| 2026 Teachers' Commissioning |
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Over the past six days Bishop Morrissey travelled over 3800kms around the diocese, celebrating five Commissioning Masses for teachers teaching in Catholic schools located in the regions of Geraldton, Mullewa, Karratha, Port Hedland and Carnarvon. In his homily, quoting the words of St Paul from Romans ‘With God on our side, who can be against us’ or ‘If God is for us, who can be against us’ [Rom 8:31], Bishop Michael encouraged the teachers to hold the truth of these words in their hearts as they go about what they are called to do in 2026. “When we remember these words there is nothing to fear, no reason to lose hope or even allow doubt or disappointment to control our daily decisions.” <Bishop Michael went on to explain, “This was St Paul’s message to the Roman Christians facing many challenges in their time. With the reality that the path is never smooth despite our best endeavours, commitment, passion and desire for success and fulfillment. But we know we are not alone in our work; God is with us as well as our colleagues and they are our support and encouragement.” Bishop reminded the teachers that teaching and working in a school is a noble work, because they are not dealing with machines. They are in relationship with human beings all on a journey of discovery, like ourselves. Referring to the Gospel of Mark’s Parable of the Sower, Bishop remarked “it would be better called the Parable of the Sowing!” and added, “Many situations in a child’s life can affect their receptivity to what you sow or offer for their flourishing and growth in life. Jesus was in the same situation with his own disciples where he had to constantly explain what the message meant! Yet Jesus never gave up! Why? God was on his side because he was the Beloved Son! We are the Beloved as well. Bishop Michael shared that when his best laid plans do not work out, Romans 8:31 is one passage of Scripture he holds on to! God is still present. “Henri Nouwen, a great Dutch Spiritual writer wrote once ‘We can only be faithful in our affirmation that God has not deserted us but calls us in the middle of all the unexplainable absurdities of life’. I am not suggesting school life is absurd, but that we strive to look out for, and respect each other’s gifts, and know that God is not absent because our best plans don’t go to plan, and the school will flourish being a beacon of light and hope despite some of those unexplainable absurdities in life! As you begin 2026 in your school, hold onto your hope and vision through being a listener, being present to every situation, deepening your connections with students and their families, remembering all of us here were students once! Remember God is for us, not against us and have a rich, rewarding, and blessed year in 2026.”
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