With children home and engaging in remote learning, parents and caregivers might be picking up more on some of the day-to-day occurrences that they ordinarily do not witness. One of these might be students attending Homeroom each morning for roll call, pastoral care, and daily prayer.

Daily prayer is an important and proud feature of life at Carroll College. Each day we begin by focussing on our faith and in the tradition of the Catholic Church, calling on the saints and role models of the Church to pray for us and be with us during our day.

Some of our students and families are very familiar with prayer in the Catholic tradition whilst some are less so. Regardless, we want all students and families to feel comfortable with and understand why Carroll College engages in daily prayer. I have provided some information about what is happening during prayer and the background of some of these traditions.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.

In the Catholic tradition, prayer is central to developing a relationship with God.  At Carroll College, we pray regularly. All prayers at the College begin and end in the same way. We begin by making the Sign of the Cross.

What is the Sign of the Cross?

The Sign of the Cross is a Christian statement of faith. This sign is used by a number of Christian denominations and always by Catholics. It is believed to be a very ancient gesture going back to the first apostles. When a new follower of Christ was baptised, leaders would ‘mark’ them for Christ by tracing this shape across their body or forehead. 

There is quite deep theology behind the gesture, but ultimately it is an expression of our Creed - our key beliefs as Christians. By making this sign, we acknowledge that we believe in God the Father, the Creator of all, God the Son, Jesus Christ and in God the Holy Spirit, God’s presence with us here on earth. By saying the words and making this sign on our bodies we are reminding ourselves that we are in the presence of God and we are calling God into our lives. 

Are students expected to make this gesture?

Ideally, yes. As members of this Christian community, we are all called to support the beliefs stated above. We truly hope that students feel comfortable making this sign because we believe that it is God who supports us in our work and that we are proud of calling upon God to be with us in all we do. If your child does not feel comfortable with making the sign of the cross, they will never be made to do so. Of course we respect the autonomy of our students in terms of personal beliefs; however, it is expected that this respect is reciprocal and that all students are reverent and understanding of the beliefs of our community.

Can non-Catholics make this sign?

Yes. There is no problem with a non-Catholic/Christian making the sign of the cross.  If you feel comfortable embracing the beliefs held within this gesture, you are more than welcome to join us in making it. 

Prayer

Prayer can have many definitions.  St. John Damascene described prayer as, “the raising of one's mind and heart to God.” Homeroom prayers can be about any number of things. They might be inspired by scripture, a Feast Day, the liturgical season or current events. Regardless of the prayer topic, all prayers at the College conclude in the same way.   

How we begin and finish a prayer at Carroll College

Prayer always begins with the Sign of the Cross.   At the end of the prayer, we say:

Reader: Father Francis Carroll                         All: Pray for us

Reader: Caroline Chisholm                              All: Pray for us

Reader: St Mary of the Cross Mackillop        All: Pray for us

Reader: St Francis Xavier                                  All: Pray for us

All: May we always remember to pray for each other.

Reader: Live Jesus in our hearts...                   All: forever. 

During this time of remote learning, daily prayer during Homeroom is still taking place. We are all reading the same prayer across the school community at approximately 8:50 am each morning. I hope that practice reminds students and staff that despite not being together physically, we are still joined in a common action, with a common focus each day. I hope they find support in knowing that every student across the school is joined in prayer for just a moment and that they can still feel a sense of community from this shared experience.

Erica Drewsen
Religious Education Coordinator