Catholic Education Week

We celebrated Catholic Education Week Mass with the theme 'Many Voices, One Spirit' at St Patrick’s Church Emerald on 28^th July. I was delighted to celebrate this Mass in our parishes in which there are three primary schools and one secondary college.  What is important, however, is not numbers, but the fact that the Central Highlands is blessed with good schools.

Catholic Education week has offered an opportunity for all of us including our schools principals Mr Green, Mr Ferguson, Mr Smith and Mr Roach to celebrate the important role that education plays in promoting equity, the achievements of our students and the invaluable work of our educators in building our society. We all know that this was a special week to honour our Catholic schools.

The collaborative approach of teachers, parents, boards, students and parishioners is a witness to the fact that good schools flourish when they belong within and form part of a wider community.

During the Mass the School Boards members for 2019 renewed the promises to assist our schools to fulfill their Catholic Educational responsibility within the terms of the pastoral and educational goals of the Diocese. Our schools are fortunate to have School Boards to support and nurture them.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who serve on the Boards of our Catholic schools in our parishes namely St Patrick’s, Marist College and St Brigid’s in Emerald and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Springsure. Their contribution to Catholic Education is much appreciated by our Bishop Michael and me, their pastor and by the students, parents, teachers and members of faith communities in our parishes. And I continue to pray that they will be blessed by a spirit of wisdom, courage and right judgement in all that they do.

Police Chaplain

I am delighted to have been appointed as a police chaplain to provide a ministry of pastoral care for the police officers in the Central Highlands. I am very honoured to be commissioned as a chaplain for all of our police officers in the service they provide to Emerald and the wider region. I provide this ministry on behalf of my respective churches: St Patrick’s Emerald and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Springsure. This is a special relationship which we have supported for over twenty years.

I love to visit the stations to say "Hi" to the officers and staff and have a chat.  I am there to be a listening ear for any issues and needs that they might have in their challenging roles. I am so grateful and in awe of what the Police Service does that it is truly an honour to be around to be of some assistance to them.

A big thank you to our Bishop Michael who allowed me to volunteer for this ministry of police chaplaincy to our police officers who undertake a wonderful mission in the Central Highlands. Thank you to Senior Sergeant Peter McFarlane, Capricornia and Mackay Police District chaplain Rev. Glenn Louttit and Assistant Commissioner Clem O’Regan, for the honour of being commissioned as a chaplain for you all. 

I'm really looking forward to helping all our police officers and our communities as I provide much needed assistance as chaplain.

Fr Raj