Catholic school educators take time off to reflect, discern

08 Aug 2019

By The Record

Visiting Priest Fr Chris Collins delivered a talk during the Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) schools Assistant Principals retreat held at Bendat Parent and Community Centre on 1 August. Photo: CEWA.

By Amanda Murthy

Assistant principals from Catholic schools across Perth have last week attended a six-hour retreat as a means to understanding how to provide guidance in supporting students develop their relationship with Jesus.

Jesuit Father Christopher Collins SJ was the keynote speaker for the occasion on 1 August, as he was visiting Perth to deliver a series of talks hosted by the University of Notre Dame Fremantle.

The visiting American Jesuit Priest led the retreat, held at Bendat Parent and Community Centre in Wembley, and spoke on the topic of “A day on hope and discernment”.

Speaking to the 40 participants, Fr Collins began by explaining his vocation story and expressing the importance of always coming back to the simplicity of our faith.

“What does that mean to be called into the friendship and discipleship of Jesus?” Fr Collins asked.

Retreat participants were able to pray, reflect and listen to a talk by Fr Collins on the topic of ‘”A day on hope and discernment” at Bendat Parent and Community Centre on 1 August. Photo: CEWA.

Quoting Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI’s words on how Jesus’ baptism relates to us, Fr Collins said that upon our baptism, we are “plunged into the relationships that are within God – The Father, Son and Holy Spirit – into a union with Jesus and participate in the very same relationship that Jesus has with the Father”.

Posing the question of “how are you and I living in that very same reality/story as Jesus?”, Fr Collins went on to analyse the baptism of Jesus in the river of Jordan, setting the scene for those present.

“Think about how mystery on how God in the person of Jesus entered into this world in an occupied territory by the Roman empire, one of the least important provinces, Nazareth was a small place that had nothing important going on – there were only a couple of hundred people living there – at that time some even living in caves,” he stated.

“That is where Jesus spent the first thirty years of His life – and we know nothing about that time, besides the story of His birth and about the time He went missing in the temple.

“But for whatever reason, when He left Nazareth [home] and went down to the place of John’s baptism at the river of Jordon – we can assume that Jesus left with nothing.

“He left his mother Mary, Joseph had passed away by then, left His support network [did not have his disciples yet], and didn’t have a five-year plan [or] budget,” he added.

About 40 Assistant Principals gathered for a retreat at Bendat Parent and Community Centre on 1 August. Photo: CEWA.

Fr Collins said that the only thing that Jesus had going for Him in that was what happened when He went under that water with John.

“He goes down into that water and it is what He hears confirmed by the Father and united by the Holy Spirit that changes Him,” he cited.

“You are my beloved son and in you I am well pleased.

“That marked the beginning of Jesus’ three-year extraordinary ministry,” he stated.

Throughout the retreat, the educators were given the opportunity to have group discussions and personal reflections, discerning questions such as: “how do we show our students that God loves them?”, “How does God see us?”, “What is our identity and mission as a Church?”, and “what are some of the false narratives that can lead me to exhaustion?”.

Summarising the retreat, Fr Collins expressed some key points that the participants could take away from the experience.

“Perfect love casts out fear, the truth will set you free,” Fr Collins said.

“We can set up opportunities and spaces where kids can have self-reflection time, to give voice to their fears and concerns.

“Talking to God is so important,” he concluded.

To view Father Chris Collin’s talk to Catholic youths in Perth, Click Here