From the College Principal

Newsletter 6 2025

Dear Members of the St Andrews College Community,

I hope you had a wonderful Easter experience and enjoyed a good break. I was really pleased with how our inaugural History Trip to Italy and Germany went and we look forward to making this a biannual event (next trip to be planned for 2027). We are in the midst of organising another History Trip to Vietnam for 2026. Stay tuned for further details. The student group has started the Term well and we now move into an intense period of assessment, especially for the senior student group. We also move into the Subject Selection process for Year 8 and Year 10. Exciting opportunities lie ahead for all this Term. I hope all mothers and female carers have a great day this Sunday. You deserve it and we appreciate all you do. It was wonderful to see the appointment of our new Pope. We pray that Pope Leo XIV will guide our church in a way that moves us forward.

Gospel Reflection: John 10:27-30          

Jesus describes his care for his sheep.

The fourth Sunday of Easter is also called Good Shepherd Sunday. In each of the three lectionary cycles, the Gospel is taken from the tenth chapter of the Gospel of John. This chapter of John's Gospel follows Jesus' healing of the man born blind and the rejection of this miracle by Jewish leaders who question Jesus' authority to heal. Jesus responds to this challenge to his authority by calling himself the Good Shepherd. He is criticizing the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders. Already, the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders are so angered that they attempt to stone and arrest Jesus (see John 10:31 and 10:39). This controversy with the religious leaders continues until Jesus' death.

Set in a moment of tension and conflict in John's Gospel, today's Gospel reading is Jesus' answer to the question, “Are you the Messiah?” Jesus responds by saying, in essence, “If you have to ask, then you are not one of my sheep.” Then Jesus asserts his unity with the Father. At the conclusion of these words, John reports that the Jews intend to stone Jesus for blasphemy, but he escapes arrest.

We may be less familiar with the metaphors of sheep and shepherd than those to whom Jesus spoke. The image of Jesus as ‘Good Shepherd’ and the community of followers as his sheep has endured over the centuries as a primary image in our faith tradition. Its power to describe the relationship between Jesus and his followers transcends direct experience with sheep. The image speaks to us about the protection, security, and care that shepherds represent for their sheep.

Today's Gospel speaks powerfully about the familiarity and intimacy between Jesus and his disciples, expressed as recognizing and knowing another's voice. Today's Gospel also speaks to the relationship between Jesus and the Father. In the Gospel of John, Jesus identifies so closely with the Father that he tells us that they are one—not just close, but actually one. To know Jesus is to know the Father. Jesus doesn't just bring us closer to the Father, Jesus puts us directly into contact with God the Father, removing all distance between us. Our relationship with Jesus is an invitation to share in the life of God.

Mother’s Day Breakfast and Mass:

Thank you to Mr Hoare, Mrs Anthony, Mr Robson, Ms Serbin, our Hospitality students, student leaders and staff for their presence of our Mothers and caregivers. It was a beautiful morning breakfast followed by a lovely Parish Mass. I wish all mothers a wonderful day on Sunday. It’s a day of recognition of the care they give us every day.

Shakespeare Performance Evening:

Thank you to Mr Lewandowski and Ms Rujiccia for preparing the students for their performances Tuesday evening. With a number of performances progressing through to the finals in the city we wish them all the best and thank all students for their effort and participation.

Diocesan Cross Country:

Thank you to Mr Frankham and Ms Britton for taking our Cross Country Representatives to the Diocesan Carnival today. It was a great day for running. We wish all the students the very best and thank them for their representation and effort.

NEiTA Awards (National Excellence in Teaching Awards):

Fidem in Christo

Dr Stephen Kennaugh
Principal