Rector's Report
Greetings to you all!
My sisters and brothers, in addition to being supportive members of ourMazenod College Community, you also belong, perhaps unknowingly, to the wider De Mazenod Family. The De Mazenod Family incorporates all people involved with the Oblates through their connection with our colleges, parishes and various youth ministries. Each year the De Mazenod Family holds a gathering of like-minded people who come together to share their Oblate experiences. This year the De Mazenod Family is inviting interested community members from Mazenod College to gather with fellow friends of the Oblates from across Australia for a weekend of prayer, formation, community and celebration while reflecting on the bicentenary of the Oblate Constitutions and Rules. The theme for this year’s gathering: One Heart, One Family, One Charism. Whether you've been part of the De Mazenod Family for many years or are just curious you are warmly invited to participate. Further details for this event can be found in this newsletter.
Our nightly news often carries stories about various types of persecution in our society and around our world. One aspect of persecution that occasionally rates a mention is that of religious persecution which involves various attacks on people, places of worship etc because of their faith. Anti-Christian persecution currently impacts nearly 400 million people worldwide, representing about one in every seven Christians globally. Believers frequently face targeted violence, displacement, arrests, and extreme restrictions on worship, driven by militant extremism, authoritarian state control, and religious nationalism across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
Types of Harassment & Restrictions
Globally, over 185 countries show systemic government-level harassment of religious groups, with an escalating frequency of private-sector harassment. Common tactics include:
Violence & Murder: Thousands of Christians are killed each year, disproportionately affecting vulnerable women and children.
Property Damage: Churches are frequently burned, seized, or denied permits for rebuilding.
Legal Suppression: Blasphemy and anti-conversion laws are frequently leveraged as pretexts to silence, arrest, or sentence Christians to death
Top Hotspots & Drivers of Persecution
Sub-Saharan Africa: This region is the current epicentre of violence, accounting for roughly 93% of globally reported Christian fatalities. Nigeria remains the most dangerous country, where thousands are killed and abducted annually by extremist groups like militant Islamists, though sub-national areas vary between peace and extreme violence.
- Authoritarian States: Nations such as North Korea continually rank at the absolute top of the index; any display of Christian faith is treated as a direct threat to the state, resulting in forced labour camps, imprisonment, or death. China restricts churches through extensive digital surveillance and forced closures.
- Religious Nationalism: In South Asian nations like India, rising nationalism has resulted in mob intimidation and strict anti-conversion laws, leading to mass arrests and the destruction of properties.
Gospel Reflection
This Sunday’s Gospel for the 19th Sunday of Year A is from Matthew and is the one of the most familiar stories with Jesus, and then Peter, walking on water during a storm on the Sea of Galilee. Like the picture opposite this scene has been depicted in art form over many years. The simple word of Jesus ’Come’ to Peter is also a call, an invitation, to each one of us. It is not easy to respond to or even hear the call of God. The call can get lost in all the noise and activity of our daily lives. Then if we do hear His call, will we have the courage to respond, the courage as Peter did, to step out of the boat. We are called to be a people of hope, a people of action, a people of God, a people who are called by God to serve. If we want to be God’s people, then we must listen to Him. Pray to Him and ask Him what He is asking you to do. Listen, listen and keep listening. He might not tell you immediately, you might not hear Him
Mazenod Gifting to Our Brothers and Sisters in Missions
Fr Dominic Rozario OMI, Mazenod College Chaplain, was recently on home leave to Bangladesh. Before his departure we arranged for some refurbished Mazenod computers to be donated to the Bangladesh mission. Our Mazenod students also assisted with the selling of handmade rosary bracelets at St John Vianney parish, Springvale North.
Fr Dominic writes from Bangladesh: “Yesterday, I visited and gave the students at St Eugene's School the computers donated by Mazenod. The school is primarily for the poor Tea Estate children run by the Oblates. Many of them have never seen a computer and this was their first time. Also, I bought them two water filters with the funds raised by selling the rosary bracelets. They were extremely happy to receive the gifts and are very grateful to our Mazenod College Community”.
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate do not own a commercial tea estate. Instead, they operate active pastoral and social missions across the tea-producing regions of Bangladesh. Oblate priests advocate for the rights of marginalized indigenous communities and impoverished tea estate labourers. Their ministry provides critical services, including primary school, boarding hostels, and basic human rights protection. The Oblates are heavily involved in local justice and peace commissions to combat the exploitation of tea workers and indigenous land disputes.
2026 De Mazenod Family Gathering
Theme: One Heart, One Family, One Charism
For more information or to register, visit: https://omi.com.au/dmf-gathering
When: 22-25 October 2026
Where: St Eugene's Retreat Centre, Newborough, Victoria
Registration: from $100
Interesting Statistics Regarding Religious Congregations
Till the next time
Yours in Jesus Christ and Mary Immaculate
Fr Harry Dyer OMI