Until Pope Francis visited there last week, I didn’t realise that Mongolia was an independent country. It is bordered by both Russia and China, but it has a democratic parliament. Politically, Mongolia hit its highwater mark under Genghis Khan and has been on the political slide ever since! Most of the population are Buddhist and most still live a nomadic life on the steppes of central Asia. There are only about 1500 Catholics in the whole country. Francis could have met more Catholics by going to the parish next door to the Vatican! So, why did he go? He wanted to support that small community and remind them that they were like that first Christian community of the Gospel who lived out the message of Jesus, simply and with compassion. He reminded them that their job was not to convert those around them to Catholicism or to use social works of mercy to entice others to ‘join up’. He reminded them, and the rest of us that, as Christians, we are called and invited to see in every person around us, especially the lost, the least and the lonely, the face of Jesus the Christ and to treat that person with dignity. Pope Francis really ‘gets’ the Gospel.

Pope Francis is different and he is calling the Church to be the best it can be. His leadership is encouraging people to start conversations about faith and meaning. Not uncommonly, I talk to people who do not ‘officially’ align at all or any more with the Catholic Church but who do obviously buy into the vision of Christianity that Francis is offering. A Church that is not full of itself or fixated on power or position or privilege. Like the Church in Mongolia. The Bundaberg Catholic Parish is offering a course, to be run at Shalom, for anyone interested in connecting, or re-connecting with a faith journey. It is called the Alpha program.

The format is simple. Over a number of weeks guests gather to have a meal together, hear a talk on faith and then have a discussion together in small groups. For so many people Alpha was the catalyst that began, or restored, their faith in Jesus Christ.

On Thursday, 5th October, in the Waterford Building, Shalom College, beginning at 5.30pm, our parish will begin Alpha in a Catholic Context. All are welcome to this first session which may begin to answer some of your questions about God, Jesus, life and more.

School Fees 2024 – fees, not surprisingly, will have to rise in 2024. Again, we have tried to keep these increases as low as possible. Staff costs are always our biggest cost and those have increased significantly next year with a 4% increase and a 3% cost of living increase along with increased Superannuation. All that said, a comparison between the fees at Shalom and those for a comparable school will see ours more than competitive. We try to make our school fee an inclusive one. Parents are not asked to pay for camps, curriculum related excursions, pool entries, local bus fares etc. We are enormously grateful to all of those families who do their very best to meet their financial commitment to the College on time. As always, if there are difficulties, please make a time to speak with me.

Mr Dan McMahon
Principal
mcmahond@shalomcollege.com