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Students unite to fight poverty this Lent
6 March 2025
Emmaus College in Vermont South was the venue for an energetic and hope-filled launch of Project Compassion on 4 March, Shrove Tuesday. Over 240 students from 22 schools came from as far afield as Glenroy and Braybrook to embrace the message ‘unite against poverty’.
Archbishop Peter A Comensoli led a liturgy based on the words of Jesus in John 17: ‘I pray that they may all be one’ (Jn 17: 21). He reminded students that these words were spoken by Jesus on the night before he died for us all. The Archbishop said that Jesus wanted his followers to come together in prayer and that this prayer must lead to action.
Caritas Australia’s annual Lenten fundraiser calls for Catholic schools and communities to unite against poverty. Archbishop Peter drew attention to the different stories featured in Project Compassion this year, especially that of Toefuata’iga from Samoa.
During the moving service, the students from Emmaus College and other Catholic schools prayed:
We pray for each of our school communities, that we may be inspired by Jesus to act in love, reaching out to those on the fringes of society. We pray to the Lord.
This year’s fundraising and awareness-raising campaign has expanded to give the community even more ways to unite against poverty through online fundraising pages and new activities. Schools can register for the following:
- The Big Water Walk: Hold a one-day event at your school to complete a walking challenge of your own design.
- Host a Lent event: Get together with your friends, family, school or parish to set up a games night, disco, morning tea or anything else you might enjoy.
- Give it up for Lent: Unite as a parish, school, family or friendship group and commit to giving something up – whatever feels challenging to you.
Each Catholic school is searchable on the Project Compassion , enabling you to set up a school fundraising dashboard. Information about signing up can be found in these .
For further information, visit the website or email projectcompassion@caritas.org.au.