CENT Media Release_Catholic Education NT signs up to Laudato Si Day 10 September 2021

10 September 2021

Media Release

Catholic Education Northern Territory prepares to sign up to the Laudato Si’ Platform- Action Plan during the Season of Creation

Five hundred staff members gathered from urban Darwin Diocesan Catholic schools along with leaders from Aboriginal Catholic Community Schools, and St Joseph’s, Katherine for their Catholic Identity formation day to ‘Celebrate Care for Common Home’.

A moving welcome to Larakia Country from proud Larakia woman and emerging leader Anesha Demaso, a Yr. 12 student leader from O’Loughlin Catholic College, invited participants into the story of her family in culture and country.  Scott Yubulul, an emerging leader from Galiwin’ku (Elcho Island), and currently a Year 11 student at St John’s Catholic College, tuned participants into a listening mode playing the Yidarki.

After a prayerful liturgy to acknowledge the story of Creation and 200 yrs. of Catholic Education, Bishop Charles Gauci welcomed participants to the theme for the day.  Jacqui Rémond, Co-Coordinator of the Ecology Taskforce at the Vatican Covid-19 Commission working with the Vatican Dicastery for the Integral Human Development,Laudato Si’ Consultant at the Australian Catholic University and Co-Founder of the Laudato Si’ Movement, led a process to enable participants to identify the ten imperatives of Laudato Si’ before facilitating a panel of staff members.  

Jacqui facilitated a dialogue with Troy Garling and Yasmina Day (representing Aboriginal islander Education Workers); Lisa Le Gros (Education Officer for Early Years in NT) and Nikita Jason, an Aboriginal woman and primary school teacher.  The Laudato Si’ imperatives were grounded in their stories of ecological conversion through country, place and their work in leading both staff and students in celebrating care for our common home. +