On Tuesday, November 26, St. Monica's School welcomed nineteen new FIRE Carriers into their program.
Troy Firebrace from the Catholic Education Office commissioned the students, who proudly accepted their FIRE Carrier badges and, most importantly, the responsibility of being a Fire Carrier. with being part of the program.
Since 2009, the FIRE (Friends Igniting Reconciliation through Education) Carrier Program has been embedded into the Sandhurst Diocese culture to promote reconciliation, using the power of fire as a symbol of new beginnings, trust and understanding.
Fire is central to Australian Aboriginal culture; it represents the spiritual connection between individuals to Mother Earth and their Ancestors. It is around a fire that Dreamtime stories are told, and laws are taught. And so, it is fire that represents the learning, teaching and journey of a community towards reconciliation.
Congratulations to the newest FIRE Carriers at St Monica's, to teacher and Indigenous Education Leader, Carina Johns, and to all the students throughout the Diocese who have committed to this important program as we move closer to the reality of reconciliation, and a nation that truly celebrates the rich history of our land and the people who have walked this earth for over sixty thousand years.
