Spirit of Mary MacKillop – Centenary, 2009
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The Personal Story of Kathleen Evans
Centenary Sculpture, November 2009
MacKillop Catholic College has undertaken a number events and celebrations during 2009 for the centenary of the death of Blessed Mary MacKillop: a state-wide art competition and prize presentation evening, a special Feast Day Mass for students and the wider Hobart community, a tour and retreat at the Mary MacKillop Heritage Centre in Melbourne by a number of staff, the naming of College buildings to reflect the charism of Mary MacKillop and the dedication and blessing of a very moving sculpture of Mary MacKillop in her role as teacher, surrounded by two small children as her students.
The centenary sculpture was, coincidentally, unveiled on the 10th anniversary of the commissioning of the College chapel in 1999. The chapel has now been formally dedicated to St Joseph: Joseph being of particular importance to Mary MacKillop and the Josephite sisters. The College chapel is now in the care of St Joseph as patron.
Describing the sculpture, made from the Tasmanian timbers of Huon Pine and King Billy Pine, as moving really does not do justice to the fine craftsmanship and spirit of noted Tasmanian sculptor Bernie Tarr.
Bernie has crafted a sculpture that mirrors the youthful nature of MacKillop Catholic College with just the beginnings of a history by presenting an image of a young Mary MacKillop early in her career with just the beginnings of a vocational history. She was starting from scratch just as the College had done only 16 years ago.
A remarkable aspect of this sculptural instillation is the concept of leaving the actual sculpture in the historical 19th century context, but giving it the ability to include the living College students as ephemeral components to the total sculpture.
As the sculptural figures are at one end of the installation, the logical place from which to view the sculpture is to be seated alongside Mary MacKillop, on the same bench as the main figure (Mary). She is turning towards the viewer and the viewer will be subjectively drawn into the sculpture and led to the Scripture verse – part of the overall sculpture’s “here and now” and speaks to the heart of the mission and the spirit of the school:
“We have recognised for ourselves and put faith in the Love … God has for us. God is Love and whoever remains in Love remains in God and God in him”
MacKillop Catholic College Director of Religious Education, Mrs Catherine Sandric, said “the ability of Bernie’s work to have a direct effect on students is far more than we could ever have expected. Irrespective of who the student is, sitting next to Mary MacKillop, she can but enhance the life of the student; speaking to the whole life of the student – health, security, acceptance, education and love.”
She went on to say “as the sculpture is located in the student foyer it has a powerful daily, immediate and continuing effect on students – reflecting on their learning and their place here and now… “
Inaugural Mary MacKillop Art Competition, August 2009
“In faith, hope and love.”
Celebration of the Spirit of Mary MacKillop on the edge of the Great South Land.
Our College is very young, being established only 15 years ago, yet there is a strength and energy reflected in what we do that signifies that youthful charism of Mary MacKillop.
All this was recently demonstrated through our inaugural Mary MacKillop Art Competition and Exhibition. Students were asked to reflect upon the question: ‘Why is Mary MacKillop inspirational?” This captured the imagination of both secondary and primary students across Tasmania.
None more so than that of Alice Foster, overall award winner. Alice, a student at our College, is a member of a very close family that has been on one of the most difficult journeys life can present: a parent, her mum Susan, diagnosed with cancer during 2008.
Susan, a highly respected teacher at MacKillop, Alice and all the Foster family believe the answering of their prayers to Mary MacKillop has exceeded all their expectations, including those of her medical team. Susan is on the road to recovery.
Alice’s work is entitled “In faith, hope and love.”
The Mary MacKillop Award, 2009
Each year MacKillop Catholic College makes a presentation to an individual from our community who lives up to the ideal for which Mary MacKillop was renowned.
Mary MacKillop never saw a need without attempting to respond to it.
The Mary MacKillop Award for 2009 was presented to Mr Graeme Rainbow at the College’s Feast Day Mass on Friday 7th August 2009. Graeme has a strong commitment to his faith and his personal achievement in helping others represents the College’s ideals in every way.
Mr. Rainbow is passionate about education having taught for 36 years in Tasmania with a strong emphasis on coaching school sport. He was the Co-ordinator of Sport at St Virgils for many years and also at MacKillop. His contribution to sport in education was acknowledged in 2000 with the honour of being an Olympic Torch bearer. (He donated the actual torch to the Kip Keino Children’s Home in Kenya).
He is involved in outreach programs such as Loui’s Van where hot food, sandwiches and warming drinks are provided to people in difficulty in outlying suburbs of Hobart. He is also involved in a “soon – to be released” prisoner programme centred on giving newly released prisoners a meaningful outlet prior to finding employment, on Landcare and Coastcare projects.
Mr. Rainbow has significant involvement in Landcare projects in the Clarence municipality with a focus on including local school and college students, including students from MacKillop, in vegetation rehabilitation programmes. In 2008 he received both a “Beyond the Call of Duty” award from the Clarence Council and a Certificate of Excellence from the Tidy Towns organisation for work with Bellerive Bluff Land & Coastcare Group.
For the past 15 years Mr. Rainbow has assisted with the transport of less able people to Sunday Mass.
We have included Mr. Rainbow’s acceptance speech; a powerful statement of one person’s beliefs about what matters…
When Cathy Sandric rang telling me that I had been nominated for this award, I accepted reluctantly as I’m more about deeds than awards. But then again I think it is very important that such awards do exist. …… for other people.
A couple of brief stories if I may
A young woman was walking along a deserted beach at sunset when, in the distance, she noticed an old man who kept leaning down, picking up something and throwing it out into the water. As she moved closer, she saw that the old man was picking up starfish that had been washed up onto the beach and, one at a time, he was throwing them back into the sea.
The woman was quite puzzled, so she walked up and said, "Good evening. Look, forgive me for intruding, but I was wondering what you were doing?”
"Oh, I'm throwing starfish back into the water," replied the old man. "You see, its high tide right now, and all of these starfish have been washed up onto the shore. If I don't throw them back, they'll die up here."
"I understand," she responded, "but there must be thousands of starfish on this beach. You can't get all of them - there’s too many. And don't you realize that this is probably happening on hundreds of beaches up and down the coast? Can't you see that you can't possibly make a difference?"
The old man smiled, bent down and picked up another starfish. As he threw it back into the sea, he replied, "Made a difference to that one!"
And another brief story from the Anthony de Mello:
A man was once busy building a home for himself. He wanted it to be the nicest, coziest home in the world. Someone came to him for help because the world was on fire, but it was his home he was interested in, not the world. When he finally finished his home, he found he did not have a planet to put it on.
I can honestly say I love my God – despite some periods when I needed to hear the cock crowing - I care about people and I care about what we are doing to this beautiful planet.
I first started teaching in 1966 – that’s 43 years ago. Several thousand students have passed through my care. I have taught students who have become multi-millionaires, politicians, priests, top flight lawyers, numerous lawyers and engineers, lots of doctors (one of whom recently gave me a new right hip……) an Olympic gold medalist, an Australian cricketer, several AFL footballers ….. I celebrate their successes BUT the ones for whom I rejoice most are those that go out of their way to be there for others.
Two of my former students have each built orphanages in third world countries – Michael and his law firm totally sponsor an orphanage in India and another in Kenya.
Dominic, a very successful builder, and his wife adopted a Vietnamese orphan and later returned to build an orphanage in their child’s home town.
I think of Tom who during his 20’s was in charge of the Red Cross in Afghanistan. I think of Stratos who spent his first year as a doctor working in the war torn country of Sudan on the African continent with the acclaimed Doctors without Borders organization. And there would be many others our there making a difference like the lady whose life and works we celebrate today.
I am reminded of the words of the comedian, Bob Hope, who claimed -
If you haven’t any charity in your heart,
you have the worst kind of heart trouble.
The challenge for each of us is to make a difference – to leave this world a better place for us having been here. Each of us is different – each of us is special - there are things that each of us are called do and say – that unless we have the generosity to do or say them, they will remain undone and the world will be a poorer place as a consequence.
I had the privilege of working with Brother Ed ‘Snowy’ O’Donnell for several years. At the end of one particular year he was asked to deliver the valedictory to the graduating HSC St Virgil’s College students. Part of what he had to say has been etched in my memory since.
He said …
If I meet up with you in twenty years time, and you tell me you have made a success of your chosen profession and the future looks rosy, I’ll congratulate you and shake your hand.
If I meet up with you in twenty years time, and you tell me you have met the love of your life, have married, have some beautiful healthy children, and are very happy. I shall applaud your good fortune and shake your hand.
If I meet up with you in twenty years time, and you tell me you have been honest with your God, I’ll shake your hand and take you into the nearest pub and buy you a beer.
Thank you for this award but I receive it on behalf of all those people who, like blessed Mary MacKillop, are prepared to reach out to those in need.
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