Principal
Foundational to the College’s story is our Irish heritage, which we recall on a day such as St Patrick’s Day in a year that marks 200 years of Catholic education in Australia and 130 years at Nudgee College. The Catholic Church in Australia was largely built through the combined efforts of Irish men and women who came to this country in large numbers over successive generations up until the middle of last century. This Gaelic ancestry included not only the Sisters, Priests and, in our case, Christian Brothers but also working class men and women who wanted more for themselves and their families than was available in their own country. Our forebears at Nudgee College acknowledged this heritage with the statue of St Patrick in the rose garden outside the Treacy Building.
Another statue in that garden is the one of St Joseph after whom the College is named. On Friday, we celebrate his feast day with a whole school mass. This feast is made more noteworthy in 2021 as Pope Francis declared a Year of St Joseph in honour of the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of St Joseph as patron of the Church. At the time, Pope Francis wrote an apostolic letter entitled Patris Corde (With a Father’s Heart), describing the paternal attributes of Joseph: beloved father; a tender and loving father; an obedient father; an accepting father; a creatively courageous father; and a working father. Interestingly, he also called him a father in the shadows because Joseph never sought attention for himself: he, the man who goes unnoticed - a daily, discreet and hidden presence. In the context of present day Australian society, where the behaviour and leadership of many men is being challenged, I would suggest that St Joseph emulates many of the best traits of what it means to be a man. Going a step further, perhaps if these qualities were lived out by more men than we would not be confronting the unacceptable behaviour of too many men. In truth, they are the dimensions of masculinity that can be celebrated in much the same way that some dimensions must be condemned and changed.
We will be pleased to welcome the Most Reverend Ken Howell Auxiliary Bishop of Brisbane to lead us at our St Joseph’s Day Mass. As part of that celebration, Bishop Ken is presenting to the College the mitre of Archbishop John Bathersby. John Bathersby was Archbishop of Brisbane from 1991 until 2011. He was also a Nudgee boarder who came to the College from Stanthorpe in 1951 until 1954 and became a very proud Old Boy. We honoured Archbishop John in 2015 in naming the Boarding Village after him. The mitre of Archbishop John will find a special place in the College’s museum so that it can be shared with many Nudgee men long into the future.
Also at Friday’s Mass, the College will launch its latest iteration of the Strategic Plan. Advancing Nudgee Spirit 2021 - 2025 builds upon the continuing improvement made through the implementation of our previous strategic plans. It has been developed through an extensive community consultation process involving key staff, student and parent groups during last year. We thank Mr David Johnston for his leadership of this project. Once again, we have symbolically used the star that is at the heart of the College crest in the plan’s documentation. The faith star is representative of our mission and identity as a Catholic school in the Edmund Rice Tradition and forms the foundation upon which all our actions are based.
Our clear vision for the future is expressed distinctly in our five strategic priorities:
★Inspiring our College Community
★Advancing Learning and Teaching
★Nurturing Physical, Social and Emotional Wellbeing
★Developing Future Leaders
★Ensuring our Sustainable Future
Hard copies of the plan will be circulated within the College over coming months and once the graphics are finalised it will soon be posted on the College website.
Other matters:
- Those who were present at our Opening Mass, or watched it online, will recall the inspirational speech delivered by Br Damien Price. Br Damien is a valued and gifted member of the Congregation of Christian Brothers, and he is often asked to fulfill some complex and demanding roles for the Congregation. Unfortunately, one such request from the Oceania Leadership Team means that he has to temporarily take leave from his role as the Chair of the Nudgee College Advisory Council. Ms Cheryl Hamilton has generously agreed to take on this role until Br Damien returns to the Council later this year.
- Please keep in your prayers those Nudgee College families who are dealing with serious health challenges as well as the passing of close family members at this time. It is the case in a large school, such as ours, there are always some families confronting health concerns. At present, we have more than is typical. I know that some of these families are very private while others engage easily with others about their situation. Either way, I know that there have been beautifully supportive actions from others within the school community that display the best qualities of compassion, care and support.
- I am looking forward to next week and the opportunity to head to Western Queensland and over the border to North Western NSW to meet our families and promote our boarding family. Along with Mr Sean Toovey (Dean of Boarding) and Ms Susan Shakespear (Director of Admissions) we are heading to Roma, Goondiwindi and Moree. The numbers of younger boarders from the regions around these towns has grown in recent years and this is a connection that we are committed to growing in the future.
Mr Peter Fullagar
Principal
