Having been given the go-ahead, the three girls enthusiastically located a suitable prayer and a song dedicated to St Mary of the Cross. Their efforts created a meaningful five minute prayer that was prayed over the College PA speakers during Homeroom on the morning of Monday 10 August. In praying the prayer over the PA, Liliana, Alana, and Grace were assisted by Olivia S. The prayer that was used is as follows:

Ever generous God,
You inspired Saint Mary MacKillop
To live her life faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ
and constant in bringing hope and encouragement
to those who were disheartened, lonely or needy.
With confidence in your generous providence
and through the intercession of Saint Mary MacKillop,
we ask that you grant our request to keep us safe in this time of pandemic.
We ask that our faith and hope be fired afresh by the Holy Spirit
so that we too, like Mary MacKillop, may live with courage, trust, and openness.
Ever generous God, hear our prayer.
We ask this through Jesus Christ. Amen

Andrew Chinn’s song “A Cross of Stars” followed the prayer. The chorus of the song is “Across these great lands she brought the Good News with courage and love in her heart that faith and hope and love may live beneath a Cross of Stars.” (The “Cross of Stars” is an obvious reference to the Southern Cross). One of the verses of the song captures well St Mary’s courageous spirit which we call upon today to inspire us: “Mary said, ‘Have courage no matter what your crosses are.’ This Mary knew when times were hard. She trusted in God, and God did provide and Mary’s love travelled far and wide.” May our love also travel far and wide.

The Year 10 girls’ prayer ended with the girls, in unison, reminding us of one of St Mary Mackillop’s most quoted saying: “Never see a need without doing something about it.”

Angelo Gattone - Mission Coordinator