THERE is never a shortage of Queensland Catholic school students keen to carry on the mission and spirituality embedded in their school’s history.
Whether it be volunteering, advocating for social justice, fundraising for the disadvantaged, or standing in solidarity with the poor and marginalised there is a constant stream of students ready to take part.
Winter is probably not the best time to visit Murgon and Cherbourg but that didn’t stop 15 Year 12 students from St Rita’s College, Clayfield, from making the five-day trip to deepen their understanding of both their Presentation Sisters’ heritage and indigenous culture.
St Rita’s assistant principal for mission Richard Rogusz said the immersion to St Joseph’s Primary School, Murgon, also involved students visiting the Barambah Environmental Education Centre and the Ration Shed at Cherbourg.
“St Joseph’s Primary School was established by the Presentation Sisters in 1937 and is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year and Srs Carmel Hodgkinson and Vianney Surawski are still involved in the local community in Murgon,” he said.
“Students had an opportunity to connect with a Presentation heritage school and to deepen their understanding of Indigenous culture and their experience of injustice.”
Mr Rogusz said students had an opportunity to learn about the culture of the Wakka Wakka people, the traditional custodians of the land during their trip to Barambah Environmental Education Centre.
“Students visited the Ration Shed at Cherbourg with Uncle Eric and Aunty Shirley Law to learn about the history of the settlement and the injustice of policies of segregation and Nikki Law lead students in an Indigenous art workshop where they produced artworks on CD and canvas,” he said.
He said the St Rita’s girls spent time playing with St Joseph’s students during morning tea and lunchtime and the St Rita’s music students, on tour in the area, also called in to perform for the primary students.
“The St Joseph’s community was very welcoming and we hope to continue the partnership we have established,” he said.
Further north at Hervey Bay two Year 11 students and a teacher from Queensland’s only Jesuit partner school headed to East Timor.
The Xavier Catholic College students were part of a contingent of 16 students from eight Jesuit and Partner schools and three teachers to make the trip.
Xavier Catholic College teacher Stella Korlaki said she and the Hervey Bay students Letitia Donnelly and Meg Moore met up with the rest of the group in Darwin before travelling on to Dili.
“Immediately we were hit by the warmth of the climate as well as the tremendous warmth of the people,” she said.
Ms Korlaki said the group spent time in Railaco and Cassai.
“We were greeted with a formal welcome by the students and staff of Fatima Senior School, run partly by the Jesuits and spent three days getting to know the students, playing sport, dancing, learning Tetun and giving English lessons,” she said.
She said while in the highlands the Australians also helped with a feeding program and health clinic, organised by Jesuit priests, Fr Phuong and Fr Bong.
“The food provides probably the only well rounded, nourishing meal for children, twice a week,” she said.
At the health clinic students recorded the weights and blood pressures of older Timorese women, with Ms Korlaki saying many of the women weighed in at barely 40kg.
“Although they are slight of build, they are underweight,” she said.
She said in Cassai, where a new Jesuit school was to be built, the students worked hard.
“Building stairs, digging holes, planting trees and weeding parts of the new school grounds,” she said.
“On the school property, they have recently tapped water, and the school – to be named St Ignatius of Loyola – will now be providing water for the whole community, so that children do not have to walk so far to collect buckets of water.”
Ms Korlaki said the Xavier Catholic College participants, along with their fellow travellers, came away with a better understanding of the East Timor story.
“We learnt a lot about the violent and unjust history over the past 100 years, of a country so beautiful and so close to Australia,” he said.
“As we familiarise ourselves with the ‘city’ of Dili, seeing UN troops and vehicles everywhere, meeting local Jesuits and novitiates, it quickly became apparent that there are a lot of good people doing a lot of good things to strengthen Timor Leste’s independence and heal wounds of old.”
