Dean of Identity | Mr Terry Thompson
A Spirited tomorrow
This week, we celebrate Catholic Education Week. Catholic Education Week is an opportunity for all 309 Catholic schools in Queensland to celebrate and promote their distinctive mission and ethos. This year is especially significant as we also celebrate the 150th anniversary of our oldest Edmund Rice school, Parade College (Victoria) and 200 years of Catholic Education in Australia.
Catholic education strives to make a difference in the lives of those in our schools and the wider community by challenging young people to live out the message of Jesus and to reach their full potential as compassionate, contributing, life-giving members of society.
The theme for Catholic Education Week this year is A spirited tomorrow. This theme acknowledges the long tradition of Catholic education and its continued relevance in preparing students for the future. The theme references the work of the Plenary Council in discerning the way forward for the Church in Australia and complements the Faith in the Future theme of the 200 years of Catholic education celebrations.
In Pastoral Care group this week, students watched the following video - a snapshot of the last 200 years of Australian Catholic education. Since 1845, Queensland Catholic schools have been a vital part of this story. Additionally, Pastoral Care Mentors shared with their PC group what it means to teach in a Catholic school. For me, teaching and working in a Catholic school means being guided and inspired by the Gospel values and Catholic social teachings to be someone who makes a difference. It means nurturing the future of the Church in Australia by mentoring the Gentlemen of Terrace to be the best version of themselves and living with Jesus in their hearts.
The College Advisory Board and Year 7 Magee, Mahoney and Reidy hosted Catholic Education Week Mass in the Chapel of The Holy Family on Tuesday morning. It was a special occasion to mark this significant week in the College calendar.
Thank you to the entire Terrace staff for the wonderful job they continue to do every day to celebrate Catholic education at Terrace.
Lord, God of all Creation, as we celebrate the great gift that is Catholic Education in Queensland, we give thanks for the many ways You walked beside us, held, comforted and inspired us.
In embracing our Spirited Tomorrow, we also rejoice in the knowledge that our stories are woven into the Spirit that flows through all our faith-filled communities. As we look towards new horizons, may we walk boldly forward, together in hope, trusting in the plans you have for us. We make this prayer in Jesus’ name. AMEN