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Catholic Education South Australia
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01 Mar 2016
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Journey to Kirabati to make a difference

An invitation has been extended for a staff member from each school across the Diocese of Port Pirie to participate in the first Social Justice Outreach Experience to the village of Abaokoro in the Republic of Kiribati (pronounced Kir-ee-bas) in July 2016. 

In May 2015 as part of the 125 years celebrations of the Good Sams in the diocese, Catholic Education Diocese of Port Pirie and the Sisters of the Good Samaritan of the Order of St Benedict established a partnership agreement enabling staff from diocesan schools to engage in a ‘two-way’ outreach experience in Kiribati.

Abaokoro is thedestination where the I-Kiribati Sisters of the Good Samaritan provide an Early Learning Centre for the children of Abaokoro. A small government primary school, junior secondary school and a medical clinic are located close to the Good Samaritan Early Learning Centre. The inaugural 2016 outreach program will take place over the term 2 holiday period.

Brenda Keenan, Director of Catholic Education in the Diocese of Port Pirie will be leading the Kiribati Outreach experience in July. Father Brian Mathews, Parish Priest of Coober Pedy (Inland Mission) will co-lead as chaplain of ‘Team Kiribati’.

There are many factors that compete for attention in our schools and the daily reality of school life and the energy which it calls forth from staff, some of whom experience the added challenge of working in isolation in smaller schools, is ever increasing.

The vision of this outreach experience is threefold;

  • To provide opportunities for school staff to connect with, and be moved by, the human face of global inequality and injustice and to deepen our understanding of our Catholic Identity and the mission of our Catholic schools.
  • To develop a sense of community among staff across Catholic schools in the Diocese of Port Pirie and to assist them in the task of establishing supportive, collegial networks. The outreach experience will introduce staff and enable them to form networks and clusters, assisting them to feel part of a larger diocesan community and foster a greater sense of connectedness and belonging. We aim to have fun.
  • To provide participants with additional formation pertaining to principles of Catholic Social Teaching, including Social Justice and Ecological Awareness - reflecting on and developing our understanding of global issues as they affect our own school communities and our Pacific neighbours. 

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