Living Reconciliation Every Day: How Lauries Embodies the Spirit of National Reconciliation Week All Year Round

At St Laurence’s College, National Reconciliation Week is not just a moment; it’s a movement. It’s a living, breathing commitment woven into the culture, values and everyday actions of our community. While the nation pauses each year from 27 May - 3 June to reflect and acknowledge the importance of reconciliation, our Lauries community continues this essential work every single day; across all 52 weeks of the year.

This year’s theme, Bridging Now to Next, calls us to action: to look back with honesty, to speak and listen with open hearts and to walk together toward a future grounded in justice and unity. At our recent Reconciliation Assembly, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Support Officer Mr Kelsey Doyle commented:

“National Reconciliation Week provides a yearly platform to highlight important conversations that centre Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander priorities. This week, the College students and staff were challenged to consider the role that they can play in their personal, school and wider communities' journey of reconciliation. As a community, we acknowledged that while great strides had been taken, this journey continues to have setbacks and challenges that we need to face together. Reconciliation is not a you or I journey, it is ours as a collective and we need to be louder about challenging the smaller things for greater outcomes.”

This year’s theme, Bridging Now to Next, encouraged us to consider where our journey has led us to today and what our next steps are. Our House Captains each made a pledge publicly with this sentiment, which was later unpacked in Lauries Journey classes to build ownership and understanding:

• Callan House pledge that, “now we include and acknowledge First Nations people and culture, and next we celebrate First Nations people and culture.”
• Duhig House pledge that, “now we learn about Aboriginal Communities, next we visit and support Aboriginal Communities.”
• Hogan House pledge that, “now we advocate for First Nations people, next we advocate with First Nations people.”
• Kilian House pledge that, “now we learn about Aboriginal people, next we learn from Aboriginal people.”
• Nagle House pledge that, “now we speak about Aboriginal people, next we speak with Aboriginal people.”
• Rice House pledge that, "now we acknowledge the real history, next we change for a positive future.”
• Sion House pledge that, “now we stop making racist jokes, next we stop others making racist jokes.”
• Treacy House pledge that, “now we listen to Aboriginal People, next we share their stories.”
• Waterford House pledge that, “now we learn about First Nations culture, next we promote respect for First Nations culture.”
• Xavier House pledge that, “now we learn about Reconciliation, next we action Reconciliation.”

Uncle Marlon Riley captured the heart of this mission beautifully when he said:

“This week, being National Reconciliation Week, is a week celebrated by all, both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians, to acknowledge the contributions of our stolen generation, understand our past and learn to look forward to the future. We thank the wonderful efforts made by St Laurence’s College through their sense of inclusive spirit in using their understanding of the Edmund Rice tradition to support the marginalised, the poor and the Indigenous peoples of Australia.”

This spirit is more than symbolic. It’s visible in our curriculum, our relationships, our ceremonies and the safe spaces we create for truth-telling and healing.

Josh Ferguson, a proud Old Boy and current staff member, reminds us why this matters:

“As a proud Old Boy and staff member, I think this week is important so that we can have conversations where we acknowledge our past and move forward together, united as one community.”\

That spirit of unity is not just aspirational; it is something we must commit to living every day. Whether it’s the way our students learn about First Nations perspectives across subjects, the way our staff engage in ongoing professional development or the way we gather in yarning circles and on Country, we are building bridges of understanding. This week our staff reflected together as one, on what reconciliation asks of them today in their thoughts, words and actions. Some commented that it challenged them to be inclusive, caring and considerate by acknowledging the past and making a better future, and celebrating the small steps forward whilst acknowledging the work yet to be done.

For Year 10 student and member of the Yuuingan Yari Program, Cooper Young, these bridges have created something deeply personal and profoundly important:

“This week means a great deal to me and my family because we have been through so much together. Coming to this school, with this program, it doesn’t just mean a great deal to me, but to all the boys, knowing that we have a safe place to go and we have people here who support us. To have this program boosts our confidence and I love being part of it.”

Staff member and proud Gamilaroi man, Mr David Sheehan, echoes this sentiment, reflecting on the sense of belonging he experiences across every campus:

“I am always struck by the deep sense of welcome I feel each time I walk through the gates of St Laurence’s College - whether at South Brisbane, Runcorn, or Moogerah. In 2025, it is clear that the College has meaningfully embraced this year’s Reconciliation Week theme, Bridging Now to Next, by encouraging open, respectful conversations that acknowledge our shared history and call us to be active participants in shaping a more just and inclusive future.

It’s not just about annual events- it’s about everyday action. Mr Sheehan continues,

“I am particularly proud of our student leaders and role models who consistently demonstrate respect for culture, identity and community. It is a privilege to work alongside staff who approach this journey with empathy and a willingness to listen and learn. While we recognise that progress takes time and no one gets it right all the time, I see a genuine and growing commitment within the Lauries community- a commitment to reconciliation, to cultural preservation and to a future in which all voices are valued.”

At St Laurence’s College, this commitment is reflected in our students- the Lauries Gentlemen- who embody the inclusive vision that Blessed Edmund Rice championed: one of respect, dignity and unity for all.

As we reflect on this National Reconciliation Week, let us honour those who came before, acknowledge the truths of our shared history and continue walking the path of reconciliation; today, tomorrow and every day thereafter.

Because at Lauries, reconciliation isn’t just something we commemorate; it’s something we live.