Mission News

Prayers

For those in our community who are unwell or suffering at this time.

May our loving God, with Mary and Champagnat, walk with all members of the Marist family. Amen

Reflection 

Today marks the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The meeting of Mary our Good mother and her cousin Elizabeth was also a meeting of the children they were carrying, Mary – the Saviour, Jesus and Elizabeth - the precursor, John the Baptist. '

In Luke’s account of this Gospel we see hints of Mary as the new Ark of the Covenant, the one who bears God. Joy pervades the scene as Mary brings the hidden presence of Jesus to the home of her relatives. Today she still presents Jesus to the world through her role as our spiritual mother and emboldens us as Marists to bring Jesus to the world – to make Him known and loved. 

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke

Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, 'Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.'

And Mary said:

'My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord

and my spirit exults in God my saviour;

because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.

Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed,

for the Almighty has done great things to me.

Holy is his name,

and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him.

He has shown the power of his arm,

he has routed the proud of heart.

He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.

The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away.

He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy

- according to the promise he made to our ancestors -

of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.'

From the Head of Mission 

Feast of St Marcellin Champagnat – 6 June 2022

2022 marks the Sesquicentenary of Marist Education in Australia, 150 years since the first four Marist Brothers arrived in Sydney to begin the first Marist school. The Feast Day of St Marcellin Champagnat on 6 June 2022 will be specially dedicated to the celebration of this momentous event and all that has followed. College Staff new to Marist Education were today introduced to the history and purpose of the Marist charism in this way:

The Founder of Marist Education, Marcellin Champagnat, born in 1789, the year of the French Revolution, was a young Priest in rural France who became deeply concerned about the lack of education for children, especially from a faith perspective but in more general terms as well. On 2 January 1817 he began an Order of teaching Brothers, starting with two poorly educated young men as his first recruits in the tiny hill-top village of La Valla. A number of our College Boarding facilities and other buildings at the College are named for some of the Marist sites of significance (La Valla, Hermitage, Fourviere). 

From very humble origins Marist Education has spread to something like 80 countries in the world, with 54 establishments in Australia alone. The first Marist Brothers’ school was founded at The Rocks, Sydney in 1872. 2022 marks the Sesquicentenary (150 Years) of that foundation, so a big year for Australian Marists. The first Catholic school in Australia, begun by Fr John Therry in 1821, was eventually entrusted to the Marist Brothers in 1875, known now as Parramatta Marist High. Marist educates roughly half a million young people from Universities to Pre-schools and employs more than 40000 Staff around the world. There are about 3500 Marist Brothers in the world. At least a third of the Marist world speaks Spanish. Fr Champagnat was beatified in 1955, known then as Blessed Marcellin and in 1999 he was declared a Saint by Pope John Paul II. A group of Ashgrove Staff and Students attended the canonisation in Rome that year. 

We say of ourselves, in imitation of St Marcellin, that we express and cultivate a Marist charism. That is, our spirituality focusses on Mary as Our Good Mother, to use Marcellin’s own title. We follow the Marist way of living the Gospel. Our gift (charism) to society, the Church and the world is to bring Christ-life to birth. The aphorism most loved by Fr Champagnat explains best the Marial relationship we try to cultivate – “All to Jesus through Mary. All to Mary for Jesus”. 

Saint Marcellin died on 6 June 1840 at the relatively young age of 51. For some strange reason the Marist world celebrates Marcellin’s life and work on the anniversary of his death. Marist College Ashgrove always has a whole-school Mass to mark the Feast of St Marcellin. Once declared a Saint, Marcellin’s Feast Day is dedicated by the Vatican as a Solemnity with the Mass readings and prayers decided upon by Rome. Our College Mass will be held in the Champagnat Centre (the Gym) next Monday 6 June starting at 11:00am with an expected finish time of 12:30pm, after which Staff and Students will have a shared lunch and some fun activities in the afternoon. 

The Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane, Mark Coleridge will preside at Mass. 

Happy Feast of St Marcellin to you. 

Prayer for the Sesquicentenary of Marist Education

Celebrating 150 years of Marist education in Australia

God of love

Your Spirit ignited the heart of 

Saint Marcellin Champagnat 

with a burning passion for God

and deep compassion for all people.

You called him and the early Marists 

to bring this message of God’s tender 

and all-embracing love to the young 

and especially those most in need. 

Generations have been inspired by his example of humility, simplicity

and audacious courage to form

good Christians and citizens through 

the Catholic education of young people.

We pray with Mary 

our guide and Good Mother 

that you continue to bless us 

and all committed to Marist education

with Saint Marcellin’s spirit and heart that knew no bounds.

May it renew the whole Church in its mission

to make Jesus Christ known and loved, in Mary’s way,

through spreading Your compassion and love to the ends of the earth. 

Amen.

Marist Youth Ministry Year 11 Student Forum 

Year 11 students represented the College at the Marist Youth Ministry Year 11 student forum last week. The day was shared with other Marist school Year 11 students. The greatest takeaway our students received from the day best summed up by them: 

“Great to meet other Marists”

“Great to have time to think about things”

“Our faith says the dignity we have is shared by all”

Year 12 Retreat 

Wednesday 13 July – Friday 15 July 2022 - Term 3, Week 1

Information was sent to all Year 12 parents and students on Friday 20 May regarding the Year 12 Retreat. 

Consent is required for your son to attend – this can be done via Parent Lounge by no later than Wednesday 15 June.

Please contact Liz Spry in the Mission Office if you have any questions 07 3858 4582 or spryl@marash.qld.edu.au.

Year 10 Red Earth Immersion information 

A sign-on letter with information about the Red Earth Immersion experience was sent to interested Year 10 parents this week. If you did not receive this email and would like to know more about the experience please email mcleanm@marash.qld.edu.au

Champagnat Mass 

https://events.humanitix.com/champagnat-mass