The whole school celebrated Catholic Education and Reconciliation Week with a Liturgy in the hall.
Students were seated in a circle to represent the yarning circle around a prepared site of material and other items. In the middle of the circle were cloths representing the colours of the Aboriginal Flag- red, black and yellow. Around the circle, pieces of gum trees and bark were placed with a red candle to represent fire and light. The crown of thorns was placed in the centre, to represent the pain and suffering of Jesus and His understanding of the need for reconciliation for all.
As a community we acknowledge we are on the sacred land of the Gurnai Kulin Nation/People. We honour the past and present Aboriginal People who lay the foundation for the rights of Aboriginal peoples. We honour all the unsung Aboriginal heroes who carved their footprints in the sands of time and we thank them for the gift of their unique culture. We also celebrated a significant moment in Australia’s history, when Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, the leader of our country at that time, said “Sorry” to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Reconciliation is more than a word- reconciliation takes action!
Students participated through prayer, singing and a short video to try to understand a little more about what Reconciliation Week means to us as a community and also to the Aboriginal people of today and the future.
We reflected on what actions we can do with our heart and minds to keep Reconciliation alive at St John the Baptist School.
