We show solidarity in our school – because all life is sacred. We stand side-by-side with our sisters and brothers, especially those living in poverty. Solidarity begins with the idea that all of us, created in the image and likeness of God, are part of one family. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church we are reminded that, “The Eucharist commits us to the poor. To receive in truth the Body and Blood of Christ given up for us, we must recognise Christ in the poorest, his brethren”.

It is clear in the Gospel that loving your neighbour, especially the ‘least of your brethren’, becomes an act of solidarity with God. Solidarity is an act of love. Just as there is solidarity between individuals, we also aim for solidarity between and within institutions and nations.

In practice, signs that show our solidarity with others are the way we love and serve each other, by the way we are involved in social issues like the treatment of refugees and the homeless, and by the way we show respect for, and engage in dialogue with, those from other cultures, races, religions.

In our world today, over 1.3 billion people live below the agreed UN poverty line. Pope Francis reminds us that “The many situations of inequality, poverty and injustice, are signs not only of a profound lack of fraternity, but also of the absence of a culture of solidarity”.