Sydney
6 April 2003

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Peace ... harmony

Rugby league scores a try in a GPS college

Passing the baton

Peaceful action for peace

Catholic Weekly takes a holiday over Easter

Tissue project wins archbishop’s grant

A voice for the disabled

Faith centre moves

Younger set is 50

Fr Chris is guest

Ecumenical Stations of the Cross in wetlands

US move welcomed on partial birth abortion

Project Compassion 2003 - Leyte farmers can face better future

Editorial - Victims of war

Letters - Ash Wednesday

Conversation - Fr Patrick Byrne, Rome-based head of Children’s Mission: Big project or small, ‘it must be for kids’

Voice of Youth - Renaissance of thinking about the Middle Ages

Celebrate Love? Live it to the ‘max’

Heading off conflict before it hits crisis point

Crucifixion story wouldn’t go away

New home for new breed of priest

Christian Brothers spread social justice net

Luke’s Story wins award

300 at social justice forum

Music lets Andrew ‘share my faith’ ...

Peaceful action for peace

Students from two Catholic girls schools, assisted by teachers concerned about the violence at a recent anti-war rally, are taking their own action to show their opposition to the war in Iraq.

Kincoppal-Rose Bay Year 11 students are holding a peace forum on Wednesday to which students from other schools have been invited.

And students at Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta, will be distributing peace flags and selling peace badges they have made themselves.

Erica Thomas, Kincoppal head teacher of Year 12 who is also in charge of the pastoral program for years 11 and 12, said invitations had gone out to Catholic, Anglican, Muslim, Jewish and non-denominational public schools.

“The forum is being held because the students could not take part in the rally on Wednesday, March 26, due to the threat of violence - thank goodness they did not go.

“So the forum will give them a chance to express their views and work out a plan to take some kind of action of their own - whether it be writing to the Prime Minister or something else.”

The forum will be held at 12.45 at the school and since April 9 is a half day for end of term it will be held in the students’ own time. Students in Years 8-12 from any school are welcome; call Erica Thomas on 9388 6064.

The principal of Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta, Sr Ailsa Mackinnon, said the girls from her school were making flags from different countries which they will exchange in a ceremony at the school before Easter.

“The students will also link hands around the schoolgrounds, which border on busy Victoria Rd, so passing motorists will see what is happening,” she said.

“After this the senior girls will go down to the Parramatta CBD and hand out the flags to people there.

“They are also making badges with an anti-war theme which will be sold in the CBD for $2 each to raise funds for the Caritas Project Compassion appeal.

“We are leaving the light on at night in the highest room of the school, which can be easily seen from the street.

“We have a sign up saying: ‘Shine a light for peace’.”

She said the girls were constantly engaging the teachers in conversation about the war and were very much against it.

“We have an intranet service in the school which has a social justice page and since the war there have been 700 ‘hits’ on the site, with girls putting forward their views on the war,” she said. “It is also obvious the girls are talking to each other about it.”

Sr Ailsa said none of the school’s students participated in the March 26 rally.

After receiving advice that troublemakers would disrupt the rally, students were counselled not to get involved - which they accepted, she said.