Mission News

Prayers

We pray for those who are unwell and those who have died recently. May the love of God embrace all who have gone before us, and may God be present with those who are grieving. 

Community Mass 

Community Mass will be held on Wednesday and Friday Mornings this week at 8:00am. All are welcome!

Rush House will gather for Mass next Wednesday 6 November at 8:00am.

Gospel 

Mark’s Gospel from 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mark 10:46-52)

As Jesus left Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (that is, the son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting at the side of the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and to say, 'Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me.' And many of them scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he only shouted all the louder, 'Son of David, have pity on me.' Jesus stopped and said, 'Call him here.' So they called the blind man. 'Courage,' they said 'get up; he is calling you.' So throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and went to Jesus. Then Jesus spoke, 'What do you want me to do for you?' 'Rabbuni,' the blind man said to him 'Master, let me see again.' Jesus said to him, 'Go; your faith has saved you.' And immediately his sight returned and he followed him along the road.

The crowd are keen for Bartimaeus to remain silent and invisible, until they hear that Jesus has asked him to be brought close. They then switch from discouragers to encouragers, calling on Bartimaeus to get up and go to Jesus. Bartimaeus’ courage and faith is like a flame burning bright within him, allowing him to speak from a self-recognition of his dignity and worth. It is a courage that inspires hope, for he does not want to remain helpless and ignored by the roadside. Jesus takes the time to listen to him, recognising Bartimaeus’ inherent dignity by asking him what he wants. Bartimaeus’ courage and faith lead him to Christ and thus to healing and liberation. From here, he can continue his journey. 

Reflection

Last week 96-year-old Fr Gustavo Gutiérrez passed away in his hometown of Lima.

Fr. Gustavo was a prominent Peruvian theologian and priest, best known as the founder of Liberation Theology, a movement that emphasises social justice and the preferential option for the poor within the context of Christian faith. Gutiérrez's work has been pivotal in reshaping the Catholic Church's approach to social issues, particularly in Latin America, where he argued that the Church should actively engage in the struggle against poverty and oppression. His influential book, "A Theology of Liberation," published in 1971, called for a reinterpretation of Christian teachings to address the realities of marginalised communities. Gutiérrez's ideas challenged traditional Church doctrines and inspired a generation of clergy and laypeople to advocate for social change, making him a significant figure in contemporary Catholic thought and a key voice in the Church's mission to promote justice and human dignity.

Our founder, Marcellin Champagnat, was very much concerned for the young who were marginalised, he understood that education played a key role in liberating the oppressed and voiceless.

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God of Liberation,

We come before You with humble hearts, seeking justice and liberation for all Your children. We acknowledge the struggles faced by the marginalised and oppressed, and we ask for Your guidance in standing with them. May we be instruments of Your peace, working tirelessly to dismantle the structures of inequality and poverty that bind our brothers and sisters.

Grant us the courage to speak out against injustice and the compassion to serve those in need. Help us to see Christ in every person we encounter, especially in the suffering and the exploited. May our faith inspire us to act, to advocate, and to love fiercely, as we strive to build a world that reflects Your Kingdom—a world where all are treated with dignity and respect.

In Your name, we pray for liberation, hope, and transformation for our communities and our world.

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

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All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day Mass

Our Friday Eucharist will be held at 8:00am as we come together to celebrate All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day. The staff, students and families of Marist College Ashgrove are warmly invited to attend Mass in the Chapel of Our Lady and St Marcellin as pray for our loved ones who have died and the many saints who inspire us.

Marist Student Leaders Summit

Over three days from Saturday until Monday, eight of our students represented Marist College Ashgrove at the Marist Student Leaders Summit. College Captain Xavier Howard was joined by Ben Mead (Culture Vice Captain), Harrison Graham (Sport Vice Captain), Aidan Phillips (Academic Vice Captain), Sam Millot (Wellbeing Vice Captain) and Lachie Vink (Mission Vice Captain), as well as George Philp and Jack Watson (Boarding Captains). Marist School Leaders from across Queensland and Northern NSW, along with Our Lady of the Sacred Heart from Alice Springs in the NT, gathered at both the Marist Centre in Ashgrove and Mt Maria Mitchelton. The symbol of the Sacred Heart, particularly special to Marist communities, united everyone gathered, with each group bringing along their school heart which was displayed on the sanctuary during Mass.

The students describe the summit experience in their own words:

The leadership summit was a really good experience where we learnt about ways of leadership and tools that we can bring back Marist College Ashgrove. The days were spent in workshops as well as planning as a school group. Alongside faith, connection and fun, we bonded on how we can lead the school in the coming year. We further developed the 2025 theme of Belief, which we launched with an adapted version of “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey. A big focus was developing our performance for the talent show. It was exhilarating experience to win.

Marist 2024 Christmas Appeal 

28 October – 17 November

The Annual Marist Christmas Appeal has officially launched!

This appeal supports the work of St Vincent De Paul and Downs and West Community Support. 

The St Vincent De Paul Society directly helps tackle the cost-of-living crisis that’s impacting many Australian families. The funds and gift cards raise will help bring comfort to those experiencing homelessness and poverty, helping them find some relief during this holiday season.

Downs and West Community Support offers crucial financial assistance to rural individuals and families affected by drought and other hardships beyond their control. 

Students and Families can support the appeal by bringing in grocery gift cards to pastoral groups or donating online via Monitor. 

Last year, we raised over $8,000 in gift cards and donations. Your donations can truly make a difference to those in need this Christmas.

Parents/carers and community members are invited to donate via 2024 MCA Christmas Appeal. Students donations can be made using the Monitor link. 

Commissioning of Special Ministers for Communion

Last Friday, a group of our current Year 11 students were commissioned at our Friday Mass as Special Ministers of Communion. Fr ‘Alatini spoke to the students about the humility, reverence and respect needed in taking on the role of distributing communion, which we express as the Body and Blood of Christ. We look forward to our newly commissioned students performing this important ministry at the upcoming Graduation Mass and other College Masses throughout 2025.

Paddington Community Centre visit

We were delighted to once again visit the Paddington Community Centre last week with our Year 7 students from Harold House, who engaged beautifully with the elderly visitors to the centre. The boys had conversations, played games of bocce and dice, and concluded their stay with a rendition of Sub Tuum. The elderly patrons genuinely love the company of the Marist boys and look forward to their company. The Paddington Community Centre visits have been a fantastic experience for our students this year, and it’s been wonderful to develop a connection with the Communify staff who work at the hub. We look forward to continuing this relationship next year.

Blessing of the Refurbished Br Cyprian Pavilion

It was a warm afternoon last Wednesday which saw the students, staff, special guests, parents and other visitors gather at the grandstand for the Blessing of the Br Cyprian Pavilion. The Blessing acknowledged the effort of the work and workers and the great benefit this newly refurbished building will bring to our school and wider community. As part of the liturgy, Marcellin Champagnat’s favourite psalm was read by our school captain, Xavier Howard. Psalm 127 opens with “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain”, reminding us that as people of faith, our connection to God must guide our actions. The blessing of the reopened Br Cyprian Pavilion ritualised our (renewed) commitment to ensuring this building, and indeed every part of our College, is a space where faith, hope and love come alive.

Stationery Aid

We welcome volunteers to come along to help at Stationery Aid this Friday 25th October at 7:30am in Room 801. 

A reminder that good quality unwanted stationery donations area welcome – donations can be placed in the blue bin outside the Mission Office. No ring binders please.

Stationery Aid headquarters is need of extra shed storage space. If you have storage space available, please contact the Mission office.

To find out more and to check the list of what can be donated, please visit: https://stationeryaid.org/ 

St Vincent de Paul and Environment Group

The Vinnies group meet this Wednesday 1st break in Room 801.

Bacon ans Egg burgers will be available this Thursday morning from 7:45am. Come along and grab one for $4.50!