Welcome back everyone. I hope your break was filled with many blessings. I look forward to hearing some holiday stories and adventures.

We begin the year with the Central Zone Diocesan Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral. The address is 3 Lyons St, Ballarat Central. All staff are expected to attend. The Mass will begin at 8:45am. It will be busy around the Cathedral so it is advisable to arrive early and be seated well before 8:45. This year we will be seated on the Sanctuary. For new staff, I will be at the steps of the Cathedral from 8:15 to meet you as you arrive and show you where our allocated seats will be.

This year the College theme is Living Mercy-Respect. The Catholic Culture team look forward to working with you and our students in exploring this theme.

We are currently preparing for some big events that will be highlights for our college community. Bishop Paul Bird will officiate at the Opening and Blessing of the new building and for the first time, Damascus College will be hosting the combined Catholic schools event for Sorry Day.

This year we will be setting up our Community Pantry to support our neighbours in need. We have received a grant through the PAVCSS Sr Brigid Arthur Social Justice Award to begin this project. This will be an exciting opportunity for parents, staff and students to be involved in a project that unites us as people living our Christian mission to help and support others. I look forward to your input and support in setting up this exciting venture.

Thank you from Vinnies

We support Vinnies every year. In winter we supply personal care packs and at Christmas time we purchase vouchers to support families. Below is a message from Helen Smith from St Vincent de Paul responding to our Christmas Drive where we were able to purchase 80 cinema vouchers to give to families to help make Christmas special.

Thank you for your generosity. We will continue to do this in 2025.

‘Trust you had an enjoyable Christmas/New Year break and that 2025 will be a very happy year for you and all at Damascus.

I am writing to ask you to convey our thanks to your school community and especially to the JAG group for their wonderful contribution to our Christmas Appeal.

The vouchers you provided have been very well received. It has been an absolute delight to have been able to give them and experience the joy such an unexpected gift brought.’

World Interfaith Harmony Week 2025

On Monday, the College Captains, Milan Pilmore and Joachim Henderson, represented Damascus College at the 2025 flag raising event at St Peter’s Anglican Church for World Interfaith Harmony Week. Bishop Paul Bird was in attendance along with other faith leaders, religious, representatives of many faiths, and the Ballarat mayor.

Senior students from a number of Ballarat schools were also there to present a perspective on interfaith harmony. Milan and Joachim presented a talk on the importance of interfaith dialogue and reflected on what the youth of Ballarat can do to promote interfaith harmony.

Below is the reflection Milan and Joachim presented so beautifully to the gathering:

Good morning, guests, and friends. It is a great privilege to be here this morning at this significant event. Faith has brought us all together and unites us in a common cause. Gathering in the spirit of unity reminds us that we share more similarities than we do differences, and it is in seeking to understand one another that we can be the inspiration to create change in our troubled world.

As young people, occasions such as this, give us a sense of hope. Today is a celebration of the good in humanity and the joy that comes from knowing there are so many of us who yearn for the same thing, and that is peace and unity.

Our College, Damascus College, is a school in the Catholic Tradition. We have a story and rituals that reach back thousands of years. Teachings within the tradition tell us that we are best able to understand and live the teachings of Christ when we seek to understand the other.

Interfaith dialogue and its role in promoting understanding, helps us to understand our own perspective more deeply, more broadly and more authentically, in the context of a changing world.

In a world of religious diversity, Pope Francis reminds us that "dialogue is not about compromising our beliefs, but about seeking understanding, respect, and peace." Dialogue as a way to build bridges, promote peace, and recognize the dignity of every human being created in the image of God.

We see in the Gospel that Jesus often engaged with people outside His immediate religious and cultural community such as the Samaritan woman at the well (Jn 4:7-26). Jesus Himself demonstrated the importance of listening, understanding, and finding common ground. So, seeking interfaith harmony is not a new idea, it’s just that humanity can be slow to catch on.

Sadly, many conflicts and tensions continue to arise from misunderstandings or misconceptions about other faiths. Through dialogue, we learn to see beyond stereotypes and understand the real beliefs and values of others. As Pope John Paul II once said, “Dialogue leads to truth and truth leads to peace.”

The big question is how do we do this?

When we work together on social issues such as poverty, education, and environmental stewardship, we reflect the love of God in action.

Differences in theology, historical tensions, and political influences can be obstacles and perhaps barriers we need to move beyond.

Our call as young people of today, is to change this narrative and persevere because peace is worth it. Seeking to understand our neighbour is worth it.

So, what can we do as young people in Ballarat to promote interfaith dialogue in our daily lives? These are the things that have come to mind:

• Be open to learning
• Make time to engage in respectful conversation
• Work in collaboration for the common good

May we all be ambassadors in the mission of peace and understanding.