Mission Report – November 3, 2016

One of the privileges of a school is the responsibility of constantly asking questions. A rigorous curriculum should offer every student a sequence of timely and important questions that invite them into a deeper understanding of a meaningful life. This understanding then evolves into the further questions of taking on the worthwhile commitments that define our life: -If this is the world, what should I do about it?- Through the whole range of experiences from Year 7 to Year 12 we hope that our students come to the foundational judgment that important questions do not end when school finishes. In fact, they never end throughout life. This is one of the essential gifts of education.

As the young mind develops towards mature wisdom so too the world continues to offer new and mysterious encounters. Life is enriched by the knowledge that there is always more to come. Our shared wisdom affirms that the mystery of life is never exhausted. This grounds the Christian faith in life after death. St Thérèse of Lisieux expressed this in her suffering: I am not dying; I am entering life. The life of faith is the experience that God’s gifts can never be exhausted. No matter how fully we accept God’s love there is always more to be joyfully received, so that our hearts overflow with this divine joy. The final word of Jesus’ Resurrection is that even the mystery of death is not an end to this blessing of seeking and receiving.

St Patrick’s College has experienced much sadness recently. We continue to keep those who have recently died, their family and friends, in our prayers. May the souls of those who have died, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. May the consolation of God’s love fill the hearts of family and friends. Against all this sadness, which might easily weigh us down, is our faith. The infinite desires of our human heart that take shape in our questions of meaning and value is our antenna for God. A Catholic education in the charism of Edmund Rice is hope-filled and ever alive to desires that only God can satisfy. May every education-moment at our College be open to this great mystery.