Grace-filled start to political life
Local
South Australia’s newest Member of Parliament, Alex Dighton, spoke passionately about the influence of his Catholic faith and the “grace” that guided him through the loss of his second child when he delivered his maiden speech last month.
The Cabra Dominican College old scholar and former teacher and leader at Sacred Heart College won the Black by-election for the Australian Labor Party in November following the resignation of Liberal Party Opposition leader David Speirs.
As he expressed his gratitude to family, colleagues and friends in his speech in the House of Assembly on February 18, Mr Dighton acknowledged the “local churches and parishes that support our community”.
“As a child who grew up as part of a church parish, I know firsthand how important our churches are to support spiritual and social wellbeing and development in our communities,” he said.
“My family was involved in parish life and we regularly attended the Sunday Eucharistic Mass at
St Joseph’s Kingswood.
“My dad started a men’s group and I played basketball for over 20 years for a team that was started by parish families.”
He made special mention of former parish priest Fr Bob Wilkinson and the influence he had on his life.
“Bob baptised me, he married Claire and I, he baptised both my children, Albie and Clancy, and he celebrated several family funerals and other significant occasions,” he said.
“Bob’s intellect and compassion and understanding of theology has been a blessing in our lives.”
Mr Dighton’s parents are involved in the Teams of Our Lady, a Catholic movement founded to support couples in their married life and spirituality.
“Mum and Dad formed a team with five other couples and have been in that team for over 50 years, and those five other families have become the village that helped to raise us,” he said.
“It is through my childhood interactions with my family, with the parish and with the Teams of Our Lady, that I developed an early sense of identity and gained a confidence to engage with the ideas and values that make up our society.”
Mr Dighton spoke of the role of his Dominican education in providing a foundation for his political activism and identity and of his involvement today in the Cabra Chapel community where he regularly celebrates Mass and the Eucharist. He also thanked the Dominican Sisters, several of whom were in the House for his first speech.
“The Dominican ethos of Veritas and the search for truth and justice that I experienced at Cabra Dominican College was foundational in developing my sense of compassion, social justice and responsibility for action,” he said.
“Attending Cabra also gave me opportunities, and an immersion trip to the Philippines was one of the most singularly life-changing experiences for me.”
After completing a Bachelor of Secondary Education Mr Dighton left his job as a government relations adviser and began teaching at Sacred Heart College. A one-year contract turned into a permanent position and the Marist school became his community for the next 16 years.
“I found that being a teacher was an immensely satisfying and fulfilling vocation,” Mr Dighton said.
“The opportunity to have a direct impact on the lives of young people and to see them learn was very rewarding.”
Mr Dighton thanked his fellow teachers and principals Steve Byrne and Daniel Lynch, as well as his mentor, Shane Hennessey, for their support.
“Shane’s passion for legal studies, for social cohesion and even for our Constitution, was inspiring to me as a young teacher and is inspiring to all the students he taught,” he said.
Referring to the strong sense of community and belonging that exists at Sacred Heart, he said the values of the Marist charism and ethos, which emphasise family spirit and being present and nurturing to one another, permeate the lived experience for staff, students and families.
“Thanks also to the Marist Brothers, who live at Somerton Park. They are a constant and dignified presence within the community and I learned a lot about how important it is to turn up and be present,” he said.
In a deeply moving account of the death of his second child, Mr Dighton said Clancy was named after the poem Clancy of the Overflow by Banjo Paterson, in particular the lines: ‘And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended, And at night the wondrous glory of the everlasting stars’.
“We had hoped that our child would love being in nature and experiencing that wondrous glory of the everlasting stars,” he said.
“Clancy’s journey proved to be different to what we had hoped.”
After spending the first week of his life at home, Clancy returned to hospital with breathing difficulties and underwent many tests over six weeks before it was determined he had a rare, degenerative disorder called nemaline rod myopathy. At nine weeks, Clancy died.
The family with son Clancy Jarrett-Dighton before his death at nine weeks on September 4 2023.
“Clancy’s death was a shattering tragedy for us, one that continues to impact us each day as we navigate the loss of our child and of our hopes and dreams,” Mr Dighton said.
“Despite our ongoing grief at losing Clancy, we feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to know and love Clancy, to see him smile and be known and loved by him.
“Clancy’s life and death taught us a great deal about love and grief and grace. The Irish poet and Celtic theologian John O’Donohue describes grace as the ‘permanent climate of divine kindness’.
“It suggests a compassion and understanding for all the ambivalent and contradictory dimensions of the human experience and pain.
“This climate of kindness nurtures the sore landscape of the human heart and urges torn ground to heal.
“Grace is the perennial infusion of springtime into the winter of bleakness. Remembering the grace of, through and because of Clancy has helped us to navigate our grief.”
Mr Dighton said Clancy demonstrated much grace and strength as he dealt with his condition and his treatment while enabling the family to get to know him and see him smile.
“Clancy showed us the grace of doctors, nurses and health workers, who provided such high levels of kindness and care and respect,” he said.
Having spent more time in hospitals than I would like, I speak from experience about the incredible work that our frontline health workers do for our community.
“Clancy showed us the grace of our family, friends and community, who supported us with love, with food, and with prayers. I want to thank all members of our community who continue to check in about how we are going, and who mention Clancy’s name. For many in the infant loss community, there is a great sense of comfort and honouring when people say our little one’s names.
“We should not be worried about saying the wrong thing or upsetting people. What is more important is that people create a space for families to grieve and honour their child and, if that does make us upset, then that is a healthy response to something we need to accept more in our society.
“Clancy showed me the grace of my son, Albie, who dealt with an absent family and continues to include and honour Clancy in our life.
“Clancy showed me the grace of my wife, Claire (Jarrett), who demonstrated such dignity and strength throughout Clancy’s life. Claire spent two months living in hospital wards, often sleeping on chairs.
“I am proud to stand here as the father of two children: Clancy and Albie. Albie reminds me every day how lucky I am to be his dad. Albie, you have such determination, strength of character, a great sense of humour – in fact, his favourite thing to say at the moment and shout out from our living room window is ‘MP in his undies’.”
“To my wife, Claire, you are my best friend, and I am so grateful it is you I walk this life with. Your compassion, your patience and your creativity is crucial to balancing our family. Thank you for the love, the advice, the support, and the sacrifice you have made throughout our life together, but particularly now as I sit in this place. I would not be here but for you. I love you so much.”
In concluding, Mr Dighton pledged to serve his community and future generations and, in the words of Labor Prime Minister Ben Chifley, “to strive for the light on the hill and the betterment of all our society not only here but anywhere we may give a helping hand”.
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