AUXILIARY Bishop Joseph Oudeman called on students at Assisi College, Upper Coomera to be peacemakers when he celebrated an opening Mass at St Mary’s Community Worship Centre on February 10.
Principal Dora Luxton welcomed Bishop Oudeman, a Franciscan Capuchin Friar, to the Mass that was structured around the Franciscan theme of peace.
Bishop Oudeman, who is the college patron, challenged students to be instruments of peace in the vein of the Peace Prayer attributed to St Francis of Assisi.
Recalling the story of the taming of the wolf of Gubbio by St Francis of Assisi, Bishop Oudeman urged the students to love others in the name of Christ and find a just peace to the problems they encounter.
He told them to find peace with each other and peace within themselves.
Assistant principal for religious education Michael Boyle said the taming of the wolf of Gubbio was a favourite story of the Early Years students because it demonstrated the Franciscan values of peace and reconciliation, as well as a covenant between creation and humankind.
The story tells of a wolf that had been eating the citizens of Gubbio.
St Francis intervened when the town wanted to kill the wolf and talked the wolf into never killing again.
“The wolf became a pet of the townspeople who made sure that he always had plenty to eat.”
