Faith and Mission
Project Compassion
During the liturgical season of Lent, Catholics focus on the three pillars of prayer, fasting and almsgiving (charity). Almsgiving reminds us of Jesus’ call to serve and connects us in solidarity with those in need in our community.
As part of being charitable, Catholic schools and Parishes in the Archdiocese partake in Project Compassion. Project Compassion is an annual fundraising campaign run through Caritas Australia.
Held during Lent, the six-week period before Easter, Project Compassion brings Catholic schools, Parishes, and the wider Australian public together, to raise funds by participating in a diverse range of fundraising activities and events. Funds raised supports Caritas Australia’s programs both overseas and here with our First Australian partners, for people living in some of the most vulnerable communities.
The theme of Project Compassion 2023 is For All Future Generations. This year, we focus on the stories of four remarkable, resilient people from Nepal, Australia, Zimbabwe and Vietnam.
Students and staff at St Aloysius College, are encouraged to donate what they can towards Project Compassion. Donations can be made by placing money in the collection boxes in Pastoral classes or by electronic transactions at front reception.
As a school community, we aim to do our part in supporting Caritas – Project Compassion, at the same time being reminded of our commitment as a Catholic school in connecting with our preparation during Lent, as we get ready for Easter—the Church’s greatest celebration.
Catholic Education Week
Catholic Education Week, which ran this year from Sunday 12 March to Sunday 19 March 2023, was an opportunity for all Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne to celebrate their Catholic identity, the pivotal role they play within their local community and the strength of the sector.
The theme for Catholic Education Week 2023 was: Forming lives of faith, hope and love in the light of Christ.
The week coincides with the feast day of St Patrick with a special celebration Mass on St Patrick’s Day Friday 17 March at the Cathedral.
The Young Speakers Colloquium for senior secondary students was also held straight after the Mass of St Patrick for Schools. Secondary students walked from St Patrick’s Cathedral to the Catholic Leadership Centre for lunch and guest speaker Fr Rob Galea.
As part of the Catholic Education Week, there was a Creative Arts Exhibition.
The Creative Arts Exhibition showcases the wonderful artwork of primary and secondary students in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. It reflects their creativity in a broad range of impressive and inspiring works across various disciplines, including painting, photography, sculpture, fashion and film.
Michael Chesser
Director of Catholic Mission & Mercy Ethos
On the 17th of March, a few selected Year 10 students accompanied Mr Chesser and Ms Donato to the St. Patricks Cathedral in East Melbourne for the annual St Patrick’s day mass. Catholic primary and secondary schools from the Melbourne Archdiocese were in attendance, the mass was celebrated by Archbishop Comensoli and other concelebrates. Following the mass, we were able to introduce ourselves and partake in a photo with the Archbishop.
Next, we walked down to the Catholic Leadership Centre (CLC) for a special lunch and to hear the guest speaker, Father Rob Galea, a parish priest from Bendigo. His story was inspiring, speaking about his troubled life in Malta as a teenager before deciding to follow God and become a priest. Father Rob is also an accomplished singer-song writer who has sung for the Pope and will take part in the World Youth Day in Lisbon Portugal, later this year. Father Rob also told us that as Christians and Catholics, we don’t follow a religion but a person, Jesus Christ. He connected with us and spoke about his passion and love for God, he explained to us that everyone is ‘messed up’ in their own way, and it was okay to acknowledge that. Father Rob also shared with us the importance of praying to Jesus for guidance.
We want to thank Mr Chesser and Ms Donato for giving us this opportunity to partake in the mass and the conference. Thank you for taking us to the venues and giving us your time.
Alyssia, Christine and Hannah