Formation ~ Under Southern Skies

Formation - Under Southern Skies

Young volunteers and employees from Edmund Rice Ministries across Australia gathered at Amberley on the first weekend of May. The program, ‘Under Southern Skies’, inspired by the first line of the Statement from the Heart, was developed for young people from across Australia to create connections to our Founding stories, First Nations stories, and the stories of Creation.

Images from the weekend.

The program was full of rich knowledges and conversations, including a Welcome and Smoking from Mandy Nicholson (Djirri Djirri Dance Group), workshops of First Nations History and Spirituality from Sherry Balcombe (Aboriginal Catholic Ministry), a forum on the Voice to Parliament from Nic Emili (Camps SA volunteer), workshops on Trauma Informed Practice from Mary Watson Burton (ERCS) and introductions to the Edmund Rice Justice Centre from Dan Prichard, and the Edmund Rice Centre WA from Jordan Iley.

Reflection

Daniel Prichard encapsulated the weekend beautifully in his reflection…

“….Those of us who are lucky enough to be moved by the spirit of this work and the children we engage with are left wanting to bring the gifts of our collective presence and compassion into the wider world. Having the chance to connect with a group of people committed to the Edmund Rice mission from across the country was a surreal experience. All over Australia, young people are driven to be agents of change within their communities through their experiences as Eddie Ricers, meaning we are never alone as young people committing to faith in action. In connecting and sharing our stories, we learn from one another and recognise both our place in a bigger community, and the potential we hold as a collective daring to imagine what the world could be. Looking beyond our gathering, we share a desire to keep our connections and passion for justice alive. The spiral continues...