Catholic Outlook October 2015

CATHOLIC EDUCATION www.parra.catholic.edu.au @CatholicEdParra facebook.com/CatholicEdParra
‘Saints of
the future’
the work
of Catholic
schools
Recently some of our students and staff attended
the unveiling and blessing of the new St John Paul II
statue at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta, which is a
wonderful tribute to his Holiness and his passion for
engaging young people in the life of the church
The Bishop of Parramatta’s Student Excellence
Awards, which were held in the Cathedral a few days
earlier, reminded me of another outstanding artwork
at the Cathedral, Rachel Ellis’ ‘Communion of Saints’.
Entering the ‘old’ Cathedral from the narthex, the
Communion of Saints Shrine is located in the niche
to your right. It features an image of the distinctive
Cathedral doors and a host of ‘saints’, people of
all ages and cultures gathered around. The artist
hoped to convey "the continual process of becoming
holy" in this joyful piece that takes as its theme the
Communion of Saints: the Church itself.
When Pope Benedict XVI addressed school students
in the United Kingdom in 2010, he emphasised
the importance of the growth of holiness through
Catholic education, calling on students to become
‘saints of the future’. This is the mission of each of our
Catholic schools in the Diocese of Parramatta.
Students showcase
captivating performances
On Thursday 13 August 2015, 20 students performed in
both music and dance for the CAPTIVATE’s Got Talent
Showcase at Xavier College, Llandilo in front of judges,
mentors, peers, and family.
This year, 72 students auditioned to take part in the 2015
CAPTIVATE’s Got Talent program. From the auditions,
32 students were selected to take part in a full day of
mentoring, provided by an industry professional, before
performing their audition piece at the Showcase concert.
CAPTIVATE’s Got Talent dance mentor, Simone Samuel,
said the opportunity for students to work with industry
professionals allowed them to take their performance to
the next level.
“The calibre of talent in this program has been outstanding
and I can already see how the masterclass and mentoring
sessions have helped to bring an extra level of
professionalism to the students’ performances,” Simone
said.
Fellow dance mentor, Brad Green, said he was impressed
with the diverse range of talent.
“The level of maturity and professionalism from the
students has been really impressive considering the
diverse range of talent from Year 4 to Year 11,” Brad said.
"It would be fantastic to be invited back next year as a
mentor and to see the progress that these students have
made," he said.
CAPTIVATE’s Team Leader, Mark Hopkins, said the
program came from CAPTIVATE’s Commercial Dance
Coordinator, Peta Markham-Ward’s passion to give
students access to the industry beyond what they do in
their individual schools.
“The idea is to extend the mentoring opportunity for
students to work deeply around something they are also
passionate about,” Mark said.
“It’s really exciting to imagine what students who received
ongoing mentoring in a structured way would be able
to achieve, especially when we can see from the final
performance how much students have improved from
only one mentoring session.
“I would love to see their talent and enthusiasm meet
the professionalism and discipline of focus, and come
together more often for students to reach a level of artistic
and technical excellence that blows everyone away,” he
said.
See www.captivate.parra.catholic.edu.au website for details.
The Student Excellence Awards recognise an
outstanding Year 12 student from each of our
secondary schools. It was a privilege to witness these
excellent young people receive awards for their
impressive contributions to school and the wider
community. It was a gathering full of diversity, joy,
and holiness, and I have no doubt that there were
‘saints of the future’ in the pews.
It was also encouraging to observe the support that
students received from their families, with many
mums and dads, brothers and sisters, grandparents,
and other proud members of extended families
present.
We must also recognise the importance of great
teachers and their role in forming young people of
faith and action, particularly as World Teachers’ Day
approaches on 30 October. Pope Francis’ words
to educators delivered in 2013 are instructive:
"Educating is not a profession but an attitude, a way
of being; in order to educate it is necessary to step
out of ourselves and be among young people, to
accompany them in the stages of their growth and to
set ourselves beside them".
To share this journey with students, their families,
and educational communities is both challenging
and humbling. I know your prayers will be with all
our Year 12 students as we accompany them in the
final stages of their secondary schooling. May they
always continue to learn and grow in holiness as they
venture beyond their school communities to lives of
service in Jesus Christ.
Dance mentor Brad Green giving a masterclass to selected dance students.
Music talent Toby Lowing practicing the drums at the Music mentoring day.
Ella Carroll singing her final piece.
Greg Whitby
Executive Director of Schools
@gregwhitby
blog: bluyonder.wordpress.com
The panel of industry professionals judging the final performances.
Dance duo Hunter Hakim and Rochelle Salatino receiving feedback from
the judges after their final performance.
12 CatholicOutlook | OCTOBER 2015
www.parra.catholic.org.au @parracatholic facebook.com/parracatholic