A Message from our Principal

I hope the Year 12s appreciate the truly special moment in history they were part of, when they collectively heard the news of the election of Pope Leo XIV at their overnight retreat last Friday morning. ‘Habemus Papam’ – the Catholic Church celebrated the confirmation of a new leader.

Pope Leo XIV represents so many things close to our heart as Trinity Catholic College. Like Pope Francis, he worked with the marginalised and advocated for justice for those who can’t ask it for themselves in Peru for many years in a missionary role. Our new Pope calls out leadership and immigration policies in America that go against the Christian principles of social justice, equity, and inclusion. The four gospel values important to us at Trinity as compass points in our daily lives are represented strongly in the work of Pope Leo XIV – Respect, Service, Justice, and Truth. Alongside the Pope ‘walking the talk’, he aims for academic excellence just like us. He is a scholar with a maths degree, is proficient in seven languages, and, like so many in the Church before him, respects faith, science and reason sitting comfortably together.

It is Pink Shirt Day today at Trinity. A day when we wear pink to come together to stand up against bullying. We are not perfect at Trinity, and I would challenge any school to say they have no bullying. The purpose of this day is to show unity in our belief that every person deserves to be respected for who they are. We don’t expect people to have to work hard for respect or to only be given respect when they earn it – which is a common but, for us, a wrongly positioned saying. We are all one in the fact that we are human, deserving of respect and love and we are formed in the image and likeness of God. Our responsibility is to respect one another regardless of faults. The role of the bystander is huge and very powerful but, sadly and too often, we see ourselves as singular individuals unable to speak out even when we are surrounded by many others with the same beliefs. Being a teenager is a tough time of life. As the adults in their world, we all need to have the conversations about being bystanders who do the right thing, and gather other bystanders to help push back on bullying and disrespect and help create a culture of positive change. Pope Leo’s episcopal motto is “In Illo uno unum”— words pronounced by Saint Augustine in a sermon on Psalm 127 to explain that “although we Christians are many, in the one Christ we are one.” As we celebrate Pink Shirt Day, let’s remember that there is power in numbers and our shared belief in doing the right thing together, can make our community a better place.

Mrs Kate Nicholson

Principal