Art and Culture have had a prominent place at John XXIII College during the course of 2014.
As the year opened, students were given the opportunity to collaborate with Sr Deirdre Browne IBVM to compose and write a College song, Seek Justice. Term Two began with the canonisation of the college’s name sake, Pope John XXIII.
The commissioning of a fresco and a ‘Canonisation Carnevale’, complete with fireworks, marked the momentous occasion.
As the first semester draws to a close, the college has unveiled a sculpture of St Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, and the charism on which the college was founded.
The school welcomed the sculptors, Meliesa Judge and her husband Will Kuiper from Liquid Metal Studios in Adelaide, with great excitement last week.
Mrs Judge is no stranger to the college, having designed and cast the Mary Ward sculpture that stands adjacent to the college chapel five years ago.
It is one of eight identical sculptures that stand in the Loreto colleges around Australia.
During her time on campus, Mrs Judge visited classrooms across the college, where she spoke to staff and students about the symbolism of her artwork.
In an unveiling ceremony attended by members of the Jesuit Education Commission and presided over by Fr Chris Gleeson SJ, Mrs Judge addressed those present and described how she hoped the sculpture would inspire the students of the college for generations to come.
“When you look at St Ignatius today, I want you to see a man still searching for his direction in life, he has no idea what lies ahead, but he is listening to the word of God in his heart,” she said.
Mrs Judge added: “He has made two major and life-changing decisions, to walk a spiritual path and to lay down his sword and shield, renouncing violence”.
It was the second of these two decisions that inspired Mrs Judge to create the sculpture in the way it stands today, a symbol and story the community can reflect on as they journey through the college.
The sculpture of St Ignatius stands outside the Ignatius Centre and his gaze is directed towards the college chapel.
The installation of the artwork completes the trilogy of sculptures, along with Pope John XXIII and Mary Ward, dedicated to the college’s heritage.