Greetings from St Bede’s

We end the term with the boys on Service Day, and the staff busy reviewing the Junior Curriculum. We thank our parent community for helping to facilitate their sons for Service Day, the second one for the year.

In the last two weeks, thirty five boys have begun their preparation to receive the Sacrament of Baptism. During the week we also gave the boys the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, with a number of priests being available. A good number of boys took up this opportunity.

At the final assembly of the term last Monday, we launched the Run For A Life campaign in support of the  CanTeen organisation. Addressing the assembly were Jackson Wright and Connor Selwood, who lost his mother to cancer. Their speeches follow.

I hope all in the community have a restful midwinter break.

Until next term,

J. G. Boyle

Assembly Speeches

Connor 

In February 2017 I started my journey here at St Bede's College as a young year 9. My first experience of high school had started; I had met new friends, been involved in swimming sports and had a few classes, but in these first few weeks I also found out something else. Something which I had never thought I'd have to experience or that would even affect me, especially during my time here at the College.
On one particular day, just after your average day at school, my life was about to change. That was the day I found out my mum had been diagnosed with cancer. This news was the start of a long roller coaster of emotions. It took me through confusing times, shock, hope, happiness at times, but most of all it took me through a never ending loop of sadness. Through these times I found it hard for myself to feel happiness. The first time I felt some kind of happiness and a sense of relief was just over a year after mum was first diagnosed.
After witnessing her go through all the chemotherapy and radiation treatment she underwent, it filled me with happiness knowing that it had worked and that it was gone forever. Well that's what I thought anyway. But in the harsh reality of life, things don’t always work out how they are supposed to. And in my case, it was finding out mum had been re-diagnosed in August 2019. Little did I know this time would be extremely different.
For the next few months I lived with hope telling myself things would be okay, that I still have years to go out and travel and for her to see me grow up more. But that hope faded away as the cancer continued to spread aggressively, and after spending hours a day with mum at the Nurse Maude Hospice, it was on the 5th of February 2020 that I watched one of the most influential and loving people in my life take her last breath. I was so overwhelmed with sadness that I felt no emotion at all.
Throughout this journey I was lucky enough to have the support of my family, friends and the College, who helped me through every step of the journey. This has also made me recognise all the people who do not have that same support through their journeys.

Jackson

Cancer is something that affects so many people's lives and I guarantee that if we were to get a show of hands, that it would be a large majority of us who have had someone in our family or know someone who has been impacted by cancer. Thank you Connor for sharing your story. I know how tough it has been for you mate, so thank you for doing that.
For the last 20 years, St Bede's has supported an organisation called CanTeen. CanTeen is a non-profit organisation that supports young people in our community who are affected by cancer. Whether it be their own cancer journey or the cancer journey of a parent or sibling. CanTeen provides a wide range of support for those whose lives are changed as a result of cancer. Boys, I want you to think about why we support CanTeen? Why do we, St Bede's College, do the Run For A Life? The Headshave?
I think it's important to know the impact we can have on others' lives. It is about realising the powerful difference that we can make as a Bedean community. It is about coming together as a team of Bedean brothers and doing something for the betterment of others. Understanding that no matter the challenges and obstacles that we may face daily, that they are nowhere near as hard as living with cancer.
I challenge you fellas to get involved in CanTeen in any way possible, so all together we can make that difference. I’m excited that today we are able to launch CanTeen for 2021.