Principal
On Monday we were deeply saddened to receive the news of the passing of Archbishop John Bathersby. John was a very proud Nudgee Old Boy and he attended the College as a boarder from Stanthorpe from 1951 - 1954. Our flags have been at half-mast and we remembered Archbishop John with a most respectful prayer on Tuesday’s assembly.
His life was one dedicated to the service of the Church and he is fondly remembered by many as the Archbishop of Brisbane from 1992 until 2011. John was ordained a priest for the Toowoomba Diocese in 1961 and he started his priestly ministry in Goondiwindi, where he spent seven years, before beginning the first of two periods studying in Rome. This study culminated in the successful completion of a Doctorate in Theology. Through his study, combined with his deep faith, he became a highly skilled spiritual director.
It was this skill that marked his ministry as bishop, first as Bishop of Cairns from 1986 to 1992, and then as Archbishop of Brisbane. A spiritual director is someone who accompanies others on their faith journey, helping build a relationship in prayer with Christ, discerning where the Holy Spirit is active in their lives and challenging them to more and better.
In doing so, Archbishop John certainly lived our College motto - Signum Fidei - a Sign of Faith. The College honoured John in 2015 in naming the refurbished boarding facility the Bathersby Boarding Village in his honour. The College’s strong connection with Archbishop John has been recognised by the invitation from current Archbishop Mark Coleridge for Nudgee College school leaders to be involved in the funeral Mass service at St Stephen’s Cathedral on Monday. A very large crowd is expected to honour him and members of the College community are encouraged to attend. Vale Archbishop John Bathersby. The Archdiocese of Brisbane has developed a video tribute Remembering Archbishop John Bathersby which can be viewed here.
It is a significant week for Term 1 GPS sport with the Swimming Championships last Friday and the annual Head of the River GPS Rowing Championships at Wyaralong Dam this Saturday. Most readers will be aware of the success of our Senior Swim Team who defended their hard-won championship of 2019. We congratulate everyone involved in the win as well as the Junior team for their fine result in coming second in their competition. The swim program has made major improvements in key areas since 2016 when the College appointed Mr David Proud as Head Coach. David’s inspiring leadership and high quality coaching have been impressive. He is assisted by a talented team of coaches that he has brought together in recent years. This is aided by the growth in numbers of swimmers in the Nudgee College Swimming Club as well as the involvement of many parents. The cumulative effect is that all our swimmers benefit from being part of a supportive and nurturing community.
We wish our rowers well for Saturday’s competition and in particular the 1st VIII and Captain of Boats, Ben McMillan. Our positive thoughts also extend to Mr John Bowes who has coached our leading crew for ten years and this will be his last race for us as he is taking up a position with Rowing Australia. Given the nature of rowing, it requires the extensive support of parents to enable training, camps, breakfast catering and weekend regattas to occur. The early morning starts also require a particular level of dedication from parents and their sons. The College is very grateful for the support of a large number of parents and the Rowing Support Group, in particular. Final thanks and best wishes to Mr James Burton, Rowing Director, for his dedicated and astute leadership of the shed.
In conclusion, a further COVID-19 update will be circulated to the College community before the end of the week.
Mr Peter Fullagar
Principal