VISION AND ART

A City of Swan requirement of our building programme is that we commit 1% of the project cost to public art.  You may have noticed a cross has been installed on the west wall of Fitzroy.  This cross reflects the Vision of our College through its colours and the flames, The style of the cross captures elements of the Mercy cross with a cross inlaid within a cross and, also the El Salvadoran ‘Romero crosses’, with their primary colours. 

 

Today a sculpture of Oscar Romero was installed on the boulevard between Fitzroy and New Norcia.  The sculpture is the work of artists Joan and Charlie Smith.  It is a magnificent piece of work, depicting Romero ‘walking his faith’.  The sculpture is positioned with Romero walking from the Church to engage with the world, just as Romero himself journeyed to walk with the poor of El Salvador.  

 

Tomorrow, art will be installed above the fence between Fitzroy and the Church.  This artwork will tell the story of our House patrons.  The theme of pilgrimage is central to both the sculpture and the artwork on the fence.  Each of our patrons journeyed to live out their faith – Romero walked with the poorest of the poor in San Salvador; Ursula Frayne travelled to the Swan River Colony to provide education; Frederic Ozanam journeyed from his home in Lyon to Paris where he established the St Vincent de Paul Society and Rosendo Salvado travelled from Spain to Australia where he journeyed through the bush to work with aboriginal people in the place now known as New Norcia.   The camino shell, the symbol of pilgrimage is visible on each of the patron stories depicted on the fence panels.  Artist, Tony Pankiw, has done a wonderful job in capturing the story of our patrons and the way in which they lived out Gospel values.  Tony also created the cross on the wall of Fitzroy.

 

Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage is an important faith practice at Holy Cross College and all students participate in a pilgrimage each year.  This week the Year 6 students participated in a pilgrimage to South Perth, walking in the footsteps of Sr Irene McCormack.  The Sisters of St Joseph have a convent in South Perth where there is a memorial for Sr Irene.  The Year 6 students were very fortunate to have Bernadette McCormack, sister of Irene, speak to them.  It was a very special experience which they will always remember.  Students in Years 8, 9 and 11 have walked sections of the Camino Salvado during the past week and tomorrow Year 10 students will walk a beautiful section of the Camino through the Julimar forest.  A group of students and staff will walk Section 1 of the Camino Salvado on Saturday in order to complete this section of the pilgrimage. Thanks to Mr Harry Muller for organizing this opportunity for students to complete sections of the Camino they may have missed.

 

Long Weekend

Next Friday 2 June is a professional learning day for staff and there are no classes on this day.  Students will have an extra long weekend as there will also be no classes on Tuesday, 6 June, the day after the Foundation Day holiday.  The College Office will close at 4.00pm on Thursday 1 June and reopen at 8.00am on Wednesday 7 June.  The days with no classes provide an excellent opportunity for students to complete ‘Giving Life’, Christian Service hours.

 

 

 

BUEN CAMINO

Our Camino de Santiago pilgrims returned from Spain at the beginning of term.  It was wonderful to travel with this group of young people and to walk in the footsteps of Dom Rosendo Salvado.  I was very impressed with the students’ reflections each evening and it was clear this was a deeply spiritual journey for them.  Thanks to Mr Simon Falcone, Mrs Geraldine Nolan and Mrs Susan Wilson for all their work in preparing for the Camino Europe trip and for all their work during the time we were away.

 

Today Year 7 students commenced the Camino Salvado.  They started their journey in Subiaco, visiting the site of the Benedictine monastery, and also St Joseph’s Church, where they received a blessing from Monsignor Kevin Long.   From Subiaco the group walked to Victoria Square where they visited St Mary’s Cathedral and saw the original Convent of the Holy Cross and the 400 year old bell from Santiago de Compostela.  When they reached Maylands the students had their pilgrims’ passports stamped before gathering to give thanks as they prayed the Pilgrims’ Prayer.

 

Staff 

At the beginning of this term the following new staff joined our College:

-          Grace Bradshaw – School Nurse

-          Edwina Bowden – Teacher – Supporting Students With Disabilities

-          Tara Grey – Administration Assistant

We are pleased to welcome them to our Holy Cross Community.

 

Opening of Performing Arts Facilities

We have now taken possession of New Norcia, which houses facilities for dance, drama and music.  Students and staff are enjoying having access to these beautiful learning and performance spaces.  Students also now have access to the play area between Fitzroy and New Norcia.  The slide, which runs between the upper level of the College and the lower, is very popular!

 

Visitors from Thailand

Yesterday we welcomed visitors from Maryvit Education Centre in Thailand. The visitors were accompanied by Sr Petra Likhittam, a Presentation Sister, educated in Australia and the USA, who has worked in a number of Thai schools.  Mr Terry Palmer, foundation Principal of St Helena’s Catholic Primaty School, organised the visit.  The group visited a number of schools in Perth during the week and gathered ideas to enhance education in their own College.