The first decent frost of the year breaks the cycle of cloud and dampness. Wet fields and cancelled sport have also dampened spirits, so the break beckons for everyone!

This week we had the annual exchange with St Kevin’s College in Oamaru, an exchange which dates back to 1946. St Kevin’s College is a small co-education College which still packs a punch above its weight as evidenced by the scores published later in the newsletter.

As I said last week, Matt Malone, Rachel Pitcaithly and I attended the NZ Catholic Education Convention last week in Wellington. With 900 Principals, staff, Board Members and Clergy in attendance, most of the stakeholders in Catholic Education were represented.

The 3 international speakers were top draw! David Wells was the final speaker and his speech was entitled “Shoulder my Yoke and Learn from Me – Catholic Education and the Art of Accompaniment”. Drawing from the messages of Pope Francis, he talked of evangelisation, and how Catholic Schools play a role. We do so not by preaching dogma, but by forming relationships with students and promoting a church, by our example, which is inviting, forgiving and compassionate. His likeness to John Cleese, in looks, mannerisms and humour, was uncanny, as he punctuated his quite inspiring messages with stories of his own teaching, which had us all rolling around the aisles in laughter!

The David Wells address endorsed to me what the core role in a Roman Catholic School is – to evangelise and bring our young people closer to God, not by presenting a School or Church that is so tidy and intimidating with all its rules, but a Church which Pope Francis describes often, as far from perfect, and a Church which summons Christians to take up the task of evangelisation.

The Pontiff contends that the evangelist must never look like someone who has just come back from a funeral, nor burdened down with their own personal faults or misgivings. The Popes first apostolic exhortation is entitled “The Joy of the Gospel” and that’s what he wants all Christians to recognise when evangelising – that joy springs from the knowledge that God revealed his immense love by allowing his son to be crucified and then to rise from the dead.

Next week, over 65 boys will receive some or all of the Sacraments at a College Mass. On the previous evening, 16 will be baptised. So the message we received from the convention resonated with what we are endeavouring to do at St Bede’s, and reminds us of one of the core roles of a Catholic College.

Until next week

J G Boyle