The National Reconciliation Week 2022 theme 'Be Brave. Make Change' provided a focus for a week of activities at the College. The theme highlighted the challenge to all Australians — individuals, families, communities, organisations and government — to Be Brave and tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation so that we can Make Change for the benefit of all Australians.
Throughout the week our daily prayers and reflections were centred on this theme and a variety of activities were available to students and staff each day in the Ministry Lounge. A full College Assembly took place on Tuesday 31 May and welcomed some very important guests — Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin, a senior Wurundjeri elder of the Kulin Nation, Mr Courtenay Dempsey, a 133-game player with Essendon Football Club and the Indigenous and Multicultural Program Manager for the AFL, as well as Ms Michaela Long and Mr Craig Murphy, who welcomed students and staff to the assembly with a smoking ceremony.
We were very privileged to have this opportunity to experience some traditional Indigenous customs and to hear first-hand about the importance of reconciliation. We also participated in the Reconciliation Sports Carnival at Worawa Aboriginal College in Healesville; a fun day encouraging sport and cultural and social exchange between participants. The week concluded with a moving liturgy in the chapel prepared by the Year 12 CSYMA students. Prayer ribbons were placed outside of the chapel as a sign of our commitment to reconciliation.
