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The Rosary - Contemplating with Mary the Mystery of Christ
During this month of May, following Fr Michael’s parish bulletin article last weekend about Our Lady of Fatima and with the Annual Marian Procession occurring this Sunday in Adelaide, Father Dean thought it timely to reflect more deeply on the importance of Mary the Mother of Jesus and the Mother of God in our Catholic Faith.

“Her role is not limited to theology but is also vital in our devotional and prayer life through the prayer of the Rosary. I quote from the Apostolic Letter of Pope John Paul II, Rosarium Virginis Mariae.

‘The Rosary of the Virgin Mary….is a prayer loved by countless Saints and encouraged by the Magisterium. Simple yet profound, it still remains, at the dawn of this third millennium, a prayer of great significance, destined to bring forth a harvest of holiness. It blends easily into the spiritual journey of the Christian life, which, after two thousand years, has lost none of the freshness of its beginnings and feels drawn by the Spirit of God …

The Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christocentric prayer. In the sobriety of its elements, it has all the depth of the Gospel message in its entirety, of which it can be said to be a compendium. It is an echo of the prayer of Mary, her perennial Magnificat or the work of the redemptive Incarnation which began in her virginal womb. With the Rosary, the Christian people sit at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love.’

Pope John Paul II countered the view that the Second Vatican Council downplayed the importance of the Rosary by saying ‘There are some who think that the centrality   of   the Liturgy, rightly stressed by the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, necessarily entails giving lesser importance to the Rosary. Yet, as Pope Paul VI made clear, not only does this prayer not conflict with the Liturgy, it sustains it, since it serves as an excellent introduction and a faithful echo of the Liturgy, enabling people to participate fully and interiorly in it and to reap its fruits in their daily lives … Yet the Rosary clearly belongs to the kind of veneration of the Mother of God described by the Council: a devotion directed to the Christological centre of the Christian faith, in such a way that “when the Mother is honoured, the Son ... is duly known, loved and glorified.”

Finally, Pope John Paul II says “But the most important reason for strongly encouraging the practice of the Rosary is that it represents a most effective means of fostering among the faithful that commitment to the contemplation of the Christian mystery. The Rosary belongs among the finest and most praiseworthy traditions of Christian contemplation.”

In this time of Renewal in Faith, let us pray the Rosary, as Mary always directs us towards her Son and strengthens us as His disciples.”

The Sacraments of Confirmation & Eucharist
This weekend we celebrate the Sacraments of Confirmation and first Eucharist for our children. This will occur at the Saturday Vigil Mass in Mount Gambier at 6.00pm on 27 May and at 11.00am Mass on Sunday 28 May. Please continue to pray for the families of the children who will be fully initiated into the Community of Faith through these Sacraments

31^st Annual Cardijn Exchange
I am delighted with the way in which our students are preparing for the 31^st annual Cardijn College Exchange. The sporting and debating competitions conducted this year at Tenison Woods College have a wonderful tradition, showcasing impressive skill level, team spirit and fair play. Sincere thanks to all parents, staff and students who are involved in preparing for the exchange and hosting our Cardijn visitors, with special thanks to Mr Ciaran Buckley, Sports Coordinator, and the Health and Physical Education Team for their coordination of such a significant event on our College calendar.

National Reconciliation Week - Our History, Our Story, Our Future
Beginning this Friday, National Sorry Day, through to 3 June, members of faith communities across Australia are encouraged to offer prayers for reconciliation between Indigenous and other Australians. This year’s theme for National Reconciliation Week is: Let’s Take the Next Steps.

National Day of Healing or Sorry Day (26 May) commemorates the anniversary of the tabling in 1997 of HREOC’s Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their families, Bringing Them Home.

National Reconciliation Week occurs from 27 May to 3 June each year, as these two dates mark important anniversaries in Australia’s history. On 27 May 1967, Australians passed a referendum that removed clauses from the Australian Constitution which discriminated against Indigenous Australians. On 3 June 1992, the High Court agreed with the position put in the Mabo case, that Australia had been occupied prior to European settlement, and as such, certain rights to native title were preserved by the Indigenous population. These two historic steps forwarded the recognition of Indigenous Australians and their rights, as they both reversed previously held beliefs.

This week is a time for all Australians to renew their commitment to reconciliation and to actively work against the injustice, prejudice and exclusion that plagues our common journey. As Australians, we are all here, woven into this country. As such and as part of our reconciliation journey, there are truths to tell, stories to celebrate and relationships to grow so that reconciliation can be at the heart of our nation’s future.

Students at Tenison Woods College will be invited to pray during this week for the unity and dignity of all peoples in Australia; accentuating that Reconciliation Week invites us all to acknowledge our history, celebrate our common story and build a resilient future as a diverse but unified Australia.

Harry Kewell
Do you have your tickets yet? Australia’s ‘Greatest Ever Footballer’ Harry Kewell, will be visiting Tenison Woods College in June as an official guest of the High Performance Sports Program.

Harry will be conducting an exclusive closed training session for the students currently enrolled in the Tenison Woods College HPSP/IGNITE football program. 

The visit, which will be a highlight on the HPSP calendar will provide the opportunity for our athletes and their families, as well as the wider community to hear first-hand, from Australia’s ‘Greatest Ever Footballer’ what it takes to reach the very top and will include ‘A Night of Inspiration’ with Harry Kewell in the Barrie Holmes Stadium on Saturday 3 June. If you are interested in booking a ticket for this event, please contact the College or book online at www.ticketebo.com.au/harrykewelltwc.

China Trip - 14 April 2018 – 29 April 2018
I invite members of our community to express interest in a trip to China in 2018. The trip is being organised by Snowie Aarts in collaboration with Annie Clifford and will be a great chance to reconnect with some of our Chinese sister schools. What a wonderful way to experience China as part of a delegation that is being greeted by our warm and enthusiastic Chinese friends who are keen to repay our hospitality during their recent visits.      

Carpark Care
I remind families of the care required in the carpark area. The speed limit of 15km / hour is designed to assist with maintaining the safety of all community members, particularly those walking and riding bikes to school. Please keep in mind that the one metre distance between car and bike still applies within the school grounds.

The smooth running of the ‘kiss and drop’ area depends on the courtesy of all users to keep the traffic moving. Should children not be at the ‘kiss and drop’ area ready for pick up, I ask parents to complete another cycle of the area to ensure others can collect their waiting children.
 

Staff Professional Development Days – 8 and 9 June
Staff are looking forward to the staff professional development days on Thursday 8 and Friday 9 June, when they will look at two specific areas:

• Wellbeing and Resilience in our Community – Scoping and Sequence of EY-12 Program with the support of SAHMRI
• Our Whole School Action Research Project, informed by workshops conducted by Rowena Ulbricht that will consider 21st Century Learning Design – self-regulation and knowledge.

I trust students and parents will experience the benefits of these days through our service to students and families throughout the College. I remind families that these are student-free days. 

God Bless,

David Mezinec | Principal

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