Planting a seed of faith, justice and compassion

While knowledge and learning are at the core of education, for St Brendan’s College, planting a seed and nurturing the development of faith, justice and compassion is at the heart of the Edmund Rice ethos interwoven into the fabric of College life.

“Have courage; the good seed will grow up in the children’s hearts later on” was penned by Blessed Edmund Rice and according to St Brendan’s College Principal, Mr Robert Corboy, it is the philosophy the teachers and staff of St Brendan’s College live by as they work to educate and develop good young men, of faith, justice and compassion.

“In a world of many just causes, the College works hard to establish a genuine and constant link to the Edmund Rice touchstones of Liberating Education, Justice and Solidarity, Inclusive Community and Gospel Spirituality in the initiatives the College supports and promotes,” Mr Corboy said.

“Our Eddies Van initiative; our Walk Against Domestic Violence; the collection of dignity bags for the Rockhampton Women’s Shelter; real support for the Work and Welcome Program in our College community; charitable fundraising across a number of causes; and our strong liturgical and faith program, give our students many opportunities to learn about the importance of faith, justice and compassion,” he said.  

“As educators we plant the seed, not always knowing how our students take that and live it in their day-to-day lives, but we continue to work hard to build a new generation of young men with social justice, compassion and solidarity as their core beliefs,” he said.

The College’s Eddies Van initiative has been operating for more than ten years with students and staff providing basic necessities, food and support to those who have fallen on hard times in the local community of Yeppoon, every Thursday afternoon, 50 weeks of the year. 

The College’s Walk Against Domestic Violence, held for the second year in May 2018, is an important initiative to demonstrate to the 600-strong student body marching the streets of Yeppoon, that the ‘Not Now, Not Ever’ slogan emblazoned on their shirts, is an essential message for these sons, brothers and future husbands and fathers to live by as they journey through life.

This initiative raised more than $2,000 for White Ribbon Australia in 2018, which complemented significant fundraising and support given by the SBC community for Shave for a Cure, Beanies for Brain Cancer, Do it for Dolly and Drought Relief Appeals.

For the fourth consecutive year the College’s senior students, alongside the Capricorn Coast Catholic Parish, also collected and donated more than 100 dignity bags to the local Rockhampton Women’s Shelter in 2018, giving support and gaining an understanding of the reality of those less fortunate in the community.

St Brendan’s College continues to support Work and Welcome, a program committed to providing employment opportunities to refugees, people seeking asylum and migrants to our country. 

“Our community has welcomed Work and Welcome participants to our College for a number of years, including Devon from Sri Lanka in 2017 and Laila from Afghanistan in 2018, and they have spent time with our students in the classroom, assisting and telling their individual stories.”

“As a Catholic boys’ school in the Edmund Rice tradition we are proud of the fact that our students are given abundant academic and extra-curricular opportunities and pathways for a strong future; we are proud that they often establish a brotherhood and belonging here that lasts a lifetime; and we are proud that we are working in partnership with families to educate and develop good young men of faith, justice and compassion,” Mr Corboy said.