Issue 7, 2 May 2025

Welcome back! During the school holiday break, we celebrated Easter and were reminded of a miraculous sense of hope and renewal through the Risen Christ. The season of Easter, known as ‘Eastertide’, lasts for 50 days until Pentecost. It is meant to be a joyous time filled with reflection, gratitude, and celebration. This year, Eastertide is tinged with a sense of loss as we mourn the passing of Pope Francis. Pope Francis’ leadership over the last 12 years has been marked by humility, simplicity, mercy and compassion. He worked tirelessly for social justice and for the good of the Church. He has been aptly referred to as the 'People’s Pope. In the spirit of Easter, we find comfort in knowing that Pope Francis now rests in the eternal embrace of the Risen Christ. 

I am pleased to have returned from 3 weeks’ long service leave at the end of last term. I am also incredibly grateful for the leadership provided by Lexie Morris and Alanah Rowe whilst I was away. 

We welcome Eliza Phillips and Jessie Trewartha to our staff team at the end of last term as Education Support Officers. Eliza will be providing support to students as a classroom ESO and Jessie will perform a range of administrative duties in the Front Office. 

We often have staff taking long service leave for varying lengths of time as per their entitlements. For shorter stints of leave, we are generally able to cover teachers and ESOs within our current staffing structures. For longer periods of leave, we tend to replace staff on a more consistent basis. As such, we wish Steve Kuerschner all the best while he is on long service leave for the first 4 weeks of this term and thank Sam Ervine who is replacing him in the tech studies space.

The Federal Election will be held this Saturday 3rd May. Education is an important topic at every election. As such, our families are being asked to consider how their vote will benefit the whole community. 

Catholic schools are Australia’s largest non-government education provider, delivering choice, affordability, and value for all. The National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC) has identified the following key priorities for Catholic school communities: 

• Ensure Affordability and Choice 
• Address hardship, wellbeing and disadvantage 
• Build and innovate for the future 

Today, 1,751 Catholic schools are educating over 820,000 students. Families contribute over $6 billion annually in fees and capital levies that reduce the burden on government. Catholic schools employ over 112,000 staff across Australia. Forty per cent of schools are outside of metropolitan areas, meeting the needs of regional, rural and remote communities.  

To find out more about funding visit: School Funding Explainer - NCEC or watch this short video from the Keep School Funding Fair Campaign. Furthermore, if you’re not sure if something is fact or fiction, then you can read the NCEC’s Dispelling Myths page: Dispelling the Myths - NCEC. 

Catholic Education Week is being celebrated in Catholic schools throughout South Australia from 12 – 18 May 2025. This week is an opportunity to reflect on and share all the things that we love about Caritas College and what makes our community special. We are looking forward to celebrating the strengths of our college community with students, staff, families, parish and the broader community. More information will be communicated over the next couple of weeks.

The Church continues to mourn the passing of Pope Francis, the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church, on Easter Monday. As the first pope from the Americas, and the first Jesuit to be elected pope, Pope Francis leaves behind a legacy that has touched millions – Catholics and non-Catholics alike – with his humility, compassion, and unwavering commitment to justice, mercy, and care for our common home.

Pope Francis reminded the world that faith is not just something we believe, but something we live. From the beginning of his time as pope in March 2013, he asked us to journey with him – not from above, but beside him. Choosing the name Francis after St Francis of Assisi, the first time we have seen this in Church history, he signalled that his leadership would prioritise the poor, the marginalised, and the Earth. It was clear from the early stages of his papacy that we were going to witness something we had never seen before – he didn’t want the luxuries that came with being the leader of 1.3 billion Catholics. He chose a life of simplicity, often doing things himself and joining others at the table.

Throughout his 12 years as pope, Francis spoke to the hearts of people of all ages. He encouraged young people to 'make a mess' in the best possible way by speaking up for what is right, to bring their energy to the Church, and to never give up on hope. Millions of young people gathered in Brazil in July 2013 for World Youth Day to spend a week deepening their faith under Pope Francis’ leadership, his first major trip in his pontificate. His message was clear: each person matters, everyone is welcome, and each person is loved deeply by God. 
Most recently, he has been a loud voice of peace. In a world that is often divided, he consistently called us to unit, to encounter Jesus, and to dialogue – not just between ourselves but other world religions. His leadership was about presence – being with people, listening deeply, and reminding us all that God’s mercy knows no bounds.

Students across our school on Tuesday morning reflected on the leadership of Pope Francis, giving thanks for all he is and what he has done, through class liturgies, as we consider how we can continue his legacy, echoed in St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. May his legacy continue to inspire us to be bridge-builders, peacemakers, and in his words, 'missionaries of mercy and hope'.

With the passing of Pope Francis, the world’s attention has turned to the Church as we await the beginning of the Conclave – the process to elect a new pope. This is a significant moment in the life of the church and a tradition that is centuries old that will begin next Wednesday, 7 May. 

Students across the school are exploring what this process looks like, with the Cardinals being locked away each day in the Sistene Chapel until they have elected a pope. This time of prayer, discernment, and decision-making is guided by the Holy Spirit and marks a new chapter in the life and leadership of the Church.

Throughout May, we celebrate and honour Mary, the mother of Jesus and the mother of the Church. She was the first disciple, and we hear of her triumphant 'Yes!' to be the mother of Jesus when she was visited by the angel who came to deliver the news. Mary continues to be a model of discipleship and holiness for us all today. Students across our community will have the opportunity to engage with the story of Mary and a variety of Marian prayers, artwork and songs throughout May. Mary is Mother – your mother, my mother, everyone’s mother – and she cares deeply for all of us, day in and day out without fail, interceding for us, even in the tiniest of matters.

A number of children in our school and parish community will begin their formation and preparation sessions to receive their First Holy Communion later this term. This is an exciting time for these children and we continue to pray for them and their families as they continue their faith journey. The first session for these children and their families will be this weekend, Saturday 3 May at 6:30pm or Sunday 4 May at 10:30am at All Saints Church.

Welcome to the start of Term 2. Firstly, I hope that everyone had a restful and enjoyable Easter break with their families. 

Term 1 saw the annual Sports Day take place. Across the day there were a number of excellent results and some extremely tight fought events. However, the most pleasing and inspiring aspect of the day was seeing all of the students encouraging each other and demonstrating excellent sportsmanship. It was very pleasing to see Joseph House take home the overall point shield after a 22 year hiatus.

In addition, Term 2 will see a range of SSSSA sports kick off for the year.  SSSSA sports competitions occur between Port Augusta Secondary School, Whyalla Secondary School, Samaritan College and Caritas College.  Term 2 SSSSA events and associated dates/locations are as follows:

I am looking forward to again seeing our students competing against the other schools and showcasing what our school is all about and the sporting skills that our students possess.