Deputy Head of College News

The Cup of a Carpenter

Remember that scene from Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade? Indy was on a mission for the Holy Grail, ending up in a cave in Petra, dodging traps, then being forced to make a fatal decision. Do I choose the shiny jewel encrusted chalice? Or the small humble timber chalice? Indy chose wisely.

I was taken back to this iconic movie scene when celebrating mass with students and staff of Marist schools across our Northern Region on Saturday evening. There they were. A range of Marist Hearts. Symbolic artefacts are brought proudly forward by students throughout our mass. Each Marist Heart was proudly presented, then stood proudly. Some are large and shiny. Some simple. And even some timber – just like the cup of the carpenter! The hearts were placed to distil our focus towards our calling as stewards of the educational tradition established by St Marcellin Champagnat. 

In many ways, stewardship can be a measure of the health and relevance of a tradition. Stewardship is more than caretaker-ship. Stewardship requires care, love, hope and joy. The stewardship to which I refer has nothing to do with balance sheets or resourcing plans. Rather, it has everything to do with people – how we relate in times of joy and struggle, how we relate in times of uncertainty, how we relate with leaving our places in a better place than when we arrived. If we measure the health and relevance of our Marist tradition through the weekend’s gathering of Marist students and staff, then our Marist tradition is well and truly alive.

Student leaders shared in the same way the Marist Hearts stood below the altar. They shared proudly. They shared humbly. Be it this scene, or the Indiana Jones scene, humility is often the wise and life-giving way forward. Indy knew it, Marcellin knew it, our students know it. As we are catapulted towards Advent, Christmas and the holiday season, haste and self-focus can creep in. As a Marist Family, may we embrace humility to sustain ourselves for others and to sustain the call as stewards of our Marist tradition.

How Can I Help or Get Involved?

Many of our parents are keen to help in some way to contribute to the Marist community that we are so well known for. Two ways to do this are through volunteering in the College Tuckshop during the day, or through the Sports Canteens on the weekend.

If you would like to volunteer in the Tuckshop during the day, please click on the relevant link below. Our Tuckshop convenor Josie Loucas will take your details and be only too happy to welcome you into the Tuckshop volunteer family. If you are too nervous to volunteer on your own, there is always the possibility of signing up with a friend. Just let Josie know if you want to be there at the same time as a buddy and I know she will help you out. We have parents who leave at the end of their son’s schooling journey commenting on how much they loved their regular (weekly, fortnightly or even term-by-term) Tuckshop catch-up with friends over the years.

Term 4: https://signup.com/go/gTXaxUA

For Sports Canteen volunteers, please keep an eye out on the App for calls to sign up. Remember – if you feel more comfortable with a friend, please rope them in and take them along. The more the merrier!

Travel Pick-up and Drop-Off

It’s imperative each of us meet our responsibilities with respect to local Council parking restrictions. Please ensure you follow all signed parking instructions. By way of example, parking over yellow lines along the Glenlyon Road exit to the College causes much congestion and is unsafe for our students, neighbours and other drivers. Additionally, the Glenlyon Road entrance and the nearby student drop-off and pick-up bay is for staff and Marist Swimming members only. This is not a general student drop-off and pick-up area. Your support with the above contributes to the safe arrival and departure of our students.