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Dear friends of St James Catholic College,
The impact of one person
Pope Francis, as the leader of a worldwide faith community of more than 1.4 billion people, naturally had a significant impact on international affairs.
The pope’s consistent, compassionate attention to migration was well known from the earliest days of his pontificate. Indeed, his first public act outside of Rome in July 2013 was to celebrate Mass on the Sicilian island of Lampedusa among Middle Eastern and African migrants who had found refuge there, bringing attention to what would prove a chronic worldwide migration crisis.
His efforts to promote integral development and ecology were also clear from the beginning. An early encyclical, “Laudato Si’,” published in 2015, offered a vision of a global economic order that placed care for creation and the human person at the forefront.
But the pope was also attentive to a number of other global issues and challenges, some prominent in the public imagination, like peacemaking and nuclear disarmament. Other global issues of concern to Francis were more obscure, like tax fairness, his support for “tierra, techo y trabajo” (land, lodging and labor) efforts, just and sustainable development, the equitable distribution of global wealth and his growing anxiety over the rise of autonomous (A.I.) weapons systems. Francis often deplored a “globalization of indifference,” which detaches the world’s affluent from the suffering of its poorest and most vulnerable people. He condemned a global economy that kills and called for an economy that lifts up. He often addressed, as he did in “Laudato Si’,” the idea of intergenerational solidarity.
To many, non catholic or catholic, faith based or not, Francis seemed one of the last credible moral voices able to speak with clarity and authority on a gamut of global challenges and concerns. Who can now take his place and continue to hold up the plight of migrating people and care for creation, the challenge of addressing global inequalities? Who will be a trusted voice for peace?
Eternal rest grant unto The Holy Father, Pope Francis , O Lord
and may perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in peace, counted amongst the saints of the Church.
The May Ball, community and islands
Over the week I was reflecting with another staff member on the recent spirituality day that we had as a staff. I mentioned but one of the gifts that the St James Catholic College community has given me over the 15 years that I have had two stints here is to realize that the “Joe Sandric way” is not the only way of doing things. I've found over my time here that listening to others, this includes staff, students and community members, gives me a much better perspective on how things should be. I've never felt as if I've been on an “island” working at this school because of always felt as if I have many people of wisdom to ask and to learn from.
John Donne’s quote “no man (person) is an island” highlights to us that every person looks to community. Cygnet and St James are no different. The individuals, including myself, are always better for the interactions, the wisdom, the learnings, the friendships and the companionship that we have from others. In a way that is the challenge of our motto, in letting our own light shine we are made even brighter by the lights of others that are around us.
The May Ball that we celebrate this Friday is a very unique manifestation of this sense of community.
Something that was begun during the Second World War when spirits were down is today in 2025 just it is important in drawing our community together, in a beautifully constructive why.
My prayer is that we always cherish the community that we have, value the ways (like the May Ball) in which we express it and always value the individuals that make up that community. In that way no one at St James Catholic College will ever feel that they are an individual on an island.
Enrolment Term
Please help us to attract enrollments into Kindergarten and Year 7 in 2026.
Your help in attracting enrollments and the positive comments you can make about the college help us immensely.
Prayer Garden
Between the main office and the early years classrooms is a little narrow cavity which is our college prayer garden. It was built some 15 years ago initially by a class that I taught life skills in. Over the years it's been added to and one very special way that it's been added to is by plaques placed at the back of the prayer garden to remember individuals that were important to our college that have passed away.
My invitation to the community is to ask if there are any people who are dear to you and were members of our college community that you would like added to our prayer garden. If so, please e-mail me on sjcc.principal@catholic.tas.edu.au
Joe Sandric
Principal
Important Dates
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SJCC Cross Country - Burtons Reserve |
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Huon and Channel Cross Country |
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7 Blue visit House of Assembly |
Year 10 Students explore GYC Pathways
Year 7 Ceramics, an update on some completed work from last term.
The Resilience Project
School Bell Times
Contact and communication during the school day
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