Rising to the Challenge

Mission: Religious Education and Faith Development

Rising to the Challenge

In 1985, Joan Ferguson first became a member of the College administration staff. For most of the time since then, she has been the trusted Executive Assistant to the Principal and more recently, the Human Resource Manager. Sigmund Freud once remarked that “a woman should soften but not weaken a man”. Joan has done this for a succession of headmasters providing gentle advice that to avoid misunderstanding it may be “better to do it this way”. One quickly learns to listen to Joan and respect her ability to express sentiments in words that never wound but often heal. As Executive Assistant, Joan has been the one who fields the occasional complaint and soothes the concerns of people who have been less than satisfied with the conduct of some member of the College community, be it a consequence of a boy misbehaving on a train or a staff member who has not returned a call to a parent. Joan follows through on issues because she genuinely wants to assist people and because she does not want people to think critically of the Lasallian spirit of being brothers and sisters to all. Nowhere is her Lasallian spirit more evident than in the interest and care she takes in instructing boys for their first reception of the sacraments. Joan makes every boy feel special as she communicates her lived faith and trust in God. In past years she has offered this instruction after school as an extra but we have now asked her to become a full-time chaplain. Joan’s ability to communicate her deep faith to others is a precious gift. It is a gift and talent we wish to utilise more fully in our school community as we endeavour to assist both students and parents to understand better what it is to be Catholic. Whereas, once it could be assumed that initiation in the Christian tradition grew out of a strong partnership of parents with the parish, the reality today is that fewer of the boys come from families in close contact with their local parish. Many have little more than a vague understanding of what it is to be Catholic. While we respect the freedom of parents to make their personal choices, this is a Catholic College. All parents realise we have a duty to communicate what the Church teaches and offers through the sacraments. In so doing, our goal is not to supplant the role of the parishes but to encourage families to connect more strongly to their parishes. De La Salle College aspires to provide a vibrant, faith experience. To do this successfully, we must: i. provide a nurturing environment which fosters faith, hope and love, in a caring, compassionate and just atmosphere where there is mutual respect for legitimate personal differences; ii. deliver a quality religious education program which provides comprehensive knowledge of the gospels, and all Christian teaching, and which encourages the students to think and to make sound judgments; iii. educate the students in the value of being men for others, who know the importance of acting to help their neighbour by participation in a highly developed program of social justice activities. iv. encourage participation in the liturgical life of the Church through the experience of sacramental programs. As our first, lay, College Chaplain, Joan will seek to involve the families of each boy in understanding the sacraments and will provide support to students and families in times of special need, such as bereavements Mahatma Gandhi once remarked that “Faith is not something to grasp, it is a state to grow into”. Joan will be working to help our College community grow as a supportive spiritual community, respecting the beliefs of all but nourishing the values that underpin De La Salle College. Her work will be a gift to us all. Br Bill