On 18 March, we celebrated our very first Multifaith Assembly at Hennessy College. This event was held to mark the occasion of Harmony Week, which is celebrated in Australia during March each year.

Organised by Jannat Bakri, one of our senior leaders, and with support from some of the teaching staff, the Assembly brought together the entire college and visiting representatives Miss Mariam AlBaf from the Muslim Community and Fr Jiss Sunny from the Catholic Christian Community.

The event began with a Welcome to Country from Nikita Bell, a Year 9 student who both acknowledged the land of her traditional elders and spoke in Wiradjuri language.

Ms Beth Doherty, Religious Education Leader spoke about interfaith harmony, speaking about Pope Francis’ recent visit to Iraq and his meeting with the Grand Ayatollah during that trip. She also referenced “Nostra Aetate”, the Vatican II document on relations with other faiths.

Four giant Project Compassion boxes decorated the stage, and donations were collected for Caritas’ annual fundraiser. Today, donations were specifically targeted toward raising money for a Refugee Tent and Beds for a family in Bangladesh. We also had a tent installation as part of our prayer space, to remind everyone that we are a country made by immigration, and to reference the refugee experience and the need for more tolerance in our nation.

Chelsea House (Year 11), Imogen Noakes (Year 12) and Elisabeth Hall (Year 9) read a multifaith slam poem called “We sing our song/Everyone belongs” which is included below.

Miss Mariam AlBaf read from the Holy Qu’ran, and spoke about growing up as a proud Muslim in Australia. It was her first time presenting at a multifaith gathering, and she confessed to being more likely most days to be talking about Shakespeare as a professional English teacher than talking of her faith. Her presence was greatly appreciated by the community.

Fr Jiss Sunny, the parish priest of St Mary’s and the Young Mission read an interfaith blessing and expressed his appreciation for the wonderful students and teachers we have at Hennessy.

Mrs Kathy Holding, Principal of Hennessy College thanked everyone for their participation, and reminded everyone of this year’s theme “Inspiring futures of hope” as she paid tribute to our guests and the way our students are living out this message every day.

Finally, we ended with a musical piece “Freedom is coming” sung by Ashley Langford (Year 8), Elizabeth Reeves (Year 8), Trysta Willoughby (Year 11), Ms Beth Doherty and Mr Damien Foley, and accompanied on cajon by Lily Payne.

We thank all of our staff and students for their participation in this unique event. In some small way, through events such as this, we can proclaim as a Catholic College our welcome to people of all faiths and none.

While we might have different names for God, different ways of worship and different customs, but we are all part of one big human family, which is joined together by a common thread of love.

We have all come from love, and to love we shall return. 

We sing our song/Everyone belongs

A multifaith slam poem

By Ms Beth Doherty

We sing a song

A song that has been

Whispered in hushed, musical tones

In burning bushes

Proclaimed from thrones

Or in the still, small voice of our hearts.

Through the ages

With many stages

Turning pages

Of holy books

Sacred writings

Words of God, the creator

Words of

fighting

Learning,

righting wrongs

Learning how to

Sing our songs.

You teach us how to live,

Creator, spirit, maker of all things.

How to give,

How to forgive

And speak of the good and the bad and

the wild, wild life that is ours alone

Each of us called to be one.

Yet living in harmony

Is not so easy

It is more than please and thank you

It is more than recognition

It has been written

That real acceptance is being willing to sacrifice

Your life for others

It’s where everyone

Is your mother

Your brother

Your sister

We are all attending this party

All invited

All of us have a place

A handwritten invitation into the space

We want your face

Whether it be black, white, brown or blue

You, and you and you

You are important

Created

Loved

Breathed into being

By a God of love

We all may have different

Images of God

Or understandings

Of where she/he trod

But in order to live in harmony

We must listen

And whether we’ve been christened

Or welcomed in the name of creator

Or given a name, prayed into

A newborn’s ear

We are all here

Together

One

But many