MOCA

As always, we love catching up with news from our former Collegians.

Panther’s Presentation Night

Last Friday night, we enjoyed a fabulous evening as guests of Phil Ryan (MOC 1988) and the Panther’s Mixed Ability Football Club at their Presentation Night! This evening was filled with immense joy! Each of the players, committee members, friends and supporters was truly ecstatic as they congratulated each other on their efforts, sacrifices, successes and excellent sportsmanship! The evening was filled with laughs and with immense happiness.

Our very own Old Boy, Matt Backhouse (MOC 1988) was awarded the Panther’s Club Person of the Year. This was a brilliant choice! Matt’s humility and passion for the Club and for everyone involved, especially his players, was visibly manifested in his poignant and wonderful speech! Both Fr Harry Dyer OMI and Tina Giacco attended the evening and we thank Phil Ryan and all his magnificent team of volunteers who organised a fantastic evening for us all!

The photo here is of Matt Backhouse (MOC1988) and his wife, Catherine, and their daughter, Laura.

Jonathan Salerno, RIP

Yesterday, we gathered to celebrate the life of our beautiful friend and Mazenod College student, Jonathan Salerno, RIP.

Jonny’s Funeral service was a poignant, emotional, magnificent celebration of a life lived to the full! Jonny’s life touched everyone: his Parents, Christian (MOC 2003) and Teresa, his sister, Alex, and all his family, friends, and simply everyone!

We will always continue to remember and pray for Jonny. In turn, Jonny will pray for and intercede for all our needs. One day, we shall be reunited with Jonny.

May Jesus envelop Jonny with all His love, peace and joy!

We include below our tribute to our beautiful and precious Jonny that we posted on our MOCA Facebook:

Jonathan Salerno, RIP 

It is with immense sadness that the Mazenod Old Collegians’ Association (MOCA) announces the death of Jonathan Salerno, aged 14 years, a Year Nine student at Mazenod College, Mulgrave. Jonny entered Eternal Life on Friday, 21st August, after his two-year battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). 

We pray for Jonny’s Soul. May Almighty God grant Jonny His Eternal love, peace, mercy, and joy. 

Our thoughts and prayers are with Jonny’s Parents, Christian (MOC 2003) and Teresa, his younger sister, Alex, and all his extended family and friends. 

May Almighty God strengthen and console all of Jonny’s family and friends in their grief.

Whilst at Mazenod College, Jonny was a wonderful, cheerful, compassionate, and caring role model for us all. Jonny’s Parents have generously allowed us to share the attached video and photos with you all. The video of a young four-year-old Jonny playing in the sprinklers on the Mazenod Soccer Oval, was when he was playing in the Mazenod Grassroots Football (Soccer) Club. Jonny played soccer there before moving across to AFL when he was about eight years old. The more recent football photo is Jonny representing Mazenod College in ACC footy (AFL) when he was in Year Seven.

Jonny has a tangible and permanent connection with Mazenod College. His Dad, Christian, played AFL throughout his childhood and represented Mazenod College in footy (AFL) every year, then went on to play for the Mazenod Old Collegians’ Football Club (AFL). Later in his mid-twenties, Christian was involved with the group that formed the Mazenod Football Club (Soccer) and was there from day one, spending about twelve years as a player, coach, and senior football manager. Christian and Teresa’s daughter, and Jonny’s sister, Alex, played soccer there too, beginning with the Under 8’s up until Jonny became unwell at the end of 2024. Jonny and all his family have been able to perfectly combine Australia’s passion for football, by embracing both football codes: AFL and Soccer!

Jonny’s passion, determination,and zest for life is a lesson to us all. He was a young man who was filled with joy and demonstrated his infinite and unconditional love for his family, friends, fellow students, teachers, sports coaches, teammates, medical staff, and simply everyone. 

Jonny’s ability to smile and continue to spread happiness though his suffering is an inspiration to us all. 

Jonny was, and will always be an integral, precious member of our Mazenod College Community. His life represents the true Mazenod College Spirit; he is a true role model of living life fully in the way Jesus taught us. Jonny’s faith and life will always remain with us; he will continue to inspire us all. We will always continue to love and honour Jonny’s life.

May Almighty God grant Eternal Rest to Jonny, O Lord, and let Perpetual Light shine upon him. May Jonny’s Soul Rest in Peace. Amen.

Pastoral Care/Wellbeing

Both of us and our MOCA Committee are always available to chat, or to assist our Old Boys in their times of need. In recent weeks, we have been blessed to support our Old Collegians who are experiencing illness in their families, as well as, Old Collegians who have experienced the deaths of loved ones. We seek to support one another by our prayers, friendship, and actions. Just within the past week, we have been contacted by two families of our Old Collegians, asking for our assistance with pastoral and practical help concerning the funeral, prayers, and pragmatic actions.

Mental Health First Aid Course

Over the past few weeks, MOCA has trained its first group of participants in a Mental Health First Aid Course. MOCA’s decision to embark upon this course was triggered by a spate of serious and tragic circumstances involving some of our Old Boys last year. This course combined both online training and sessions via Zoom. Our aim is to better support our Old Boys and the wider Mazenod College Community in instances involving Mental Health issues. The following people have undertaken our inaugural course: Peter Banfield, Tina Giacco, Sean Sullivan, Damian Ball, Robbie Bayros, Udara Fernando, Sean Vandergert. 

The course aimed to assist us with the confidence to recognise when someone may be experiencing a mental health problem or crisis, have supportive conversations, and connect them with appropriate help. We are all enriched and much better informed because of this course.

Promoting our Old Collegians’ Trades, Businesses, Professions

We are always keen to promote our Old Collegians and their professions, businesses and trades. Please feel free to contact us at Mazenod College. We will include these in our Mazenod College Newsletter, The Mazenod Gazette, as well as on our Alumnly Website and on our Mazenod Old Collegians’ Association Facebook page.

MOCA: Alumni Digital Platform

We encourage our Mazenod Old Collegians to sign up and join our alumni digital platform. Please download the Alumnly app and register for a FREE account today.

Tina Giacco

Mazenod Old Collegians' Liaison

Executive Officer, Mazenod Old Collegians’ Association

Peter Banfield

Development & Alumni Manager