Flourishing Faith in Action
By Mo Cromar, Pastoral Associate
Year 9 students Jet Angus and Evie Donnelly from Rosebud, Charlee Dornom and Max Traube from Mornington, Tahlia Love and Matheus Pinzan from Tyabb together with staff Matt Williams, Vice Principal of Mission, Identity & Community and Mo Cromar, Pastoral Associate attended the annual Mercy Education Seeds of Justice camp in Anglesea.
Mr Williams navigated the lengthy delays on the Monash Freeway with patient careful driving and we were grateful to finally arrive four hours later in Anglesea, just in time to hear the keynote speaker, Abdul Rasuli, share the work of the Ballarat Afghan Asylum Group (BAAG). Our students found Abdul to be a resilient, articulate, humble and a hopeful leader for change, both here in Australia and in Afghanistan. We heard of BAAG's work supporting asylum seekers in Ballarat, together with raising awareness and funds to support remote mountainous communities in Afghanistan. These areas have been severely impacted by decades of conflict and donated essentials are carried by hand through rough treacherous terrain.
We also learned that women are prohibited from working and are dependent on male relatives for their everyday needs, placing extra burdens on communities. To meet the educative needs of both boys and girls, teachers and basics such as food, toilets and fresh water, are all required. Abdul said that $500 is all it costs to feed a family of 10 for six months. Our student representatives are now inspired to raise this sum by various fundraising initiatives, so watch this space!
Meanwhile, at the Anglesea camp, there were ample opportunities for prayer, reflection and feedback, including the designing of a new Seeds of Justice logo and a long steep and breezy nature walk to and from the beach.
Our students ably and respectfully represented Padua College with maturity, collaboration and compassion. Following a last-minute change due to a speaker's illness, Mo Cromar also flew the Padua flag, assisting in leading a session for participants to reflect on images of refugees, which concluded with the ten groups of students and staff composing and sharing their own powerful prayers of hope.
Our students reported that it was helpful to listen to different perspectives, to bond over shared learnings, and that it was an "amazing experience", as was demonstrated by the volume of singing on the return journey! Our time together ended in Mornington chapel, with the lighting of candles and prayers of grateful thanks for all we have and ones of hope for all refugees.
A wonderful example of our Catholic faith flourishing in action in the spirit of the Mercy tradition.
A Mercy Student Voice
By Amelia Barrette, Year 12 Elizabeth
The theme for the 2023 Frayne Speaking Festival was "Speak as your mind directs and always act with courage" (Catherine McAuley, founder of the Mercy Sisters). This theme was evident throughout the event, with a broad range of Mercy schools across Victoria engaging in various public speaking competitions. Students from Padua College answered the theme by speaking with conviction in each of the events to explore their views and acting with courage to debate with students from other schools across Victoria. Everyone involved acted with courage and spoke their mind, aligning with the theme and Catherine McAuley's well-known words. This opportunity allowed students to learn from each other, exchange perspectives, and further explore other views in an open environment.
ACRATH Ethical Morning Tea
Our student Social Justice team has been working on a project with ACRATH (Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans) this year, which culminated on Friday 1 September with the team hosting a staff morning tea to raise awareness around forced labor in the food industry. Products bearing the slavery-free logo were enjoyed and students briefed staff on their ACRATH project and research into the background of products that we consume each day and where they come from. For example, two-thirds of people trapped in modern slavery reside in the Asia-Pacific region, where many Australian companies source their materials and products. We thank former staff member and ACRATH Victorian Co-ordinator, Mrs Mary Cameron, for her passion and work with the Social Justice team on this project.
