Churchill Avenue News

Many Minds, One Heart

This week I had the pleasure of farewelling my Year 12 class and thanking them for their hard work this year. Likewise, all around the College, teachers and Year 12 students are celebrating their accomplishments and preparing for their final exams. It is a time of excitement, gratitude, uncertainty and transition.

In the upcoming Graduation Mass and Ceremony our College Captains will remove from the Sacred Heart statue the list of all students from the Graduating Class of 2024. This moment symbolises their departure from the College, and that their 6 years as students has ended. They have been at the heart of our College, the lifeblood, the joy, the love, the spark that has echoed through the corridors and courtyards.

This common spark of love is the element that brings us all together, our One Heart. The beauty being that the one heart, centred on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, is enriched by the Many Minds that make up our community. It is our diversity and uniqueness, unified in the heart, that is our strength.

And so, for my reflection, I wish to emphasise our College Motto and Crest. Our college motto reflects the balance between striving for academic excellence and growing in the light of Jesus Christ reflected in our words and actions.

Our motto reflects the values that life at the core of our educational mission; knowledge, learning, faith and dignity. These values we identify in the person of Jesus, the depth of love in the Sacred Heart, and in the lived example of Caroline Chisholm.

Our college crest is composed of three elements: the cross, the shield and our motto. The Sacred Heart Cross represents our commitment to faith in Jesus by position the heart at the centre. By placing the Sacred Heart at the centre of the cross we are also reminded that our college, and its three precursors, were founded by religious communities dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus – The Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Brothers of the Sacred Heart.

The shield is divided into four quadrants by the Sacred Heart Cross. The symbol of the shield reflects the protection and security that we find in God our Father’s love. The use of a light red colour in three of the quadrants is intended to reflect the three colleges combining, through the maroon heart, to form a single vision moving forward – in essence, the many minds becoming one heart.

Radiating from the heart into all quadrants of the shield are rays of light. Jesus is light of the world and calls every person to likewise “Let your light shine” (Matthew 5:16) for all to see so that God may be known and glorified. The light radiating from the Sacred Heart is a reminder of God’s love permeating our lives and our world, and it is a continual reminder to let our own light shine forth so that we may illumine the world with the light of love.

Finally, our college motto is emblazoned upon the shield: Many Minds, One Heart. These words speak to our past, present and future. They are a practical exemplification of what it means to love God and love our neighbour following the example of Jesus Christ.

In conclusion, as our Year 12 students graduate and depart from our College in the coming week, let us pray for them as they continue their journey and embrace the opportunities ahead. For 6 years they have worn our College crest and lived by our motto, may they remember always that they were and will always be held lovingly in our hearts.

Tristan O'Brien
Deputy Principal, Faith and Mission