Dear parents,
There is much to admire in the movie, Cabrini, which has had a recent, brief run in the cinema. Not so recently, I took my first breath in a Cabrini hospital in Melbourne, but knew virtually nothing about the saint before seeing the movie.
The production itself is grand in scale, with performances, sets and score the equal of any high quality movie. While I would have appreciated a sense of St Frances Xavier Cabrini's piety, amid the relentless obstacle course of pitiless, prideful and insipid men, the intrepid saint's vision of human dignity is as unstintingly grand as is the movie in which she is credited with the role of executive producer.
In a pivotal scene, at a moment which has the potential to set our protagonist permanently back on her haunches, Mother Cabrini responds to a query of the pope, no less, with typical extravagance, "The world is too small for what I intend to do". I have been inspired by the many, recent opportunities students have had to consider the vision for their life and how they might contribute across the fields of family, the Church and society.
"Rise" was the theme of the Mother & Daughter Camp, while high school boys have worked through a robust process of goal-setting aimed at self-mastery. Year 11&12 Legal Studies attended what must be one of the best excursions I can recall. The access to judicial officers and insights gained into the criminal justice system were beyond informative; it was the sort of unforgettably rich experience that can inspire students to a Cabrini-style vision. Our students, after all, have been made by God for great things.
With Palm Sunday on the near horizon, I would like to wish every family a truly blessed Holy Week and the fruit of a well-spent Lent. May the dew of Calvary descend over Albury as we keep vigil at the tomb. Thank you for your support.
Warm regards, Ian Smith Principal
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