Annual Celebration Night

The Holy Cross College Annual Celebration Night was held on the evening of Thursday 26 October 2017. The weather presented significant challenges with damp conditions and strong winds. However, with a little bit of lateral thinking and ingenuity the San Salvador Undercroft was transformed into a warm and acoustically sound auditorium. With a packed house, the evening commenced with a powerful liturgy depicting many parallels in the life journey’s of Jesus Christ and Oscar Romero.

The Annual Celebration Night aims to acknowledge the academic achievements and efforts of students throughout the 2017 school year. We congratulate all award winners. We especially congratulate Gabriella-Rose van der Linde on being awarded the Oscar Romero Medal, which is the highest award presented on the night and is awarded to the student who epitomises all that the College strives to be. Congratulations are also extended to the 2018 College Captains, Chloe Ryan and Cian Guest, Life Captains, House Captains and Life Leaders. The Graduating Class of 2017 were presented with their Graduation Certificates following their Graduation Mass held in the previous week. The presence of our special guests and families made for a very enjoyable and memorable night.

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In recent years there has been a revival of superhero movies from Marvel and DC Comics. What is it about superheroes that we all love and admire? Essentially, it is that they are people who lead normal, ordinary lives, but are able to draw on an inner strength or power that enables them to accomplish amazing feats of goodness and triumph against evil. Clark Kent is an ordinary everyday newspaper reporter before donning his tights to become Superman. A mod boutique owner, Diana Prince draws on a mythical and spiritual past to become Wonder Woman, renowned for her lasso of truth. As Spiderman, Peter Parker, the shy, insecure and lonely College student dealing with the normal struggles of youth, had to learn for himself that with great power comes great responsibility to do good.

While these characters might be fictitious there are many real life Superheroes. Mahatma Ghandi used his amazing power of patience and non-violence to defeat the Colonialist and win freedom for the Indian people. Martin Luther King is another modern day superhero, who claimed that “nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. It is a weapon unique in history, which cuts without wounding, and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals”. Many other Superheroes that drew on an inner wisdom, strength or spirit, often in times of danger or hardship, include Florence Nightingale, Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Nelson Mandela.

In recent times we have begun to honour the Superheroes of our society for their amazing feats of bravery and acts of kindness.

People such as:

•  Mrs Editha Aquino who, on the morning of 18 June 2007, went to the assistance of a woman being attacked in Melbourne;
• On the night of 30 April 2006, Mr Paul Fitzgerald rescued a woman from a burning house at Conder, Australian Capital Territory;
• On the afternoon of 8 June 2007, Paul Devereux and the crew of the Newcastle Harbour Tugboat 'Watagan' assisted in the rescue of a fishing boat during a severe storm; and
• Gwen Abikhair received the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2005 for giving more than 30 years of service to people with disabilities. 

While all of these people are just ordinary people they are real life Superheroes because of their amazing acts of bravery and kindness.

People who do spontaneous acts of bravery and kindness often downplay suggestions of being superheroes and remark that “they just reacted to the situation and anyone else would do the same”. True or not, we all have the gifts of the spirit, which we need to nurture and develop and learn, just like Peter Parker, that with great power comes great responsibility to do good. As ordinary people we too can be superheroes.

We look to our College patrons as role models for inspiration, motivation and guidance in our lives. Perhaps we could emulate some of their most amazing characteristics. Our College patrons were ordinary people who achieved extraordinary things in their lives. They are superheroes who we can admire and call on when we need help.

Throughout 2017, we have been honouring the life of our College Patron, Oscar Romero, a real superhero of our time. 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of his birth. Oscar Romero was an ordinary man who demonstrated extraordinary courage and nerve to stand up against the powerful oligarchs in El Salvador to seek justice for the poor and oppressed people of his country.

He began as a conservative, but events changed him. He became archbishop of San Salvador in 1977 at a time when community leaders and priests who spoke out over the nation’s extreme and pervasive poverty were being killed by death squads funded by the country’s exploitative coffee barons. Rural peasants and urban demonstrators were massacred on the streets by the army. Political prisoners were kidnapped and tortured. Churches were desecrated, and diocesan radio stations and newspapers bombed. Romero spoke out against all that. To the repressive elite, he was a communist in a cassock. He was shot dead at the altar by a paid assassin.

While civil war raged for a further 12 years after Romero’s death, his voice continued to resonate in El Salvador and around the world. On 15 March 2009, the president of El Salvador announced that his government would be inspired by Romero and the “option for the poor” - choosing to put the most vulnerable people first.

On May 23 2015, Pope Francis announced that Oscar Romero was a martyr, and he was beatified in El Salvador. Pope Francis sent a letter, that was read out during the beatification ceremony, saying all those who hold Archbishop Romero “as a friend in faith, who invoke him in as protector and intercessor, who admire him, should find in him strength and energy to build the Kingdom of God”.

In these words, Pope Francis is talking directly to us, the community of Holy Cross College, as we seek to build the Kingdom of God through the inspirational life of Oscar Romero, a real superhero of our time.

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In just a few short years since Holy Cross College opened in 2010, the school has established a faith story that is as rich as schools that have been operating for one-hundred years. Our story is clearly centred in Christ, with the Holy Cross focussing all our attention and efforts on living life to the full, as revealed by Jesus Christ. Our College Patrons show us that a deep faith in Jesus can inspire ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things. Other rituals such as Friday Gospel, Prayers, Masses and Liturgies, and our Pilgrimage Walks serve to strengthen and embellish our faith story. In particular, walking the Camino Salvado has become a distinctive faith tradition at Holy Cross College to the point other schools are beginning to emulate it.

The Camino Salvado is about spiritual reflection, connection and renewal. It follows the Pilgrims Trail from St Joseph’s Church in Subiaco to New Norcia. The trail is approximately 180kms long and travels through the City past places of historical interest and out of the metropolitan area along the beautiful Swan river foreshore. It travels past Bells Rapids through the Walyunga National Park and the Chittering Valley to Julimar Forest, and then via the Old Plains Rd into New Norcia.

In Spain, Pilgrims who complete the entire Camino receive a specially designed certificate called a Compostella when the journey is completed for religious or spiritual reasons and a certificado if completed for other motivations.

Next year’s Year 12’s, the Graduating Class of 2018, will be the first group to complete the Camino as a year level. During Annual Celebration Evening we recongised a small number of people who completed the whole trail this year by presenting them with the Holy Cross Compostella.

Two students from the Class of 2017 made a special effort to complete the extra sections required to complete the whole journey.

Students

• Logan Kain
• Nikkie Lukanga 

Four staff members also complete the entire journey in 2017.

Staff

• Anna Amatulli
•  Geraldine Nolan
• Cathie Lewis
• Simon Falcone

We congratulate our Pilgrims on their magnificent achievement.

We look forward to presenting many students with their Holy Cross Compostella in the coming years.

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I would like to take this opportunity to thank all members of the College community for your contribution to the Life of the College throughout 2017. I am grateful to the College Board for overseeing the Capital Development and Finances, particularly throughout the period enormous construction and development in recent years. I am also grateful to the Friends of Holy Cross College for building a strong community spirit and for the many fundraisers and social events undertaken throughout the year. Mrs Susan Sorenson has led the team for the past three years and has continued to build a formidable team of parents and friends. Mrs Sorensen considers herself an expert at sausage sizzles. Mrs Sorensen will conclude her time as president of the Friends of Holy Cross this year and we thank her for her tireless work and outstanding leadership.

I would also like to thank the staff, both teaching and support staff, for the awesome job they do throughout the year and their generosity of time and spirit. We are truly fortunate to have such a talented and enthusiastic group of people. I am particularly grateful for the support of the Senior Leadership Team – Mr Paul Murphy, Ms Anita O’Donohue, Ms Kylie Henderson, Mrs Vanja Basell and Mr James Parsons, especially during my time as Acting Principal.

A number of people conclude their time at Holy Cross College at the end of the Year:

Mrs Marnie Barratt concludes her time at Holy Cross College after joining the staff in June this year. Mrs Barratt has made an enormous impact in such a short time, especially in the Health & Physical Education Learning Area, and we would be delighted to see you back at Holy Cross in the near future.

Mrs Deborah Boylen leaves to take up a position at another new Catholic School, Mother Teresa Catholic College, Baldivis. Mrs Boylen has a particular affinity with students in the Middle School and has made an enormous impact on the lives of many students.

Mr Liam Benton is returning to Victoria to continue his career and to be closer to his family. Mr Benton has demonstrated skills beyond his years and will be deeply missed, especially by the College Senior Band and Chemistry students. Mr Benton was very conscious of safety and health procedures making sure we practiced our Emergency Evacuation drill, setting the alarms off on at least two occasions while conducting science experiments.

Mrs Jacqui Sanders, College Business Manager, has had an immeasurable impact on the College since commencing in 2012. Mrs Sanders has overseen the construction of some significant and complex building projects, in addition to changes to accounting practices and the rapid growth in staff and students. Her confidence and strength of character, and her sometimes irreverent sense of humour, will be sorely missed.

Mr Harry Muller concludes his time at Holy Cross College and will retire after taking some short leave next year. Mr Muller joined the staff of Holy Cross College in its foundation year and has made a significant contribution to the College, especially in the areas of Religious Education and Ministry. He was instrumental in developing many elements of the College’s rich faith story. Mr Muller has many talents, not the least is his musical talents for singing and playing the piano for Masses and Liturgies. Mr Muller oversaw the Giving Life program, ensuring our students leave the College with a spirit of compassion and volunteerism. He worked with our student leaders to help build the leaders of tomorrow. He also joined the first College Camino tour to Spain, walking from Tui to Santiago de Compostella. Mr Muller prides himself on being known as the GOM – the Grumpy Old Man, but some have taken the acronym to mean Guru of Ministry. Every morning Mr Muller makes sure he acknowledges everyone, bowing and saying hello. I know this will be sincerely missed.

Mr Muller began his career in Catholic Education in 1976 as a Science teacher at Mazenod College, Lesmurdie. In addition to Mazenod College, he has made an impact on the lives of students and staff at La Salle College, St Norbert College, St Brigid’s College, Lumen Christi College and the Catholic Education Office.

During the Annual Celebration Evening Dr Tony Curry, Director of School Improvement, Catholic Education Western Australia, was invited to present Mr Muller with a framed certificate and medallion on behalf of the Executive Director of Catholic Education, acknowledging more than 40 years of service to Catholic Education in Western Australia.

As previously mentioned, the most prestigious award presented at Annual Celebration Evening is presented to a student who epitomises all that the College strives to be.  That is, during their time at the College they have lived out the College values of Dignity, Personal Best, Connection, Compassion, Justice, Service, Gratitude and Stewardship. Like Oscar Romero, they exemplify the spirit and motto of the College to live Life to the Full. To further acknowledge Mr Muller’s long career in Catholic Education and, especially his contribution to Holly Cross College, Dr Curry presented Mr Muller with a specially minted Oscar Romero Medal.

We congratulate Mr Muller on his extensive commitment to Catholic education and wish him the very best in his retirement. I am sure he will continue to make a valuable contribution to Catholic Education.

Finally, I thank our parents and guardians for your ongoing support and participation throughout the year and I wish everyone the very best for the remainder of the Spring Term and the lead up to Christmas.