THE GREAT CROSS

St Joseph’s Nudgee College has marked a number of milestones in our unfolding story this year.

The College began operations on site 130 years ago; the Catholic Church in Australia marks 200 years since the opening of the first Catholic School and we mark the conclusion of the restoration of the College’s historical precinct around the Treacy Building. The coming together of these three occasions, particularly the restoration of the parts of the College Br Treacy built in order that the College could open in 1891, called for a fitting commemoration.

In our celebration, it was felt we should acknowledge our heritage and the gifts and blessings given to us, inviting future generations to continue giving thanks to God for this grace. Something substantial was called for, something that spoke of our past and proclaimed the values Br Treacy put at the heart of our community from the beginning: the faith, formation and opportunity.

The dedication on the plate attached to the base of the Great Cross reads the following.

We acknowledge all those who have built this community of faith and learning over those 130 years: Members of the congregation of Christian Brothers, the Catholic Community of Queensland and Australia and beyond, families and friends of the College, members of the College staff, and the young men of Nudgee.

Our Great Cross acknowledges the faith at the core of our daily life, the education and formation carried out on this site for 130 years and the opportunities given to Nudgee College students over that time by the generosity of others

The choice of a Celtic design for our Great Cross was a simple one. Nothing else could describe the history, culture and faith of our community so succinctly. The triquetra, trefoil or three-cornered knots, on the face of the cross speak of the Christian God, the Trinity and, being unbreakable, remind us of our connection to this place, this community and to our God.

In his history of Nudgee College, Fr Boland described the original buildings:

A lot of Br Treacy went into the building of Nudgee College and not just his hopes and dreams. The style of the building was Treacy himself – grand, solid and strong, meant to endure the shock of storms and the heat of the blazing sun; yet with a touch of grace and beauty. The lines are straight, definite, a construction of strength and purpose – and that was Treacy.

Nudgee College’s Great Cross is grand, solid and strong, with its own grace and beauty. It will bear the storms and heat of many years, standing as a Signum Fidei - a ‘Sign of Faith’, for coming generations of students and their families.

WRITTEN BY DEAN OF IDENTITY MR STEPHEN MEARA