Inspirations: Social justice may lead kids to Mass

Sydney
6 January 2002

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Inspirations: Social justice may lead kids to Mass

Inspirations: Social justice may lead kids to Mass

John Barrington, left, Mount Carmel’s new principal, with his mother, Marie Barrington, and brother, Marist Br Jeffrey Barrington

Many kids are not keen on going to Mass because they are not big on duty. But they are very generous and will help the less fortunate. They also get heated about social justice issues and this may be the way back to the Church for many of them. CHRIS HOOK reports

Schools, education and indeed society itself have changed since Br Roger Bourke first stepped in front of a classroom in 1956.

Not only has the curriculum changed, but also the nature of the students.

“Life in general has become more uncertain. With domestic upheaval in a lot of homes, some kids are disturbed and come to school already stressed and have no secure base at home,” says Br Roger, who is retiring after 33 years as a principal and teacher in Marist schools.

“Unfortunately the drug scene has also come along and students get mixed up in that, particularly those kids who are insecure within themselves, unhappy at home or get into the wrong peer group.

“Teachers are called upon these days to be counsellors, psychologists, social workers and many times stand in for parents.

“A lot of time is spent counselling the students, building up their self-esteem.”

Br Roger, who has been principal at Mt Carmel High School, Varroville, for the past five years, says students today are more aware of their world than in times past; and they are entirely willing to lend a hand where needed and to get involved in social justice campaigns.

The school has a number of activities throughout the year, including raising money for Amnesty, Red Nose Day, Legacy and collecting goods for hampers for local residents struggling to make ends meet.

The helping hand even extends to students helping their local disadvantaged peers with homework after school.

Br Roger estimates the school has raised more than $20,000 for various causes this year alone.

In an era where many students stop attending Mass once they leave school, Br Roger sees social justice as a way for students to maintain their contact with the Church, and through this, their Faith.

“I think the way back into the Church for a lot of young people is through social justice activities,” he says.

“We can’t drag them to church on Sundays but we can through social justice give them the full message of Jesus.

“The message in Luke’s Gospel is very strong to me regarding social justice and Jesus’ teaching on social justice, so I think the whole Church generally and Catholic schools have become far more aware of the importance of social justice.”

Assistant principal Mark Donnelly agrees. “Kids these days don’t have the concept of performing a duty. They are not interested in a commitment to a concept of duty, or committing themselves because of a sense of duty.

“What we do see is that they will be incredibly generous. They will commit themselves to assisting where they see a need.

“The very real needs they do see around them are issues of social justice. The kids get very hot under the collar about that and are prepared to take action.”

He says that whenever an initiative is suggested, volunteers swarm.

“You don’t have a great deal of trouble getting volunteers to help if you’ve got a project in mind and it’s really in some way or another something that answers a social justice need,” Mr Donnelly says.

“I think that’s one of the great directions that a lot of Catholic schools are going in. The reality for the kids, the manifestation of their religion, of their religious spirit, coming through in these practical ways.

“In terms of the Mass itself, the kids really enter into Masses that they organise for themselves. Mass has got to be relevant and meaningful - relevant to the kids at their stage and relevant to what’s happening at the time and so carry meaning for them. After all, that’s what was behind the Vatican II move to have Mass in the vernacular.”

Invoking the spirit of Vatican II, Mr Donnelly says the laity are taking their rightful position in “driving the charism and the spirit of a great mentor like St Marcellin Champagnat (founder of the Marist Brothers).”

And the Marists are assisting them in the process. Since the mid-1990s, the Order has run a four-day course, Sharing Our Call, at Mittagong’s Marist Centre. Teachers are granted leave to attend the course.

Mr Donnelly believes the trend is common to all Catholic schools.

“There’s an awareness among teachers in Catholic schools of the reality of their founders’ vision,” he says.

All of this augurs well for a time when Catholic school principals will come more from the laity than from the founding religious orders.