To mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Catholic Diocese of Ballarat, four Indigenous Message Sticks were gifted to carry the message to “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12). They are making their way around all sixty four schools in the diocese and were onsite at our school, St Mary’s in Swan Hill in the last week of May.

They have a special significance for us as they were made locally by artist Vicki Clark and her husband Trevor. Vicki is a proud Mutthi Mutthi Wamba Wamba woman, member of the DOBCEL board and grandmother of Inalah in Foundation Green.

The Message Stick reception into St Mary’s Swan Hill Community took place on Wednesday, May 22 with our Graduate teacher Jenna Jenkins receiving this from St Joseph’s Primary School Hopetoun. We held a special liturgy to honour the presence of this message stick before we handed it over to St Mary MacKillop College.

It was passed onto Alison Wright, Director of Mission at St Mary MacKillop College on Monday, June 3. They will journey outwards to further gatherings with their presence in liturgies symbolically reminding all that, from the Murray to the Sea, we are hope-filled Catholic communities.

At the conclusion of their journeys, the four Message Sticks will find a home in a prayer space within the Catholic Education Ballarat offices.

Belinda Davies – Religious Education Leader/Classroom Teacher