Director of Mission

Taking our Mercy Keys into the community

By Email this article

Living our Mercy values

“Living in community means living in such a way that others can access me and influence my life. It means that I can get 'out of myself' and serve the lives of others. Community is a world where kinship with each other is possible.”
Richard Rohr

There are so many ways we work in the community, promoting our sense of College community, and reaching out to people, assisting those who appreciate our care, time, and Mercy spirit.

---

Year 11 Community Service
Year 11 Community Service (for SACE students) has come to an end, and the feedback from local communities and the students themselves articulates the authentic way that we live  the Mercy values.

---

Year 8 Reflection Day
The Year 8 cohort recently enjoyed a wonderful Reflection Day at St Paul’s Monastery, Urrbrae. Students wrote their versions of the ‘Our Father’ using modern terminology and expressions. The students' efforts working together, being loyal to God, and the spirit of our Mercy community were all on display, with creative visual expressions of faith, peace, love and loyalty created in groups using their bodies or the natural world.

---

Year 12 Seminar Day
Healthy relationships, a part of our Made in the image of God (MITIOG) programme, were a focus at the Year 12 Seminar Day at St Francis Xavier Cathedral Hall in Adelaide. SACE Religion Studies students also attended morning mass in the Cathedral led by Father Dean Marin, our current Vicar General.

Student observations:

• On our second Seminar day, we further explored consent, effects of alcohol on consent, healthy relationships, first love, peer pressure, societal pressure and stereotypes. – Jett
• We discussed what a healthy relationship can be like and how viewing pornography impacts the way people think [about relationships]. – Rodger
• I really enjoyed the interactive and group activities. – Eric
• We enjoyed most of the activities, as we were able to bond as a year level and think critically about the challenges we faced in relationships, platonic and romantic. – Amelie
• I really appreciated when we were put into groups and given envelopes which contained scenarios which we would then label media, real life and ideal society which we would have to discuss with the group where to place, to check if all were in agreement (or not). – Evan
• My highlight of the day was the relaxed environment of the day which allowed people to feel comfortable to contribute to group discussions. – Maddie
• I found it beneficial to hear other people's perspectives on relationships and know that we all had similar ideas of how we should treat each another. It was nice to be able to talk in smaller groups too, for the ideal world activity, because it helped us to realise some existing issues in our society. In all, they were all relevant topics. – Maisie

Thank you to Therese Wilson, Director of Mission, Michael Francis, Head of Senior School, Holly Potter, Year 12 Coordinator, and all the wonderful Year 12 tutors and Life and Faith and Religious Education teachers, for coming along to support our Class of 2022, as well as their personal input, generosity of heart and Mercy spirit on the day.

Helen Ayliffe
Learning Area Leader | Religious Education Years 10-12

---

Therese Wilson
Director of Mission