This week we’ll see young people around the streets ‘trick or treating’ as a part of Halloween celebrations.  At the risk of being called a ‘grouch’, I hate Halloween!  That said, I love the authentic celebration of the ‘eve of All Hallows’ while hating how it has been hijacked by confectionary companies and other vested interests.  In our Catholic and Christian traditions, this week, we celebrate the feast day of All Saints on 1 November and All Souls on 2 November.

These are great traditions.  On the feast day of All Saints we remember all of those heroic women and men who are recognised as Saints - St Francis, Mary MacKillop and thousands of others.  On the feast day of All Souls, the eve of which is ‘Halloween’, is the celebration of the lives of all those other folk who we have loved and who have inspired us and who we believe are now with God.  I love remembering the people in my life who I have loved and who have loved me, who are no longer with us.  I will remember my Mum & Dad, my little brother Tim along with lots of others who have inspired me, like our Shalom heroes - James Kiernan, Br Rochford, Ed Bowen and Kerry Bolam. 

Through faith, we remain connected with those who have been part of our lives.  Somehow, over the years, ‘Halloween’ has subverted this connection to ‘playfully’ link this to ghosts and goblins. So, over the next couple of nights, I will turn the lights off in my house, have the dog on patrol and the door locked in the hope that the wonderful neighbouring children will avoid my residence!  But, whilst sitting in the dark, I will be drawing inspiration from my favourite Saints - Edmund Rice & Catherine McAuley, amongst others and I will be gratefully remembering the outstanding people in my life who have loved, inspired and challenged me to be a better person than I would have otherwise been. 

Building Better @ Shalom – last week I shared with the students on Assembly some of our Master Planning goals.  The link below will take you to an Architect’s view of a new classroom block that we hope to start on early next year.  We have not yet come up with a definite name for the building and we will have fingers crossed that the tender prices come in at something that is within our budget.  The new building is to be built along similar lines to the Waterford building but designed for senior school studies. Work on the new ovals is progressing well at the moment.

https://youtu.be/KA26oFOFajg