On the last Wednesday of Term 3, the Damascus College community came together to celebrate all that makes Damascus College so special with Damascus Day. A day of fun and festivities and a day that we can come together in prayer and thanks to God for all the gifts that we have been provided here.

The theme of the mass was derived from a verse in The Parable of the Sower from Matthew’s Gospel, “The seed that fell on the good soil brought forth grain, some a hundredfold!” (Matthew 13:8). The motif of “the seed” reoccurred throughout the mass, which brought to mind that even the most smallest of actions can be life giving. As Paul Kelly sings, “From little things, big things grow”.

Last week, Pope Leo XIV shared his Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi Te – I have loved you. Throughout the document, Pope Leo continually provides examples of Christ’s love for the poor and reminds us that He will always be one with them. One line that has stood out in an initial reading is from paragraph 78, “When the Church bends down to care for the poor, she assumes her highest posture”. The care for others is the duty of all Christians, and it is wonderful to see the work that Damascus College does in this space.

Over the winter, Damascus College has worked to care for those in need, both within our community and in the wider Ballarat area. To keep our college community warm, there were Free Soup Days. To keep those on the margins fed, meals have been made and donated to the Ballarat Soup Bus. To keep the most senior members of Ballarat in our hearts, the iGen class continues to foster positive relationships with the residents of Mercy Place. There is always more to do and as we head towards the end of the year, we will be looking to support St Vincent De Paul’s Christmas Appeal to bring joy to young people and their families in their time of need.

This week a number of staff and students have travelled to Mungo National Park for a period of Aboriginal Spirituality immersion. This has been made possible through Red Earth who facilitate cultural immersion retreats around the country. We look forward to hearing all about their experience when they return.

Finally, it has come time to farewell our Year 12s from their classes as they prepare for their end of year exams. The end of anything is always filled with a mixture of emotions and we pray that our Year 12s will know that they will always be a part of Damascus College, that we are always with them and that they are always welcome here. May they go forth and reap a harvest of a hundredfold!

An Irish Blessing for our Year 12s

May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

May the rain fall soft upon your fields,

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.