Newsletter 17 2021

Dear Members of the St Andrews College Community,

It’s been great to have everyone back at school this week. Thank you to staff, students and parents for supporting the College in all aspects of the return to school. We still have many restrictions in place that curtail what we can do, but the students have been most respectful in engaging with the expectations placed before them in order to keep us all as safe as possible. We are in a very fortunate position at St Andrews College due to the culture we have of respecting and looking after others. This has been most evident during a time when there are a variety of views concerning the way we address the learning challenges associated with the Covid Pandemic. Thank you

‘It’s All About Learning’

Halloween and it’s link to Christianity:

For a change, I wonder what this Sunday October 31st, ‘Halloween’, might look like if we all dressed up as one of our heroic Saints or an angel, instead of a witch, werewolf, gremlin, vampire, ghost, skeleton or resentful elf? The ancient English word ‘hallow’ declares something holy or blessed. Halloween is a shortened form of All Hallows-Even, the evening before All Saints. The day is reserved in some Christian denominations to remember those who have died, with church services and with special prayers of remembrance. Although it is somber, it is a comforting time to share your grief with those who have also experienced loss. Many countries and cultures have holidays and festivals to commemorate family and friends who have died. Families often gather, visit the graves of family members to clean and repaint the tomb or mausoleum, eat together and light candles and pray.

So how did Halloween become the night witches ride and disembodied spirits roam the earth?

As with many other celebrations, these traditions began in ancient pagan times. Halloween began as the Celtic festival of the Lord of the Dead. Legend has it that on the night before the feast, the gates of the underworld were opened and that ghosts, demons, and witches were allowed to roam freely. In response to this otherworldly menace, the Celts followed the principle “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” and disguised themselves as various kinds of ghouls to escape harm, a form of masquerading. The Celts also tried to appease evil spirits by offering them food and wine. This is where ‘Trick-or-Treat’ comes from ‘to bribe evil spirits who wandered about the earth tricking unsuspecting people!’ In the ancient Celtic calendar, November 1 began the New Year.

When the Catholic faith came to Celtic lands, the Church introduced “soul cakes” that would be made on Halloween and offered to the poor in memory of the faithful departed. This was centuries before the Western Church instituted November 2 as All Souls’ Day. The original intention of distributing soul cakes was doubly charitable, ensuring that the poor were fed and in return would pray for the donor’s dead relatives/friends/associates. Eventually, however, ‘souling’ became more frolicsome as groups of young men and boys began going from house to house and asking for food, money, kisses from maidens and ale instead of cakes! The Church transformed the nature of masquerading during this time from the evasion of evil spirits to the emulation of Christian saints. Large processions in honour of all the saints were held in England and Ireland on the vigil of the feast, with participants either carrying relics of the saints or dressing up as angels and saints.

Halloween, celebrates our “holiness”! The “Halloween” tradition is closely connected to the feast of All Saints. The countless people many of whom we have known personally – including our family, friends and strangers, all those anonymous saints – who quietly, with no fanfare or publicity, lived generous, holy and faithful lives and have gone to God. As the Eucharistic Prayer puts it, ‘have gone before us with the sign of faith’, singing and dancing in heaven with the Father, Son and Spirit, Mary and all God’s saints and angels.

Let the fun of Halloween in our communities celebrate OUR HOLINESS and OUR BLESSEDNESS! Everyone is a saint in the making! Every saint has a past and every sinner a future!

“To be human is to change and to be a saint is to have changed often.” (Blessed Cardinal Newman)

Year 12:

Year 12 had their traditional walk out of the College today. It was a chance to finally celebrate a longer than usual journey. We are so proud of the cohort. Year 12 now move into one week of final preparation before their Higher School Certificate Examinations start. We wish them all the very best and continue to pray for them during their exams. At The conclusion of their exams they will have the Graduation and Formal on Monday December 6.

Accolades for Hayley and Wasim: 

Congratulations to Hayley and Wasim who were fine ambassadors in representing students across the nation on a panel at the Faith in the Future Virtual Symposium on Wednesday 27 October  (3.00-4.15pm). Dr Lyn Sharratt was the guest speaker and Geraldine Doogue AO was the MC and Facilitator of the Panel. They will be discussing ‘How Every Student Deserves to meet and exceed their potential. How can we do that?’ The comments they made were both intelligent and insightful. You can view the entire symposium and panel discussion at the following link.

Building Works:

We are continuing to develop the Junior Campus facilities by enhancing the viewing options in the Hall/Gymnasium. We are currently in the process of installing three new screens and projectors in preparation for the Year 12 Graduation and future events and assemblies.

Enrolment for Year 7 and 11 2023 

NOW OPEN