PRINCIPAL'S PEN 

A Simple Man Who Changed the World

St Augustine’s celebrated Champagnat Day last Friday. It is a highlight on the calendar of every Marist school and was magnificently celebrated with Mass, food and afternoon games. 

Masses occur regularly at Saint Augustine's every Friday morning as well as on Sunday evenings for our boarding community. Since Father Laurie's departure last year, acquiring a priest for Mass has been difficult and, on some occasions, not possible. 

An aging clergy is a crisis for the Church. Often, it is only when a crisis presents itself that true reformation takes place. We have had to adapt. 

During Mass a homily is usually given. A homily is "commentary that follows a reading of scripture".  One positive adaptation to the lack of priests is that our community has stepped up and many of us now give reflections at our celebrations of the Eucharist – students included.

For those of you who were present at the Champagnat Day Mass, you would have witnessed this in practice as Chaz Nelder, our College’s Liturgy Captain, gave a reflection on Marcellin Champagnat titled A Simple Man Who Changed the World.

Chaz’s courage to stand in front of a packed house, including Fr Jim Carty from Hunters Hill, Sydney, the Marist Brothers, representatives from Marist Schools Australia, members of the diocese, parents and the entire student body, was admirable. His reflection beautifully painted the story of Marcellin and the impact the Marist movement has had on not only us, but on the broader Marist community.

Chaz’s reflection was insightful and from the heart. And, most importantly, the young men of Saints listened attentively. Numerous boys and staff commented on his reflection to me, something that doesn’t always happen after a Mass. 

We are now often told that with the Church in decline, we, the people, are the Church. And it seems that hearing what the people are saying is the future. If Chaz’s reflection is what the future holds, then we are in good hands. 

If you want to listen to Chad’s reflection, click on the image below (18 mins mark).

Our Thanks to Ms Edna Galvin

Our relationship with St Monica’s Catholic College is important. Combined our colleges compete at sporting carnivals, enhance each other's music programs and produce spectacular school musicals. We have many siblings studying at both colleges, in various year levels. St Augustine's and St Monica's combine certain specialised subjects to expand our senior year subject offerings. Additionally, students partake in joint social events, fostering interactions with peers from both schools. Notably, St. Augustine's plays a significant role in providing boarding facilities for over 70 girls spanning Years 7 to 12.

With this in mind, it is crucial that the relationship between the two schools is strong. Over the last seven and a half years Ms Galvin has ensured that this is the case. She has been nurturing this relationship through three St Augustine principals. She has, without qualification, supported the boarding program and advocated for the arts.

It is therefore with both sadness and gratitude that we say farewell to Ms Galvin. While we will miss her leadership, presence and the strong connections she has helped nurture with St Augustine’s, we have no doubt that she will continue to make a meaningful impact wherever she goes.

On behalf of the entire St Augustine's community, we extend our heartfelt thanks to Ms Galvin for her tireless dedication and service to both our schools. We wish her all the best in her future endeavours, and we know that she will continue to make a positive difference in the lives of those around her.