it’s official - we’re going back!

Dear Cardoner family and supporters

The past month has been spent deep in planning for the resumption of our In-Community programmes. We are now actively looking for volunteers to serve for the second half of this year with our two partners in the Northern Territory and the Xavier Learning Community in Thailand. We are also offering two 3-week immersion experiences to Nepal –in December and in January.

In-community programmes to resume

Wadeye and Daly River, Semester 2 2022

We are seeking volunteers to serve in Wadeye and Nauiyu (Daly River). In Wadeye, volunteers will help at Our Lady of The Sacred Heart Thamarrurr Primary and High School, consolidating this In-Community opportunity that started last year. In Nauiyu we are looking to build on the relationship established by St Ignatius College, Athlestone with St Francis Xavier Catholic School, Nauiyu, by providing support at the school however needed. Both these placements are for 2 – 3 volunteers.

Keen to volunteer in our own backyard or want some more information? Let us know HERE.

Xavier Learning College (XLC) Chiang Rai, Thailand

Our partners at XLC are very keen to welcome us back as soon as we can get there. XLC provides a tertiary opportunity for marginalized young adults in Northern Thailand. A critical part of the learning for their students is to get a good spoken command of English and our volunteers make a huge difference to their progress (and accents…). We have been running an online English tutoring programme for the XLC students over the past year but being there on the ground means we can assist so many more of the students.

We are seeking up to 6 volunteers for a 3-month placement from late August through late November this year and plan to have the longer-term placements available for 2023.

Apply for 2022 HERE.

Nepal 3-week Immersions, December 2022 and January 2023

The 3-week immersion is perfect for school leavers as a reset after their HSC year and before they start on their next adventure. It is also a great opportunity for Young Adults who missed out on adventure travel over the past few years. The Immersion consists of a hike to our partner community at Tipling, time spent helping out at the community with whatever tasks need extra hands – such as a bit of house building or school teaching –a hike back out of the village and time in Kathmandu learning about the culture and spirituality of Nepal.

Watch the video of the 2019 trip for a taste of the experience HERE.

To submit an application for December or January, click HERE.

Want to come and learn more at our Information Evening in May? – let us know HERE.

THE SEVICE YEAR IS BACK for 2023!

3-, 6- and 12-month placement opportunities in:

• Huay Tong and XLC, Thailand

• Tonga

• Nepal

• Micronesia

• Cambodia

• Nauiyu and Wadeye, Northern Territory

INTERESTED?

BELLARMINE HOUSE

Violet cabral

Late last year I was handed a pamphlet, usually I never read them but thank goodness, for once I did. I had never been so intrigued as I read about the amazing community of Bellmarine House and with no hesitation I applied to become a resident. Since moving in I have genuinely felt so happy and blessed, being surrounded by such inspiring, motivating and like minded people who instantly made me feel at home. Bellarmine has provided me with so many opportunities, in particular working with The Cardoner Project. Bellarmine makes community a priority which I absolutely love, going on late night walks to get ice cream, weekly community night, going out for dinner, having many many movie nights and much more. Bellarmine not only prioritises our in-house community but emphasises connections within other communities, in particular our XLC Thai college students where our house residents meet with the same Thai students weekly building a strong rapport with each student. I have found this opportunity to be so warming as our communities, no matter the distance, seem so connected and close at heart which is what Bellarmine is all about.

Joshua Jerome esman

8 in the morning, Tuesday. We’ll be taking turns making coffees and chatting about the day coming. The windows in the common room paint the morning with natural light, and everyone is feeling bleary as the house slowly wakes up. For those without morning classes, we’ll fire up the stove and make a big breakfast while playing some music.

These are the mornings I live for, and the ones I’m lucky enough to take for granted every day. Growing up in a small family, I’ve been used to quiet wake-ups and solitary routines, as the other parties in my childhood home had probably already gone to work. And yet, waking up here, I get to enjoy a morning routine punctuated with laughter and sharing of stories.

10 in the morning, Saturday. Someone will be sat quietly at the table, doing the crossword or sharing a quiz, and groups will be milling around getting ready to grab some lunch or pick up some clothes from the markets. The atmosphere is peaceful, and warm. I’ll probably be having a coffee and enjoying the morning glow.

5 in the afternoon, Sunday. Community night is on and everyone is getting ready in their rooms and bathrooms. The guys will be ironing our nicest button-ups and tying ties in the mirror. Throwing around banter, the anticipation is tangible. Half an hour later we’ll all be sitting downstairs on our couches, sharing our weeks, demolishing a cheeseboard, and settling in for a dinner at a full table. The scenes from community night, if viewed from the outside, resemble a family reunion, complete with the sharing of wine, chilled conversations and loud jokes.

There are many aspects to life, many things to do and people to meet, especially for someone my age. Despite all that, I don’t think I’ll ever get over what it’s like to come home to a family who chose to be here, to friends who I couldn’t live without. For a new story, every day.

What are our volunteers up to now?

christine hill

How did you get involved with The Cardoner Project?

My name is Christine, a born and raised South African. When I was 19 years old, I moved to Australia with my family. Because service has always been a priority for me, one of the first things I did when I arrived in Sydney was look up volunteer opportunities. This was how I found The Cardoner Project - a community that was a vital part of my first 2 years of living in Sydney. Moving to such a secular society as Australia, volunteering in the restaurant weekly became an opportunity for me to interact with people my own age with more similar values and Catholic beliefs than I found in any other setting.

In addition to volunteering in the restaurant (and getting some very useful hospitality experience and meeting new people), I also was involved in The Two Wolves Leadership Collective. It was here under the guidance of Fr Dave and Fr Alan that I grew spiritually. I had previously been exposed to Ignatian Spirituality, however, through the regular retreats and talks that were available, I was able to apply these practices to my life and grow in understanding. I learnt about discernment, examens, to share vulnerably in small groups, and grew so much as a person in all areas of life. These skills helped me so much in my youth ministry I ran in my own parish and continue to guide my spiritual life and faith currently.

In January 2019, I was also privileged enough to go on a 3-week immersion to Nepal with Fr Alan and The Cardoner Project. This was an unbelievable experience where I healed in so many ways as well as was reaffirmed in a calling and desire God had placed on my heart to serve long term in low resourced communities as an occupational therapist.

While my involvement with The Cardoner Project did drop off during the pandemic, I completed my degree in Occupational Therapy and continued to be heavily involved in Youth Ministry with Sydney Catholic Youth.

What are you up to now?

Currently, I am living in Tegucigalpa in Honduras (a country close to Mexico/Guatemala). I am working as a volunteer occupational therapist for a non-profit organisation called NPH International. NPH has 9 homes around Central and South America and they work in communities with abandoned, orphaned and vulnerable children. My role is primarily working with the youth and children with disabilities in their Honduras home. If you would like to read more about what I am up to as well as more about my story, you are welcome to read my blog ‘Faith over Fear’ (https://christinehill700.wixsite.com/my-site).

The Cardoner Project will always be very special to me – it was a welcoming place when I needed friendship, it taught me so much about myself and others as well as was a medium through which God directed me to where I am now. I am really grateful for the work it does locally and abroad. I would appreciate your prayers for me during this time and know that the whole Cardoner Project community and the work you do continue to be in my prayers.

a message from the rector

Fr Ramesh Richards SJ

Drama, drama, drama - the holy drama of Jesus’ life and death, beginning with Holy Thursday and culminating with the Resurrection at Easter. Our daily lives allow us to identify so easily with Holy Thursday and Good Friday but sometimes not Easter, even though Easter is the climax of the drama that changes the meaning of life. Holy Thursday and Good Friday show us what true love looks like and calls us to do. The resurrection at Easter shows us that acts of love that can cause pain are redeemed by a loving God allowing for that love to break through our sphere of understanding into a mystical realm that one day, God willing, we will enjoy forever. Jesus, the epitome of love, experiences whilst hanging on the cross what many of us experience. My God, my God why have you abandoned me is followed by He is not here; he is risen!. My friend and ethics professor, Fr James Keenan SJ, describes mercy as the willingness to enter into the chaos of the other. Our life choices do not only have an impact on ourselves and the people around us, but are integral to our partnership with our creator. Our experiences on earth are not only felt by us, but are redeemed by the Father through Jesus’s death and resurrection. God shows us the way of mercy, entering into our earthly chaos at Christmas and living it to its full in the Triduum - Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. 

At The Cardoner Project we strive to be Easter people, creating hope and empowering young adults to be agents of mercy in a world that so needs it. The Cardoner Project’s Leadership Collective team have been working hard to re-start their talks to school students, on hold since the Covid-19 pandemic. So far this year, the young people of the Project have spoken to many schools, including Xavier Catholic College in Ballina, St Ignatius’ College Riverview, St Aloysius’ College Loreto Normanhurst and Loreto Kirribili. Next week, in partnership with St Aloysius’ College, we will be directing a retreat for the SAC Class of 2021 who did not have the opportunity for this offering last year. The key theme for most of these retreats has been the meditations of Week 1 from the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius Loyola, with special concentration on the Principle and Foundation. We are grateful for theses opportunities to lead these students through their school camps or formation sessions, to share the value of service and leadership to the younger generation.

Bellarmine House has had an opportunity to reflect on our relationship as friends and as community in recent weeks, discerning how we are called as community to love and serve our friends and people in our neighbourhood. On Ash Wednesday, some 40 days ago, we had a marginalised person join our community. Our new friend has been a blessing to us, as he shows us another way of living that we at Bellarmine are not familiar with. Every morning and night, the greetings from our new friend is a gentle reminder of Jesus in our midst.

Our Burrito and Brownie program is growing and we are excited that more and more St Ignatius’ College Riverview Year 11 students are getting involved in preparing meals and engaging in meaningful conversations with our friends in the neighbourhood who are often hidden from public view. We invite more volunteers to join us so that we can expand the service to the Redfern community.

Over the coming weeks, a number of us will be travelling to Northern Territory and Northern Thailand to meet with our partners. You will notice in this edition some exciting Immersion and Service Year offerings. There are many new exciting ventures in the pipeline that we look forward to sharing with you in the next newsletter.

Until then, please kindly hover over and click on our donate button to assist us in our common mission. May the gifts of Jesus’ resurrection manifest itself in your life and through your relationships. Happy Easter!

volunteering with redfern jarjum college

hear from one of our volunteers, nick o’sullivan

Volunteering at Jarjum has been an incredibly fulfilling experience. Only having participated for the past two school terms, I have come to learn very quickly the amazing personalities that many of the students have. Whether it has been accompanying the children to the beach, or building their confidence and skill in the pool during swimming lessons, the enjoyment they gain from the smallest of things is truly incredible. Even just walking up to the school’s gate and hearing the gleams of joy at our arrival reassures my view that our volunteering efforts are greatly appreciated. The volunteering experience has also broadened my knowledge on the Indigenous culture, through seeing and experiencing the cultural focus the College has.

Interested in assisting at Redfern Jarjum College, click HERE.