Mission News

Prayers

We pray with the Marist College Canberra community on the loss of their beloved English teacher, John O’Kane who has died after being rushed to hospital on Thursday 19 October.

We pray especially for the O’Kane family at this incredibly difficult time, including John’s wife Sarah and their three children. We pray for those in our community who are unwell and those who have died recently. May our loved ones who have gone before us be with God in everlasting peace.

Community Mass

Members of our Environment, Green Ash and Vinnies groups participated in our Friday Mass last week. Celebrating communion together highlighted the faith that grounds and inspires the work these wonderful students do week to week. Ms Badini, Ms Williams and Mr Pitot were delighted to present students with their badges blessed by Fr Tini.

Community Mass will be held on Wednesday morning at 8:00am. There will be no Mass this Friday due to the student free day.

Gospel and Reflection

Excerpt from 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time – Social Justice Sunday, 25 August – John 6:60-69.

'It is the spirit that gives life,

the flesh has nothing to offer.

The words I have spoken to you are spirit

and they are life.

Our Gospel from John focuses on the word and message of Jesus as spirit and life. The life-giving Gospel word is the foundation of this year’s Social Justice Statement from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, which was launched on 20th August with the theme, TRUTH AND PEACE: A Gospel Word in a Violent World. 

At a time when violence is everywhere we look, such a word, a word of truth, doesn’t seem to make sense. It looks like weakness in a world where it seems only the strong can thrive. But the Gospel says that what looks like strength is weakness and what looks like weakness is strength. This is the upside-down logic of the Cross which never seems to make sense.

War may seem to be a show of strength, but it isn’t. As St Paul says in Ephesians, there is only “one body”; but war denies that truth.

The 2024-2025 Social Justice Statement declares that we are God’s People who speak that truth upon which peace depends. Serving God isn’t just a matter of religious formalities but requires a self-sacrificing commitment to the justice of God, a world of right relationship in which peace becomes possible, a world which makes sense.

+ Trinity of love, pour out upon us a stream of sisterly and brotherly love.

Grant us the love reflected in the actions of Jesus, in his family of Nazareth, and in the early Christian community. 

Grant that we Christians may live the Gospel, discovering Christ in each human being, recognising him crucified in the sufferings of the abandoned and forgotten in our world, and risen in each sister or brother who makes a new start. 

Come, Holy Spirit, show us your beauty, reflected in all the peoples of the earth, so that we may discover anew that all are important and all are necessary, different faces of the one humanity that God so loves.

Mary our good mother                         pray for us

St Marcellin Champagnat                    pray for us

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop          pray for us

And may we always remember          to pray for one another

Amen. + 

Sony Foundation Camp – Calling for Snack Donations and Nighttime Volunteers

Sony Camp is back at Marist these September Holidays and is only 3 weeks away!!

There are 2 ways our families can help:

1. We are asking for donations of packaged snack foods that we can enjoy for morning/afternoon tea and debriefing with our students of an evening. Chip packets, muesli bars, shapes, biscuits, poppers etc. Please drop to Tower Reception, Primary Reception or The Mission Office (behind the Chapel).
2. Donate your time! We need adult volunteers to sit with our campers of an evening while we debrief with our students. If you are available between 8:30-10:30pm on either 14 or 15 September please complete this FORM or send an email to sony@marash.qld.edu.au

Fareshare

On Tuesday night we were finally able to hand over our donations from our recent Free Dress Day: 534kgs of rice and a sizeable cheque! This generous contribution from the Marist Community will now go on to provide delicious and nutritious meals for vulnerable Australians. Thank you to Remy Versace, Lachy Manning, Gus Watson, Lachie Doran, Jake Edye, Kalen Williams, Dominic Forbes and Nathan Lam as well as Ms Elizabeth Kenny and Ms Elizabeth Valer for their efforts on the night to prepare 1639 meals. If you are over 16 and would like to volunteer for FareShare in Term 4, please email Ms Kathryn Badini at badinik@marash.qld.edu.au.

MSM and MCA Environment Group Connect

On Friday we had our second MCA and MSM Environment Connect Afternoon, this time hosted by Mt St Michael’s College. Both Environment Groups have been busy collecting shoes, and it was our focus on Friday to sort these into three groups: dress shoes to be donated through the Micah Project, sports shoes to be donated to an Indigenous community, and end-of-life shoes to be recycled through Tread Lightly. 

Mt St Michael’s were also very generous in providing us with a pizza dinner and some time for the two groups to connect and discuss possible future events. We are hoping to make this connect afternoons permanent with Term 2 Marist hosting and Term 3 hosted by Mt St Michael’s. Watch this space!

Second Chance Shoes for communities in need

Does your family have shoes at home that are no longer worn but still in good condition? We are currently collecting footwear for an Indigenous Community who would really benefit from good-quality used shoes, especially footy boots and runners. Please check your cupboards and drop your shoes at the Mission Office before the end of term!

Year 9 and Year 10 Retreat Days

Last week, our Year 9s and 10s gathered for their retreat days with Michael Fitzpatrick. 

For the Year 9s on Thursday, the day began with a focus being ready for what lies ahead. The students were invited to define what type of group they wanted to be, and to consider what needs to happen to bring about the change they want to see. When listening to each other, the boys were reminded to make themselves ‘uncomfortable’—to lean in, make eye contact, respond with facial expressions--for the sake of the person who was being vulnerable and taking a risk in sharing. During the middle session, when Michael picked up his guitar, several Year 9s risked stepping up to the microphone to sing. It was affirming to see the remaining Year 9s encourage and even sing along with their peers. Positive qualities were identified and affirmed by students in their peers which they want to see more of by Year 12, including kindness, determination, resilience, a strong work ethic, helpfulness, friendliness, encouragement and generosity.

The Year 10 retreat day on Friday was more focused on leadership as this cohort moves ever closer to their final two years at Marist. The day began with some general leadership questions. There was also time spent looking at ‘fears’ for the next three years, which students reflected on and wrote down on a piece of paper. Some of these were later read out, with anonymity and confidentially a priority. Part of the day involved a beautiful binding ritual, where students were asked to name the ways they (individually or as a group) have ‘bound up’ others and how this can change to set people free.

Our Year 9 and 10 students engaged maturely and respectfully with the process. They are to be congratulated on being willing to step outside their comfort zone. 

Retreat days provide a formation experience within a spiritual and theological framework that supports our young Marist men to grow to become the best people they can be. 

We are extremely grateful to Michael Fitzpatrick for his incredible expertise and willingness to lead our students through this important formation work. We would also like to thank the wonderful teaching staff who were present throughout.

Year 9 Retreat

Year 10 Retreat

St Vincent de Paul and Environment group

The Vinnies group enjoyed a Pizza party last week, giving everyone a chance to say thanks and farewell to the Year 12s who have been so committed to the group. 

Vinnies will be providing Bacon an Egg Burgers on Thursday morning – come and grab for $4.50 before school. Environment/Vinnies meet alternate Thursdays 1st break in room 801.

Stationery Aid 

With this Friday a student free day, Stationery Aid will be back next Friday.

To find out more, visit: https://stationeryaid.org/