By Mrs Liisa Hammond, Principal

Gospel – John 3: 14 – 21
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, … Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who hates the light, will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed…”
As Father Terry stated on Sunday, this Gospel is one of the most quoted and remembered Gospels of all time. Imagine believing in something so completely, that you would give the one thing that you wholly and utterly love to ensure its success.
Within the halls, classrooms, and breezeway of Assumption College, the juxtaposition of this Gospel’s understanding of light and darkness can be found in many interactions. Our belief in the message of Truth and Love serves as a reminder that our community members may experience moments of doubt, of discomfort and of hurt; however, when we are able to recognise the importance and power of Truth and Love, then the darkness cannot exist within the brilliance of that light.
Just as God was prepared to send his most beloved son to support and guide us through the darkness, that same light allows us to be open to all, regardless of background or circumstance. We, as the Assumption College Community, are an inclusive community that promotes and enlivens a positive and supportive place of learning for all.
John’s Gospel, provides us with a meaningful framework from which we can all strive to act with love, truth, integrity and a willingness to embrace inclusivity.

International Women’s Day

On Friday, 8 March 2024, Assumption College was once again invited to the Zonta Club of Warwick breakfast. Our College and House leaders, together with recognised STEM students, engaged with other members of the Warwick community, enjoying a meal and listening to the special invited speaker, Professor Deborah Terry AC, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Queensland.

Project Compassion and Harmony Day

On Wednesday 13 March 2024, Assumption College celebrated Harmony Day in conjunction with a fundraising activity for Project Compassion. With Romero and McAuley House Leaders taking charge, students and staff were able to purchase red and green hearts for $1 each and write positive, inclusive messages to other members of our community. The next day, House Leaders delivered these messages, bringing much joy and fun into the lives of many. College leaders also sold icy poles for $1. This has seen our current collections for Project Compassion stand at $198.00 with more adventures planned between now and the end of Term 1.

March Charge

Thursday, 21 March 2024, is our annual Assumption College Cross Country. We have had two Year 10 students, April Nelson and Summer McKelvey, present to our Student College and House Leaders a proposal to have Assumption College enter a team in the Cancer Council’s March Charge for cancer research. House Leaders and April and Summer, will be encouraging all students at Assumption College to complete a lap of Queens Park to contribute to the 86 kilometres that each House will walk, run or dance, in order to raise money and awareness for cancer research.

Encounters of the Heart – Brother Damien Price
Touch Says Love When No Words Can

My wonderful sister-in-law recalled in a letter to me the joy of holding her son Shannon in her arms for the first time. She wrote,
“Till the day I die Damien, I will never forget the joy of holding Shannon in my arms for the first time. Having a baby would have to be the deepest emotional experience that can happen to a woman and the most beautiful. A newborn almost transports you into another world away from inflation, greed, and violence, and leaves you laughing. And when you think about it some more, a baby would have to be the greatest teacher of us all; in that he teaches to find joy in all the simple little things in life. Shannon showed us for the first time that the garden is a wonderful place, the kitchen even more fascinating and bath time is splash time with a capital 'S'. They teach us the glorious fun of living and they make all our Christmases what they always should be. Unfortunately, they are only on loan and babyhood is so short. It is hard to believe that Shannon is almost two years old. That is why every precious moment with them should be savoured and enjoyed. I wonder what God will bless us with this time?”
I have never had the privilege and joy of being a father or mother, but I can recall holding my godson, Jacob, in my arms several hours after he was born. It was one of the most ‘wow’ times of my life. So delicate, so ‘at peace’, so snuggled into my arms – so one with the world and gifting it with his presence.

John's and Shannon's and Jacob’s stories could not be in more stark contrast to Alen, a Bosnian baby born to a rape victim during the Serbian – Bosnian war of 1992 – 1995. Alen was one of hundreds of orphan babies abandoned at the height of this most barbaric of wars centred on ‘ethnic cleansing’. While Alen, and the forty or more other babies, were given the basics of food until the abandonment by staff of the orphanage for fear of their own lives, what they were starved of most was physical touch. Luckily a humanitarian group quickly became aware of the plight of the abandoned babies and they were collected and resettled with families in Italy and other European countries. But the scars remain to this day for Alen and the others.

On another very sad occasion, I was visiting a Brother who had taught me at school. Denis was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s and he knew it. He was so scared to know he was losing his awareness and ability to relate and connect: two of his greatest gifts. As I went to leave, Denis hugged me tightly crying, “Please don’t leave me!” When I finally slipped away about thirty minutes later it was one of the hardest walking aways I have ever done, with tears streaming down my face.
You may recall that last year I had the privilege of some weeks of sabbatical, and during that time, I walked some 400 km of the Camino in the North of Spain. I loved it. While the Spanish countryside was beautiful, our walking companions wonderful, the beers, food and wine to be savoured, one of the things that made it really special was the presence of my Camino companion. As we walked, we laughed and shared stories, cried at times, stood in awe at others, and generally honoured the gift of one another’s company. The icing on the cake, however, was the hug at the start of the day and the other that bookended it.
One of the most powerful learning moments of my life occurred when I was teaching away from Brisbane. I taught History and Geography in a co-educational school. One beautiful young lady, lets call her Simone, had been my student in both Year 9 and Year 10. The school finished at the end of Year 10 and Simone left to attend a large Senior Secondary College. I rarely saw her during her Senior schooling. Sadly, during her ‘Schoolies Week’, she was assaulted by two young men. The following February, I was back teaching at the Junior Secondary College and just returned to my office when there was a knock on my door.
I looked up and there was Simone. She stepped into my office and burst into tears. I moved over to her and she fell into my arms and hugged me tightly. Her sobbing came from deep within her. She just cried and cried and her body shook. From deep within me a voice said, “shut up!” So all I did was stand there hugging her. I don’t think I have ever felt so powerless in my life. I was empty. I could say nothing that could take away her pain. All I could do was come as a guest to her story, her trauma and her pain. All I could do was be present for her through my silence and my hugs.
Finally, I pulled up two chairs and we sat down. I took her hand as gently as I could and from deep within me came the words, “I’m sorry!” Simone looked at me. Her eyes, though still full of tears, seemed to know that I was there for her. After some time, I asked her if I could phone a female counsellor I knew who could walk the journey of healing with her, and thankfully, Simone agreed.
There is something powerful, healing, wholesome and beautiful in human touch - an expression of love. How many times have we heard a baby cry until they are picked up and cuddled? How many times have we had a baby or small child snuggle into our chests? Conversely, how many times have we seen sadness in the eyes, hardness in the body and a lifelessness in the spirit of those who have been deprived of touch?Touch must always come from a deep and profound place of respect. Touch says, “Namaste!” to the other: Namaste = the God and the sacred in me, see and honours the God and the sacred in you! But when touch, respectful touch, comes from a place of love, it liberates, it gifts, it heals, it makes whole and it points, heart and soul, to life to the full!

May our Mother Mary grant her blessings upon our College Community.