St Mary’s indigenous support worker Valerie Mathews, Emily Brooks (Yr 7), Dylan Brown (Yr 7), Mitchell Brown (Yr 7), Kate Lipsett (Yr 5), Lachlan Thomson (Yr 7), Electra Andrewartha (Yr 5), Caitlin Lang (Yr 6) and Wakka Wakka elder Uncle Eric Law

May 28, 2014

Students at two local Catholic schools paused this week to mark three significant Reconciliation events: Sorry Day, Reconciliation Week and Mabo Day.

At St Mary’s Catholic College in Kingaroy, the school community gathered in front of the Dreaming Garden on Tuesday morning – the official start of Reconciliation Week – for a smoking ceremony and fire blessing.

Wakka Wakka elder Uncle Eric Law spoke to the students about the Reconciliation process.

Indigenous support worker Valerie Mathews explained the history of Sorry Day and the grief and trauma of the Stolen Generations.

The students then moved to the Mary Knoll Centre to view a modern morality play about acceptance, where students were urged not to “cast the first stone”.

St Mary’s teacher Dallas Brown and students planted black and white hands in front of St Mary’s Dreaming Garden as a sign of Reconciliation
Ryan Jacobs (Year 10) and Year 12 students Brittani Merton, Rhiannon Budgen, Year 12 and Carissa Jensen took part in a modern interpretation of John 8:3-11, the parable of the woman accused of adultery
Students “cast stones” at someone different in the modern morality play

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At St Joseph’s, Murgon

Reconciliation in action  … Niketa Law, Aunty Shirley Law, Elise Crawford, Maria and Barry Cuttler, Kenneth Watson-Cuttler Reconciliation Award winner Mitchell Bond, Lena Redman and Uncle Eric Law

Lataya Purcell, 6, at front, with Yolande Fewquandie, Payton Grgurovic, Niketa Law and Rebecca Palmer (Photo: Marcus Priaulx)

Wakka Wakka elder Uncle Eric Law with Br Marty Sanderson from the Edmund Rice Centre in Brisbane at St Joseph’s, Murgon

At St Joseph’s, Murgon, students gathered at the Catholic parish church for a “Sorry Day” ceremony on Monday and the presentation of the annual  Kenneth Watson-Cuttler Reconciliation Award.

Ken was a former St Joseph’s student who died in an accident in 1988 when he was just 14.

The life of the young Aboriginal boy, raised by a non-indigenous family in Murgon, touched everyone around him.

The award, named in his honour, is presented to a St Joseph’s student who:

  • Treats all people as equals to themselves – not judging others based on their race, culture, school work or family circumstances
  • Takes responsibility for their own actions towards others; treats everyone with truth and respect and says sorry for mistakes made and hurt caused to others without being prompted
  • Advocates for reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians through modelling the attributes of truth, respect, understanding and forgiveness
  • Loves and accepts others for their differences

It was presented to Mitchell Bond by Ken’s parents, Maria and Barry Cuttler.

St Joseph’s teacher Celia O’Connor lit the flame as Uncle Eric Law read Burnum Burnum’s “Fire Blessing”
  • Sorry Day (May 26) marks the anniversary of the tabling of the “Bringing Them Home” report  – the collected experience of the Stolen Generations – in Federal Parliament.
  • Mabo Day (June 3) marks the day the High Court of Australia handed down its historic ruling that established that Native Title existed in Australia. 

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