PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
DON SPENCER RETIRES
On Wednesday I attended a retirement Mass for Mr Don Spencer. Don is the current Principal of Mary Immaculate Catholic Primary School, Eaglevale, where many of our students come from. It was a wonderful and fitting event full of celebration and story, and some tears. Don’s career spanned 39 years and 33 in the Wollongong Diocese where he was Principal of four schools.
I mention this event because of the John Therry students who may have attended Eaglevale in the last 8 years and because of the wider contribution to Catholic education that has been made by this man.
So I ask - how do we celebrate a contribution like Don’s or someone else who dedicates themselves to the Church in other ways. In my own Parish there are many people who volunteer in so many ways - to maintain the premises, clean the church, set up for special events and seasons and the like. They are wonderful people who enrich my Church experience.
How soon are they forgotten, what legacy do they leave? Who steps up after them in today’s world? Most of these people are unselfish and humble in nature, happy to contribute to the greater cause. This is so very COUNTERCULTURAL to the current inward looking generation of younger people. Where life is lived falsely on social media where we only post the ‘good’ parts of our lives and discreetly or conveniently cover other areas.
We all know that there will be difficult times ahead for us all. Resilience and capacity to bounce back is developed over time and all who succeed in life seem to find it.
