Mission Report

by Director of Mission, Mr Geoff Brodie

29 October has been nominated World Teachers’ Day. Let us call on Pope Francis to guide our reflection on this theme. In 2019 Pope Francis wrote that teaching is

“beautiful because it allows us to see the people who are entrusted to our care grow day after day. It is a little like being parents, at least spiritually. It is a great responsibility! Teaching is a serious commitment that only a mature and well-balanced person can undertake. Such a commitment can be intimidating, but remember that no teacher is ever alone: they always share their work with other colleagues and the entire educational community to which they belong.”

And again in 2015,

“Any teacher can do well with students (who study well and wish to be educated). I ask you to love the difficult students more… those who do not want to study, those who find themselves in difficult situations, the disabled and foreigners, who today pose a great challenge for schools.”.”

Catholic wisdom affirms parents as the first educators of their children. Schools come into being through the invitation from parents to share in the life of their family. What a vocation! What a reason to exist! On this Teachers’ Day let us be reminded by Pope Francis that no-one is ever alone in all this. St Patrick’s College is called to be a community where parents, sons, all staff and the wider community cherish and support each other in the journey towards intellectual, moral and loving fulfilment. Perhaps the lasting memory of remote learning might be the reality of the support we all need. Finally, education of the heart and mind remains the journey towards our loving God who is present in Jesus, who is “the way, the truth and the life.”

Let us keep in our prayers

• our Year 12 students, who have commenced their final exams; and their families, who share the unique moment of bringing secondary education to an end.
• all our students, who must learn once again the joys and responsibilities of face-to-face learning. It is only in recent days that we have reunited as a full community.
• those families who confront significant challenges and struggles in the current health, economic, social and political circumstances.
• all in our community, with their unique challenges. May they never feel alone.

Finally, let us unite with Pope Francis to ensure a St Patrick’s education is “coming to understand how to love, to understand the values and customs which create harmony in society.”