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College Opening Mass
The Opening College Mass and Commissioning & Blessing Ceremony for our new Principal, Mrs Deborah Barker, was a celebration for the St Kevin’s College community.
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Due to restrictions in place at St Patrick’s Cathedral, the Opening College Mass had to be moved to Smith Hall, so we could maximise the number of invited guests and staff, along with all Year 12 students and a representation of students from Year 1 to Year 11. Former SKC students, Most Reverend Terence Curtain (SKC ’63), Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne, and Reverend Mark Reynolds (SKC ’71), led the celebrations along with friend of the College, Reverend Sasha BermudezGoldman SJ.
Our Eucharistic Celebration allowed us to ask God’s blessings on what we are about to undertake this year, to call upon the God of New Beginnings to guide, accompany and celebrate with us a year full of promise and possibility. Our Opening College Mass helps us to celebrate our Catholic Identity and our efforts in all that we do in Catholic Education. We recognise Christ is the light and we want to share that light with the next generation, those who have been entrusted to our care and to continue the extraordinary mission of helping the next generation walk in the light.
The Commissioning and Blessing Ceremony was led by College Captain, Nicholas Baré and Deputy College Captains, Luca Di Conza, Dominic Morelli and Lucas Harrison. Nicholas reminded us our meeting this day was a gathering in the presence of our God, who is the perfect example of community in relationship. Presentations were made to Mrs Barker of a candle, to represents the receiving of light that comes with being a leader in our College community and a College Bible. In presenting of the Word of God, to Mrs Barker, we were invited to pray that she finds comfort and inspiration in the Gospel message and that the word of the Gospel sinks deep into our hearts.
The importance of the Word of God here can’t be lost. The mission of SKC is to bring to the young people entrusted to our care the perspective of faith. When we ask, how shall I live, what is the purpose of life, how should I direct my actions, we find our response in Jesus Christ.
As Faith Leader of St Kevin’s, Mrs Barker holds at the heart of our being, our Catholic identity. SKC exists to provide a structured context where students, staff and families can experience what it means to say that each of us has a relationship with Christ. We are a community that accepts values, that recognises the importance of virtue, and attempts to model what a good and just, caring and faithful society would be like. Therefore, we always aspire to be faithful to the four Touchstones of Catholic schools in the Edmund Rice tradition: Liberating Education, Gospel Spirituality, Inclusive Community, Justice and Solidarity.
As we continue to journey through this school year, we do so with hope, confidence and enthusiasm, knowing that we bring something unique to those in our College community that no-one else can. We share the story of Jesus. And like St Kevin of Glendalough and Blessed Edmund Rice of Waterford, who both brought the light of Christ into the world by their faith filled responses and actions, so, too, do all of us offer the same faithfilled answer, and do our part to share the light.
