Christian Service

Mrs Marya Stewart Director of Christian Service

Since the election of Pope Francis there has been an air of optimism and hope in the Church because he speaks and acts as a man in touch with ordinary people and the concerns of the world. In his exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium – The Joy of the Gospel – he speaks of the Church as an evangelising community that becomes involved in people’s daily lives by word and deed: bridging distances, willing to abase itself if necessary to embrace human life, touching the suffering flesh of Christ in others. Pope Francis puts it quite delightfully as taking on the ‘smell of the sheep’. He describes the Church as a mother with an open heart that goes forth into the world, to spread the joy of the Gospel, first and foremost to the fringes of humanity, to the poor and the sick, to those who are usually despised and overlooked. He expresses a preference for a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.

It is challenging to hear Pope Francis say, as he did very early in his papacy, “I want a Church which is poor and for the poor,” because he envisions a Church where none of us can think we are exempt from concern for the poor and for social justice. For Francis this requires a loving attentiveness to the person who is poor so that we serve him or her, not out of necessity or vanity, but rather because he or she is beautiful above and beyond mere appearances.

Christian Service at Trinity College works to embody this message by giving every student the opportunity to develop relationships with people in our society who are marginalised or in need of assistance because of the circumstances in which they find themselves.

The Year 7 program, Serving to Belong, introduces students to the concept of stewardship – the need to take care of the environment which we inhabit, particularly our Swan River, so that all creatures and future generations will be able to live in and enjoy it. They also learn about the culture of service which has been embedded in the life of Trinity College from its earliest foundations.

Students in Ms Kathryn Down’s RE class wrote some reflections on their experience. Simon Fernandes (7.2) wrote that he had learnt that “Christian Service is something you do for the needs of others and do it without receiving something back for it, so it is basically heroic love.” Tadhg Glynn (7.2) wrote, “wow, I never knew that Trinity had such a rich background. I think Christian Service is very important because it means getting out there and helping others less fortunate than yourself. If Trinity did not do Christian Service then Perth, let alone the rest of the world would be much worse off.” Owen McMahon’s (7.2) reflection on the Sustain our Swan program was that it “was fun but it was disgusting to see the amount of rubbish that is around the river. It is important to conserve our environment and not destroy it.”

The Year 8 program, Our Neighbour, begins with the story of the Good Samaritan from Luke’s Gospel which challenges students to see that, as Christians, we are called to respond to the needs of people wherever we come across someone struggling. Stories from Blessed Edmund Rice’s life also demonstrate the sacrifices he was prepared to make to serve God, by caring for others. All students are expected to complete fifteen hours of service over twelve weeks in their family or local communities, so as to really develop a habit of seeing a need and acting every day. As Joseph Eng (8.6) wrote in his journal, “the Good Samaritan took real and practical action to help someone when he treated the injured man with oil and wine” and “Edmund decided to help the boys of Waterford because he wanted to make the world a more forgiving place.” Rhys Bormolini’s (8.2) thoughts on helping his uncle with gardening were, “helping a family member do chores around the house as well as the company I gave my uncle were just the kind of thing that Jesus would do.” On his work at a local primary school, what he enjoyed most was seeing “the faces on all the little ones when they saw my friend and me coming to help them.” David Cain (8.1) wrote in his journal, “when you do things for others they appreciate it and they are happy with you and your relationship grows.”

Year 9 students, through the program Restoring Relationships, and over a three week period for one hour a week, are involved in the world of primary school children who, for a variety of different reasons, need support and assistance in the classroom. The schools we visit offer breakfast for needy children or reading programs, which benefit from the individual help that Year 9 students can offer. Blake Fabling’s (9.6) thoughts on this experience were that he learnt “some people aren’t as privileged as us” and Samuel Moffat (9.3) that, “small things can help others”.

Experience Counts, in Year 10, is designed to challenge the stereotype that ‘elderly people have little to offer’, by taking the time to spend an hour on Friday afternoons getting to know elderly residents of aged care homes. This experience can change attitudes and help young people empathise with elderly people. As Tamba Lebbie (10.3) wrote in his journal, “I used to think old people were a different species, but they are just like us, they have the same dilemmas and quirks.” Joshua Naylor (10.3) wrote, “I learnt how kind, smart and caring elderly people are and how they also actively engage with others”.

The senior students were asked in one section of their journal to reflect on the meaning of the Kingdom of God. Here are their responses:

“The Kingdom of God signifies the eternal family that is present among all people in heaven and earth. It represents a family who work together to alleviate hardship and to benefit each other.” Mihali Kakulas (12.2)

Lachlan Hogg (10.3) noticed that “one lady spent the whole day in bed, which made me feel sad and helpless but then a nurse gave her a dancing teddy bear and she started to smile and laugh and I felt happy and relieved.” Trong Nguyen (10.3) met “the most memorable person, a lady who was a Scrabble master who never ceased to amaze me with her knowledge”. Eoghan McElwee (10.3) found that “I experienced joy when all the people started singing and playing games and I felt happy, which was weird because I didn’t know the songs but I saw them looking happy and it made me happy”. Liam Crevola’s (10.3) final reflection was that “I now want to help old people and I have found myself being empathetic towards them.”

In the Year 11 program, Sharing Gifts, students spent five days in an agency of their choice caring for others. Daniel Gileno (11.3), who was placed with an Aboriginal child care centre wrote, “I had a good relationship with two children who love to have a kick with me. When I arrived in the morning they would scream out my name, run up to me and hug me.” Nathan Sparks (11.4) spent his week at a centre for refugees where he met an Afghan woman who had come to Australia in 2010. “She has some difficulties with English but her passion and drive to learn is very inspiring. I’ve come to know her kind and gentle heart and can tell by her face she has experienced a lot of hardship. She is very grateful for my help but not as grateful as I am to have experienced talking to someone from her background.” About the centre he wrote, “it is almost a shelter to these people from all the injustices that exist in the world.” Andreas Graspas (11.2) was placed in an aged care centre and his description of one of the residents was heartfelt. “Although this lady is both blind and deaf, this doesn’t restrict her from living a happy, fruitful life, doing what she pleases. She is a lovely woman and an inspiration to me. I have learnt from her, to never give up in life, no matter what your circumstances may be.” James Valentine (11.4) was based in a special school for children with disabilities, and he wrote that “I have seen God in each of the students I have met, in the fact that they are as happy and joyful in the situation they are in, which really makes us aware of how no one should ever take life for granted.”

The Senior Project was undertaken by 42 Year 12 students. The majority of these young men completed over one hundred hours of service within the College and with community organisations which care for the needs of others in our society. Many were involved in more than two hundred hours, with a small group of four outstanding students: Morgan Hindle (12.4), Jarrod Hall (12.5), Joshua Adams (12.4) and Matthew Youens (12.2), giving service of four hundred or more hours.

Caritas Cake Sale by brothers Alessio Cottino (7.7) and Gianluca Cottino (8.2)

Daniel Gileno (11.3), Beau Salvia (11.4), James Valentine (11.4) and Jack Newman (11.7) working their shift at the Red Cross Soup Patrol.

“The kingdom of God is a place of love, compassion and kindness. In order for us to build this kingdom on earth, we must show all people, no matter what race, colour or beliefs, respect and unconditional love, a love given to us by our parents and from God.” Peri Angelo Libao (12.3)

“Bringing the Kingdom of God on earth means to be servants to one another and to respect everyone’s right to an equal society. Simple acts of helping others are working towards this and if everyone was less concerned with material things and more with relationships with others this would be a start.” Joshua Adams (12.4)

Students were also asked to identify social justice issues that they became aware of through their placements:

“A social justice issue that I became aware of is the prejudice encountered by those with mental disabilities. After this I felt a need to act so I volunteered for an organisation that gives great experiences for disabled people. I participated in Surfing for the Disabled day where I pushed people on surf boards along the waves. This small action allows people with a disability to experience something we take for granted.” Zachary Betts (12.1)

Julian Gangemi (12.4) also said “he felt privileged to work alongside intellectually disabled people,” but he noticed that the “lives of people with intellectual disabilities were affected by marginalisation and discrimination and that this goes against what God teaches us, that we are all equal and deserve to be treated fairly and justly in our everyday lives.”

Andrew Florido’s (12.1) experience with refugees highlighted that “refugees feel alienated and like outcasts in our society” and he was “determined to seek to change that by treating them with respect and equality in every interaction with them.”

Andrew Lim (12.1) commented that by being involved in the Senior Project he had come to “realise that everyone no matter how great or small can make a difference. It took me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow, to become more selfless and to see God in small things like children’s smiles.”

Anthony Dawson (12.4) wrote that “he learnt a sense of solidarity and respect for the students who were good, funny and hardworking, despite their disabilities. It reinforced my view that we should treat everyone like equals and that we often look at the minor details of people when we should be looking at how they benefit the bigger picture of God’s artistry?”

The words of our students reflect so strongly a message of hope for the world and for our Church. It reveals, as Pope Francis says “a belief that goodness always tends to spread. Every authentic experience of truth and goodness seeks by its very nature to grow within us, and any person who has experienced profound liberation becomes more sensitive to the needs of others.” As it expands, goodness takes root and develops. The secret of leading a dignified and fulfilling life, is that we have to reach out to others and seek their good.

World’s Greatest Shave Year 9 Student Curtis Multari (9.4) and Year 11’s Mason Anderson (11.4), Sheldon Dias (11.7), Liam Fernandes (11.3), Rory Kendell (11.7) and Jesse Vivante (11.5) all participated in this worthy cause and shaved their heads in support. As they exceeded their fundraising target Mr John Overton also had to shave off his beard.