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Monday & Tuesday - Days of Service

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     Both Monday and Tuesday found the boys working hard in the service of others and in the care of the environment.  We have discovered much about the Australian sense of care for nature and of their connection to the land.  Especially in their Aboriginal heritage, the boys have begun to see the need for the care of God's creation.  Our own Pope Francis has written of this, and it is an important concern of the Society of Jesus, worldwide.      Monday brought us to a training and residential facility for adults with disabilities, mostly intellectual and emotional.  Our work was very simple, raking leaves and spreading mulch.  But, as the boys discovered, our efforts had significant benefits for their community, even if indirectly.  We helped beautify part of their common space, and saved many hours of work for their small maintenance staff.     Tuesday was spent under the direction Ms.Sue Martin of the staff here at Riverview, who is their  'environmental officer&
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Sunday - The Lord's Day of Rest

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     Just like at home, Sunday is a day of prayer, rest, and recreation.  We all went in different directions:  Mass & museums, rugby matches on TV, family boating on the river.  Not much to report, except time for all of us to explore this marvelous experience.  We continue to see so much;  being 'open to growth' takes on a special meaning with each new encounter.       This Ignatian brotherhood to which we belong feels so much more real because of our journey.  In some ways, too, it has been a 'pilgrimage' of sorts, not only discovering 'God in all things', but discovering more about who WE are, as His children, in a global family!      More to come.  Continued prayers for each other, on both sides of the globe.     Cheers!
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Saturday - Riverview Rugby

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Saturday began as a relaxed day for most of us.  The highlight was later in the day when our host school, Riverview, took on their arch rivals, Newington, in a great rugby match.       Their school spirit was fantastic, and so much we could learn about supporting our own teams from their enthusiastic example.  We have been following our own BCH rugby, baseball, and lacrosse online, and we are all eager for thie continued playoff success! As we watched from the hillside, some our boys caught the enthusiasm as they started a chant of "USA! USA!", and the trumpet player from St. Ignatius offered a tribute with a few bars of our "Star Spangled B"!  Pretty special indeed.  As you can see from the scoreboard, the men of Riverview prevailed in a decisive win, 50 - 21.  Our own rugby coach, Mr. Paul Carty, will be pleased with the new enthusiasm our trip has generated for BCH Rugby.      Keep praying for us, that God's grace will touch each of us in the w
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On the Water! 8 Man Crew

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     Friday afternoon was a new adventure, as we gathered at the St. Ignatius Boathouse, down on the river.  After some excellent instruction and explanation, the School's rowing coach carefully guided the boys as they took out the 8-man rowing shells, and guided them into the water.        Nervous, but eager, with a couple of experienced Riverview boys in each boat, they had a novel experience of classic rowing, and no one got wet!  A whole new appreciation for this great sport.  Watch out for new interest in the 'Head of the Charles Regatta'! And a special inspiration to know that they row in the heritage and tradition of the great Saint Brendan, himself!  
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Friday - Discovering the Roots

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Today's class day was focused on discovering the deeper roots of St. Ignatius' College, some fascinating history of the School and of Australia.  We had a wonderful talk by one of Riverview's History teachers about the history of Australia, and especially its strong connections to the USA.  Especially in war-time, our countries have forged a very strong link, and the affection for the States is very clear.  We then had a class conducted in the School's archives collection, by the resident archivist, that showed so many artifacts and memorabilia of the School's life, with a special focus on World War II Digging through old yearbooks of the School Typical Riverview school uniform After some more class visiting, we were invited to an "Indigenous Smoking Ceremony".  A wonderful experience of Welcome by the students of Aboriginal heritage at Riverview.  (No tobacco was involved.)  The ceremony was a spiritual ritual of 'cleansing' as a way
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Three Days of 'Catching Up'!

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Sorry for not keeping up our blog!  The days are full with new experiences, and so much to take in.  Our boys are making wonderful connections with the boys here is Australia, as well as the boys from Fordham Prep.  Their horizons are stretching in so many ways.  New ideas about the world, about life, and even about school are buzzing in their heads each day.  And the signs of God's presence and grace are abundant!  Thursday was a day in class with their host brothers at Riverview.  They saw what a typical class day was like with the similar hustle and bustle that gives vibrancy to any school.  Riverview's day begins with House Meetings, not unlike homeroom in a US school, but it crosses grade levels.  There are 16 Houses at Riverview, many with familiar Jesuit names.  Be sure to ask the boys more, and ask about their impressions of the system.  It also leads to spirited competition within the School.  After a few periods of class, the students pause for a 20 minute
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Wednesday - Serving God's 'poor ones'.

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We traveled to the nearby town of Ashfield, to spend time helping at "Loaves and Fishes".  This is a food and social service project for the poor and the homeless.  They do marvelous work providing breakfast and lunch to whoever shows up at their doors, and then weekly bags of food for those on assistance programs.  In addition, they offer medical, dental, and counseling services. For our service, Fordham Prep and BC High split up for the day.  The boys from Fordham Prep attended classes with their host brothers, while we went out for service.  On Thursday, we did the reverse.  Our tasks were to help prepare the lunch meal for the guests, both in the kitchen and in the dining area.  We worked hard!  The quality and care of food preparation, and the dignity and respect shown to guests, modeled for us by other regular volunteers, was inspiring. Returning back to Riverview, the boys all joined together for an impromptu basketball 'tournament', school against schoo
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