Helen O’Brien, Director of Catholic Education SA shares a Catholic Education Week message:
Recently you will have seen the magazine feature in the Advertiser. What a remarkable story we tell about our school communities and the importance of every child in Catholic education! We can be proud of the contributions we make to the lives of the children and young people, families, staff and broader Church members through this sacred work that we call education; the work of teachers, leaders, other staff and colleagues in concert with parents.
This week we celebrate Catholic Education Week for 2016. It is a time to remind ourselves that ‘every child is held in God’s infinite tenderness and God is present in each of their lives’ (Evangelii Gaudium, 2013. No 274). Every child matters!
I offer you an image for reflection: each of us charged with the sacred ministry of educating, acts as the hands in which the child is held, in God’s name. We are the lived experience of infinite tenderness for children and young people in our schools. What does this exhortation from Pope Francis and the image of the hands of infinite tenderness call us to be and do for and with children and young people? I encourage staff to reflect on this. Educating is a profound calling and one which shapes the lives of those who are the future.
During Catholic Education Week, communities celebrate their commitment through offering an exciting range of experiences for their community and others’ engagement. I wish our communities every success. I know that there will be an excited buzz in our schools. Good luck with these initiatives!
During this week, let’s all have ‘a renewed appreciation of the God-defined mystery that is each child’s life. Children have their origin and fulfilment in an ultimate divine love; each is an “icon” through which the Mystery of God shines’ (Children: Close to the Mystery of God, 2015. P9)’.
Blessings to every child and young person.
Blessings to you in your sacred ministry.
Intergenerational playgroups are truly something special — an experience that enriches the lives of both the young and the older members of our community. These playgroups are more than just a space for children to play; they are a vital platform for different generations to come together, share wisdom, and build meaningful relationships.
