Victoria Catholic school students participate in Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum’s National Week of Prayer & Action.
Victoria Catholic school students participate in Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum’s National Week of Prayer & Action. Religious education and student wellbeing leader at Sacred Heart School, Preston, Jennifer Del Prete, shares her students' action standing in solidarity with asylum seekers and refugees.
Sacred Heart student leaders chose an action of solidarity to raise awareness of the plight of asylum seekers during CAPSA’S National Week of Prayer & Action. Year 5 and 6 students looked at the CAPSA website and decided they wanted to be the voice for those who are not being heard. Using Google classroom a link was set up for students to respond and the overwhelming choice was ‘Dentention4Dentention’. On our Feast Day of The Sacred Heart of Jesus, Friday 23rd, students gave up their lunchtime to be ‘locked up’ to raise awareness of asylum seekers in detention. It was appropriate that it was held on our feast day as Jesus’ loving heart is one of welcome and we are a welcoming community. The school community was not told of this action, therefore, it had a powerful impact on both staff and students who wondered why are students were locked in a caged area. Along with this action, we also collected food and clothes for the Asylum Seekers and St. Vincent de Paul Preston, making our feast day one to remember.
Photo Credit: Krzysztof Kaszubski