Nurturing the Heart 1 | Page 10

Workshop Summaries

Catholic Social Teaching

Session 1

Mary Anne Collins (Caritas)

Catholic Social Teaching (CST) covers all spheres of life – the economic, political, personal and spiritual. With human dignity at its centre, a holistic approach to development, founded on the principles of CST, is what Pope Paul VI called ‘authentic development’. Join Mary Anne from Caritas for an informative and engaging workshop that will introduce participants to the principles of CST.

Marist Spirituality

Session 1

Andrea Pisano

As a Marist Old Scholar and faithful servant to the College for many years, Andrea was understandably excited and humbled by the privilege to travel to the birthplace of the Marist movement, France, in April. Join Andrea as she unpacks what a charism is and the distinct spirituality of the Marist charism. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of what “being Marist” means.

My Year Long Retreat

Session 1

Rebecca French

About five years ago Rebecca French spent 12 months in a solo meditation. It was one of the most transformative experiences she has ever had. Most of the year was spent in closed retreat where silence and not seeing other people was practiced. Bec spent much of this time in a cave in Ladakh (Indian Himalayas), which has been a meditator’s hermitage for 800 years. Prior to this retreat, Bec had been back and forth to India/Nepal for 15 years studying Buddhist philosophy, and completing meditation retreats. This session is a snapshot of Rebecca’s personal journey from that experience – what led her to complete a retreat of this nature this and how it led to her work in setting up the first Buddhist school in Australia.

The Journey from Charity to Justice

Session 2

Mary Anne Collins (Caritas)

Our students get that the world is full of injustice, and they care about change! So how can we empower them to be agents of change? In this workshop Mary Anne from Caritas will look at the difference between the charitable response (fundraising) and action for justice (change). Participants will consider the importance of awareness raising, actions of solidarity, reflection and action for change particularly applicable in the school environment.

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