Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home News

School reaching out to family of lifesaver student

byStaff writers
8 April 2012 - Updated on 16 March 2021
Reading Time: 2 mins read
AA
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

MESSAGES of love and support from the Siena Catholic College community, Sippy Downs, in memory of Matthew Barclay, drowned 14-year-old Sunshine Coast lifesaver, are to be collected by his house group and sent to his family.

Matthew’s house group, Teresa 1, were to select the messages from hundreds placed on a “tree of prayer” set up at the school as a focal point for an outpouring of grief for the outstanding young lifesaver who was a student at the school.

A banner with messages of support for his younger sister Lauren, also a Siena student, was made by her Year 8 home economics and textiles classmates.

Matthew, who died on March 28 while competing in the Australian Surf Life Saving titles at the Gold Coast’s Kurrawa Beach, was Maroochydore Surf Club’s youngest-ever Australian medallist.

The young lifesaver risked his own life to make his first surf rescue only the previous week.

His funeral was to have been held at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Caloundra, last Thursday at 11am not far from where he once attended primary school. Upwards of 1500 people were expected to attend.

Siena College principal Graham Hight said Matthew’s death had impacted throughout the school.

News of the finding of the Year 10 student’s body on March 29 reached the school just as a liturgy for him was finishing.

“The Year 10s were then moved to another building and they were told as a group,” Mr Hight said.

“Certainly a wave of emotion then rolled through that room.

Related Stories

Gwen has given 15,000 hours of cuddles to sick and premature babies

Helping stroke survivors earns Ozcare volunteer national recognition

Br Alan Moss remembered for a life of faith and learning

“Matthew was an extremely popular young man.

“He was just a very focused, quiet and unassuming all-round nice guy.”

Maroochydore assistant priest Fr Geoff Baron, who visited the school to provide support, said he had been impressed by the way many of the students were dealing with their grief.

Mr Hight said the school community was fortunate to be so close to St Catherine’s Church and thanked Maroochydore parish priest Fr Joe Duffy for making the church so accessible.

“I’m sure it was a great consolation to the students,” he said.

“There was a big line-up of Year 10 students waiting to visit the Blessed Sacrament chapel.”

Mr Hight said support had come from throughout the community with counsellors being supplied from several Catholic schools including Matthew’s primary school, Our Lady of the Rosary.

“We also had offers of counselling support from schools throughout the Sunshine Coast, including independent and state schools,” he said.

“Nearby Matthew Flinders Anglican College even sent hot-cross buns for our staff’s morning tea.”

A great challenge to the college’s staff and students was the closing down of the school for Easter holidays.

“Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) has a service centre at North Lakes,” Mr Hight said. “If parents phone Siena College over the break to seek support for their children as a result of Matthew’s death, they will be able to access the BCE counsellors.”

The principal said he had been proud of the school spirit shown in the face of the “terrible loss”.

“When I looked at one of the Facebook sites set up in Matthew’s memory, one comment really struck me.

“It said: ‘We are Siena and we will get through this’.”

 

ShareTweet
Previous Post

Doing his best to deal with a terminal illness

Next Post

A friend to the homeless

Staff writers

Related Posts

Gwen has given 15,000 hours of cuddles to sick and premature babies
QLD

Gwen has given 15,000 hours of cuddles to sick and premature babies

20 May 2022
Helping stroke survivors earns Ozcare volunteer national recognition
QLD

Helping stroke survivors earns Ozcare volunteer national recognition

20 May 2022
Br Alan Moss remembered for a life of faith and learning
QLD

Br Alan Moss remembered for a life of faith and learning

19 May 2022
Next Post

A friend to the homeless

Born again in Jesus Christ

Redeptorist makes adoration his mission

Popular News

  • Pregnant woman

    Queensland election: The pro-life political parties committed to abortion law reforms

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Nationwide rosary event happening for Australia’s patroness this Saturday

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Br Alan Moss remembered for a life of faith and learning

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Answering God’s invitation to us all

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Gwen has given 15,000 hours of cuddles to sick and premature babies
QLD

Gwen has given 15,000 hours of cuddles to sick and premature babies

by Joe Higgins
20 May 2022
0

BRISBANE grandmother Gwendoline Grant has clocked up 15,000 hours cuddling and caring for sick and premature babies...

Helping stroke survivors earns Ozcare volunteer national recognition

Helping stroke survivors earns Ozcare volunteer national recognition

20 May 2022
Br Alan Moss remembered for a life of faith and learning

Br Alan Moss remembered for a life of faith and learning

19 May 2022
Catholic relationship advisers offer five tips to look after your mental health

Nationwide rosary event happening for Australia’s patroness this Saturday

19 May 2022
Francis offers advice on politics: Seek unity, don’t get lost in conflict

Francis offers advice on politics: Seek unity, don’t get lost in conflict

19 May 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping