Churchill Avenue News

Our year has begun with great energy and joy in the Faith & Mission area. We’ve been blessed to welcome all of our new staff and year 7 students to the college in the recent College Opening Mass. This annual event was celebrated in our Blessed Daswa Hall filled to the brim with our growing community. We welcomed new staff, processed in our new Year 7 students and placed their name within the Sacred Heart statue for the next six years of safekeeping, and inducted our new student leaders. Furthermore, it was during this mass we announced our annual theme for 2024: Let love flow from the heart as living water.

Our theme is drawn from the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well in chapter 4 of John’s Gospel. This story is beautifully dramatized in this video and I encourage you all to watch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el7dzoNV3IY

Our theme focuses on two powerful symbols, water and the heart. When I think of living water I imagine a bubbling stream or flowing river bringing life to all about it. This water is alive and in turn brings life. The other symbol of the heart is significant in our college history due to our connection to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. A beating heart makes me think of life, of love, of energy and excitement – of our humanity. Our theme calls us to live with hearts so full of love for ourselves, our neighbours, and God that it overflows and reaches all around us. I entrust to you our annual theme and ask that you share in it, may your hearts flow with living water and love.

In this light I want to bring to attention of first fundraising appeal for the year: Project Compassion 2024 in collaboration with Caritas Australia. They work locally and internationally in areas such as crisis response, education, healthcare, community building, advocacy, peace and more. Every year during Lent we focus on prayer, fasting and almsgiving, and we encourage all our students and staff to think of others in need and contribute to the Project Compassion appeal.

To learn more about Project Compassion and donate to the fundraising appeal please visit: https://schools.projectcompassion.org.au/o/caroline-chisholm-catholic-college or use the QR code provided. I only ask that when you donate please include the Learner Mentor group of your child in the name so we can congratulate these Learner Mentor groups.

Thank you and have a blessed Lent,

Tristan O’Brien