Learning to love through supporting those in need

By Catherine Sheehan

Archbishop Julian visited Sacred Heart College in New Town on 1 March to launch Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion campaign for 2022.

Students from Sacred Heart College, Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School, and MacKillop College, were present for the liturgy, with many other students around the state watching the event via livestream.

In his homily, Archbishop Julian said that love was the “defining characteristic” of anyone who is a Christian and that Lent was “an opportunity to explore how we can love more” through sacrifice.

An important aspect of this Lenten sacrifice was showing concern for the poor, he said, and that “this we can do particularly through Project Compassion each year.”

Archbishop Julian encouraged the students to read the stories provided by Project Compassion each week throughout Lent, highlighting the needs of people living in poverty and challenging circumstances around the world.

Deacon Michael Smith, Diocesan Director for Caritas in the Archdiocese of Hobart, thanked all Tasmanian Catholic schools, their principals and staff, for allowing Project Compassion to “flourish and grow within their schools”.

“It is a known fact that many Caritas projects around the whole world centre on allowing young people to gain access to the services, education, and childhood that they otherwise would have missed out on,” Deacon Smith said.

“Through this benefit to the young people a better standard of living can be seen for the communities they live in. This is the accent behind the theme of Project Compassion this year which is, ‘For All Future Generations’.”

Following the liturgy, Sacred Heart students cooked up a pancake lunch for Shrove Tuesday.

To find out how you can support those in need through Project Compassion: caritas.org.au/project-compassion/