Assistant Principal - Mission

Spotlight on Irene McCormack from Assembly.

This week, we heard from two students from Oxley, about their Justice patron for 2023. Here is what they presented:

Sister Irene McCormack was born in Western Australia on 21 August 1938 and grew up on a farm near Trayning. During her time at school she developed two great loves: love of God and love of teaching. By 15 she had decided to devote her life to God and to serving others. And after leaving school she joined the Sisters of St Joseph (the Josephites). She trained as a teacher and was a teacher in Western Australia for the next 30 years. Irene was a popular teacher and principal, but also known as feisty and demanding. She was an accomplished golfer and tennis player.

The young people of Catholic College, Perth, tell her story in these words:
“In the mid-1980’s Irene experienced a real dilemma with her vocation. She felt she had to volunteer to work with the most needy in order to be true to herself. She continually proclaimed about mission in the Church - to be an active part of the Global church. For that to have any value for her she felt she had to put her feet where her mouth was! The quote we have on our poster today captures this: “I have come to understand that effective action is a way of loving.”

Irene was “missioned to Peru” and arrived there in 1987. She was appointed to the rural district Huasahuasi (pronounced Whasa-whasi) in 1989. She took up the challenge of ministering to the impoverished.

For political reasons Communist rebels, the Shining Path, did not welcome missionaries and despite recognising the danger Irene and her fellow sisters continued to work with and for the village people, “I really believe and have experienced that the more committed you are the freer you are.” On the 21st of May 1991, Irene’s fears were realised when she and four others were dragged to the village square, told to lie face down and executed.

We know that Irene was frightened during her time in Whasa-whasi. We also know that during a retreat in January 1991 she experienced the gift of trust more deeply than ever before. She made a clay object in the shape of an open book on which she wrote the words in Spanish: “I Yahweh was from the beginning and will be until the end”, not distant, but with her.

After the retreat she wrote to a friend, “Thanks be to God I feel at peace and ready to live without fear. But I don’t take this grace lightly. I pray for it every day.”

Irene, in some ways, is a martyr, as she died for what she believed in. She is listed among the martyrs of Peru.

Sr Irene McCormack is the Patron of a College in Perth and is a house patron at a number of Josephite schools around the country.

As our Oxley House patron for Justice we can draw inspiration from her courage and commitment to serving the poor, no matter the cost. We can choose to stand up for those who are being treated unjustly.

Trinity Sunday

This Sunday is Trinity Sunday. It is a special Sunday in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church. It is celebrated on the Sunday following Pentecost, commemorating the central mystery of the Christian faith—the Holy Trinity. On this day, Catholics honor and reflect upon the belief in the three persons of God: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit.

During the Mass, the readings often include passages from the Old and New Testaments that highlight the presence and work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in salvation history.

Trinity Sunday serves as a reminder of the essential Christian belief in the Trinity and its implications for believers' spiritual lives. It invites Catholics to contemplate the infinite love and unity shared among the three persons of the Trinity and encourages them to seek a deeper relationship with each person of the Godhead. The feast also serves as a call to embrace the divine attributes of love, unity, and community in their own lives and relationships, mirroring the perfect communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

God For Us, we call You Father,
God Alongside Us, we call You Jesus,
God Within Us, we call You Holy Spirit.
You are the Eternal Mystery
That enables, enfolds, and enlivens all things,
Even us, and even me.
Every name falls short of your Goodness and Greatness.
We can only see who You are in what is.
We ask for such perfect seeing.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be.
Amen.
- Richard Rohr, OFM

Mass last week 

On Sunday we had another opportunity for members of our College community to serve within our broader St Agnes Parish community. We had over 30 college representatives in staff and students at the Sunday 5:00pm Mass. We welcomed parishioners as they arrived, proclaimed the word, ministered for Holy Communion, took the collections and provided music ministry. Mrs Daley was also able to share a bit about our College. After Mass, we then provide hospitality in the form of food and drinks. It was pleasing to see so many people stay back to share in the food provided by our school.

I would like to express my gratitude to all the students and staff who came along to help out - you were a true credit to our College and you demonstrated wonderful servant leadership.

We hope this becomes a regular feature each term and we will extend more invitations when the time comes in Term 3.

The Vinnies Winter Appeal

This year, the Vinnies Winter Appeal focuses on the issue of older women experiencing homelessness. Our school’s contributions to the Winter Appeal will allow Vinnies to continue supporting older women who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, to have access to the support they need to get back on their feet and to be safe and well.

The latest census figures revealed women over 55 remain one of the most at-risk demographics, increasing by 37% over the past decade to more than 7,300 across Australia.

In this, our Year of Justice, we can draw inspiration from our Justice patrons - St Vincent de Paul but also St Mother Teresa, St Mary MacKillop and Irene McCormack - all of whom lived lives devoted to helping the poor and outcast. Supporting this cause means that we are living out the corporal works of mercy.

• Joining in our Vinnies Sleepout: This will be held early in Term 3 on Friday, the 28th of July. It will be hosted at Newman Senior Technical College. This is a night of fun and games but provides a meaningful experience of understanding what it could be like to have to sleep rough.

Worshipping as a family is a beautiful practice to embed in our homes. Carving out just 10 minutes a day to come together, sit in peace, read God’s word or share a prayer for others and our world can bring many blessings into our lives. We gain a sense of peace when we simply stop and be together in prayer. We come closer together as a family founded on love when we pray with compassion for ourselves and others. We bring God into our family life when we hear his words and talk about what it might mean as we live our daily lives.

Here’s a simple guide for A Week of Family Prayer that you might use to inspire a week of worship in your home.