How I pray now: Deborah Robertson speaks with The Record’s Debbie Warrier.
I am a Principal in a small Catholic school, Holy Name Carlisle (soon to be amalgamated with Notre Dame School Cloverdale), and Chair of Catholic Arts. After graduating as a mature age student I became a ‘lay missionary’ teacher in Broome and Mingenew. Since then, I have worked in six other primary schools covering the four dioceses of WA. Valuing the arts is the heritage of my Irish background as well as my Catholic education.
The Mass has always been the centre of my prayer life. As a teacher, praying with children in song and movement has enhanced this. The Performing Arts Festival for Catholic Schools and Colleges maintains the importance of using our artistic talents in liturgy and prayer by having a specific Christian section which involves Sacred Music, Liturgical Singing, Christian Dance (Liturgical Movement), Christian Drama and Bible Reading.
It’s inspiring to see the way children become involved in this kind of prayer. They both praise and respond to God. Anyone witnessing their performances cannot help but be drawn in. The Angelico Exhibition, a visual arts competition for Secondary students, is also built around using our God-given talents. Working with young students and sharing in their insight about God and the spiritual life has also been a life-enhancing privilege.
Part of the reason for setting up the Performing Arts Festival twenty years ago, was to maintain the tradition of the Religious orders who knew the importance of a rich artistic life to our spiritual well-being and provided opportunities for students to be involved in a variety of musical and performing experiences. By continuing this tradition, we can provide an avenue for self-expression and enjoyment that does not rely on your social status or income and provides an environment of achievement and fulfillment.
Being Chair of Catholic Arts means I get the opportunity to work with wonderful people who are passionate about the Arts and about providing opportunities for all students to participate. Catholic Arts is responsible for Carnevale, a one day event in Forrest Place on Wednesday, September 9, as well as the Angelico Exhibition from August 17-28, and the Performing Arts Festival which runs for all of August with a final concert on Monday, September 7.
We are very excited that in this 20th year of the Performing Arts Festival we are also having events in Bunbury and Geraldton and nearly all of the local schools are participating. This is in addition to the usual 18,000 students in over a 100 schools in the metropolitan region. If anyone would like to attend any of these events, please contact the Catholic Arts Office on 9272 7655 or visit the website: www.catholicarts.wa.edu.au
I have had many conversion moments that have deepened my faith – the sense of community when traveling knowing I am at home in any Catholic church and liturgy whatever the language or culture; special places where God seems more immediately accessible than others e.g. Lourdes, Padua, Uluru; faith and personal development experiences such as the Enneagram that lead you closer to God through a deeper understanding of yourself and others; beautiful liturgies filled with heartfelt expressions of faith and community.
I pray everywhere and all the time. I have often tried to imagine how people live without faith but just can’t – it is unimaginable for me. My faith is central to who I am and what I do.