Catholic Primary School teachers look forward to studying in Israel

26 June 2023

A group of Catholic primary school teachers from across the Diocese of Sale are looking forward to studying Scripture in Israel from 24 June until 9 July, 2023.

They are the recipients of the Sion Scholarship, an initiative of the Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Limited (DOSCEL) since 2005. The course is run by the Sion Sisters at the Centre for Biblical Formation situated at Ecce Homo Convent in Jerusalem.

The group will study the Gospel of Mark and visit sites to help them understand Scripture in the context of the past and present. This rich experience will also help them gain insight into Christianity’s Jewish roots, and provide an opportunity to connect with other people of faith. They will also be writing about their experiences on their return.

Scholarship recipients are:

·   Melinda Mulqueen – St Joseph’s Primary School, Warragul

·   Alison Phillips - St Gabriel’s Primary School, Traralgon

·   Susan Rickwood – St Michael’s Primary School, Traralgon.

·   Annette Tanner – St Patrick’s Primary School, Pakenham.

·   Jake Watson – St Thomas’ Primary School, Sale.

 These are the reflections of each participant before their departure:

Melinda Mulqueen St Joseph’s Primary School, Warragul

I’m very grateful be part of the Sion program and for the opportunity to travel to the Holy Land, a place not only sacred to Christians, but also those of the Jewish and Islamic faiths. I’m looking forward to visiting the holy sites and the lands in which Jesus lived, and to be then able to visualise the setting of the Scripture stories. I hope this will further enhance my understanding of Scripture and I will be able to share this with my school community.

Alison Phillips St Gabriel’s Primary School, Traralgon

I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to study the Gospel of Mark in Jerusalem. To walk in the footsteps of Jesus and read the Scriptures in the setting in which it was lived out will, I believe, bring new life and meaning to the texts for me personally, and enable me to enrich the experience of Scripture for my whole school community.

Sue Rickwood St Michael’s Primary School, Traralgon.

Through the Sion Scholarship experience, my hope is to gain a deeper understanding of the Scriptures: to walk where Jesus walked, to see where Jesus lived will add a whole new context to the Gospels. 

Annette Tanner St Patrick’s Primary School, Pakenham.

I am looking forward to experiencing first hand, the chance to walk in the footsteps of Christ and be inspired to gain a deeper understanding of Scripture.  I hope that through this experience I am able to make Scripture come alive for the children.

Jake Watson St Thomas’ Primary School, Sale 

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the Gospel of Mark and by extension, a greater understanding of the society of the time. To visit locations of significance and bring home an experience that many in my community can learn from is a great gift I can share with my students and colleagues. It is my hope that this context will provide me with a greater ability to enrich the Catholic identity of my school community.