Mercy in Action
Bunnings Sausage Sizzles
Our collaboration with the Rotary Club of Central Melbourne has kicked off again with the first BBQs of the season. Thank you to the following students and staff that have already volunteered time on their precious weekends: Year 10: Saroan and Anastasia, Alex P and Danny L. From Year 11: Annabelle Harper and Heidi. And to our staff Jo Donato and Olivia Wenzel. These BBQs raise money for important Rotary Social Justice Projects, including the co-sponsorship of our student Caren at the School of St Jude in Tanzania.
Cambodia Immersion
The countdown is on until our departure for Cambodia. At our most recent formation sessions, we enjoyed a crash course in Khmer so that we can converse with the local people that we encounter and elevate the cultural connections. We learned in greater depth about the tragic history of the Khmer Rouge Regime and its long lasting impacts. Finally the students got to practice their hammering skills with a Woodwork Teacher to prepare for our building project.
This week, the Social Justice Club generously baked muffins and sweet treats to raise money for the school that we will visit at the Jesuit Refugee Service near Siem Reap. The students raised an incredible $322. All money will be used to purchase essential stationary that the students will donate in person to the school.
Seeds of Justice Anglesea
On the 10th to 11th August, seven Year 9 and 10 students travelled to Anglesea with Ms Marquet and Mr Manuel for the middle years Seeds of Justice Conference. The theme of the conference was ‘Answering the Call of Country’. The event sought to blend the eco-spirituality of St. Francis with a deep respect for First Nations culture, history, and success.The key note facilitator was Catherine Glenister from the Mercy Hub and the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy.
Thank you to Sebastien, Joshua, Saroan, Eva, Annamai, Gemma and Gabriella for representing the school at Seeds of Justice with maturity, friendliness and with a commitment to learning and taking action.
AMSSA Online Student Conference
The most recent conference of this series was held at Mt Lilydale Mercy College, bringing together students in person from St Aloysius, OLMC, Academy of Mary Immaculate and Mt Lilydale. The session was run online by St Aloysius College in Adelaide and featured a key note video pre-recorded by Sheila Curran RSM in Ireland who compelled our young people to consider injustices through a Mercy Lens, what shocks and urges us to question and contribute to meaningful change. She spoke from her personal experiences working with refugees and people experiencing extreme poverty and inspired animated conversations between the students.
The final AMSSA Conference will be hosted by St Aloysius in the Altiora campus on 26 August.
Lauren Marquet
Mercy in Action Leader