On Wednesday, Father Joe visited the classrooms and talked about where he comes from in Indonesia and his personal journey to the priesthood. The students in K/1/2 were amazed to learn that when he arrived in Canberra from Indonesia many years ago, the only words he knew in English were ‘yes’ and ‘no’. He said he learned to fill in the gaps with a lot of smiles and songs. He shared one of his favourite songs, Trading my Sorrows, with both classes and I am certain that it will become part of our repertoire for future masses and prayer celebrations.

In the 3 to 6 classroom, the students asked about the conflict between East Timor and Indonesia and Father Joe said that was a part of their history but that things are much more peaceful now. He talked about his seven siblings and the fact that of the 8 children, 3 of the boys became priests and 1 girl became a nun. He certainly has a very faith-filled family!

It was wonderful to have the chance to get to know Father Joe on a more personal level. It helps the children to understand that priests are regular people with families, hobbies and favourite things. Clearly, Father Joe loves singing and bringing happiness to people through his love of music. As he said, “Some songs can be shared with Kindergarten students right up to the residents in aged care because they bring joy”. We look forward to Father Joe’s next visit so that we can experience some more of the joy and happiness that he brings.