a mission of our community. “Living and working with the poor and disadvantaged not only allowed us to develop relationships with those from vastly different backgrounds and religions, but to also hear the stories and develop a greater understanding of the lives of others.”
Mr McGreevy said during the immersion, students took part in working bees to improve facilities and helped with basic English lessons.
“Students undertook a number of fundraising activities throughout the year to raise funds for the paint and equipment required to transform one of the schools, to provide educational resources for the students and to purchase and install ceiling fans.”
SCCC Year 11 student Jasmine Russell said she would never forget the experience.
“To see the children’s faces when they saw the work we were doing for them – it was like they had won a million dollars,” she said.
“It has certainly broadened my mind and helped me become more aware of some issues outside of Australia.”
Nadia Roosens agreed, “to be exposed to the conditions that kids in other parts of the world have to deal with truly makes you realise how lucky you are to grow up in Australia”.
When 14 students and three staff from Clairvaux MacKillop College, Upper Mt Gravatt, set out for Peru on September 17 their journey had a three-fold purpose – to journey as pilgrims rather than tourists, to undertake a work project to support the Josephite Sisters at the Mary MacKillop International Mission in San Juan de Lurigancho, and to develop students’ leadership skills and experience.
Campus minister Sandra Stadhams said pilgrims gathered each morning, midday, and evening for the Prayer of the Church.
“The Psalms, Gospel, and reflections both nourished and challenged us in our daily encounters,” she said.
She said that, in Lima, the Clairvaux MacKillop pilgrims walked the labyrinth surrounding “The Eye That Cries” monument.
“(It) was built to remind the world that violence has no place in humanity,” Ms Stadhams said. “Each of the stones used to create the space is carved with the names of those killed or missing in the internal armed combat in Peru in 1980 to 2000.
“There are 42,000 stones in all, which includes the name of Sister Irene McCormack, murdered in 1991.”
Ms Stadhams said the visit with Josephite Sisters and families in Cruz de Moutpe was the highlight of the pilgrimage.
“We did manage to actually paint the library, playroom and church fence although some did a grand job of covering themselves with paint as well,” she said.
Ms Stadhams said each afternoon the Aussie students joined the sisters to visit different families, projects and communities.
“As we all huffed and puffed our way up the steep mountains to get to our destinations, we were amazed at the fitness of these Australian Josephite women, none young in years,” she said.
Ms Stadhams said the difference between the Australian and Peruvian lifestyle was an eye-opener for the Brisbane students.
“For as little as $1500 a family is able to build a small two-room house to shelter them from the elements,” she said.
“While the extent of poverty seem insurmountable in San Juan de Lurigancho, our visit there, at the very least, has increased our own capacity for generosity and hospitality and this is a good start for making a difference in the world.”
Closer to home, three Edmund Rice Education Australia schools have again translated their Catholic faith into practical action, supporting the mountain communities outside Dili in Timor Leste.
St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe; St Laurence’s College, South Brisbane; and St Ed-mund’s College, Ipswich, completed their second trip to East Timor just prior to the September holidays.
The boys erected another school classroom (kit shed) for the Samalete and Railco communities along with teaching local youths basic construction skills.
