From the Principal
During this Lenten week, thoughts are firmly fixed on the recent natural disasters in Turkey and Syria, with aftershocks still devastating towns, and on the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine that has left thousands of families mourning loved ones.
February at school was a very busy month with formals, camps, excursions, information nights, sporting events as well as the odd lesson here and there! As we commence the month of March, I share with you the importance of the month to the Romans as it is revealed in the first instance by its name, with March being named after the Roman god of war, Mars. Many people have heard of the ‘Ides of March’, a date made infamous by the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44BC, but perhaps they are unaware that the Romans didn’t count days in each month from the 1st to the 31st but rather counted backwards from three fix dates in each month – the Ides was one of those fixed points, corresponding to the full moon. March is the month most associated with springtime, a month of new life and new beginnings – in this spirit, we pray for all those suffering as a result of the natural disasters, and the very much human-engineered disasters, that are ravaging our world.
Last week I was having a conversation with a religious scholar, who pointed out to me that this week in March also marks the fiftieth anniversary of Archbishop Knox, the fifth archbishop of Melbourne (1967-1974), becoming a Cardinal. On 5 March 1973 Pope Paul VI named Archbishop James Robert Knox, a Cardinal with the title of Santa Maria in Vallicella. Cardinal Knox was known as a man of deep faith and prayer, devoted to the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary, his spirituality was based on trying to discern God’s will and to follow it. He was described as a hard-working enthusiast rather than a brilliant intellectual, and it was this quality that perhaps I most admired, and we can all learn from his leadership style - he would research a matter thoroughly, then doggedly defend his position, he was astute, decisive, approachable, pleasant, patient, courteous and kind.
So, as we move into March, let’s take some inspiration from both the Roman new beginning and the leadership qualities of Cardinal Knox. March therefore seems to be the best month to adjust our yearly goals, to make realistic plans for the future, to focus not on the old but on building the new. Let us be decisive, but let us in this Season of Lent be always approachable, pleasant, courteous and kind.
March on!
Mary Farah
College Principal