Rector's Report

Greetings to you all!

As I finalise this week’s newsletter—the last one before the Easter holidays—I do so from the Passionist Monastery in Adelaide. Fr Dominic and I have joined some of our fellow brother Oblates for an ongoing formation session, focusing on the approaching 200-year celebration in 2026 of our Constitution and Rules that guide our Oblate way of life.

Today, as we prepare for the final day of the term, we celebrate one of the highlights of our College calendar as we gather for Mission Action Day (MAD) to support our Oblate missions throughout our Aisa Oceania Region and, at times, beyond. Every generous contribution aids the needs of our brothers and sisters in some way. Keep an eye out for more details on this event in the next issue!

Easter Celebrations

We are now more than halfway through the Lenten Season as we prepare ourselves for the great feast of Easter. Remember that as members of the De Mazenod Family, you still have the opportunity to use our reflective Lenten course, which can be found by going to the De Mazenod Family website and locating the reflection Hope Inspires, which focuses on Luke’s Gospel.

I would like to encourage you to attend your local faith community for one or all of the Holy Week liturgies, because it is through these liturgies that we immerse ourselves spiritually in the Jesus mystery. We will witness: walking with Jesus on his final journey to Jerusalem, sitting with Jesus and his disciples at the Last Supper, Jesus’ death by crucifixion, and finally the power of Jesus to overcome the darkness of death in the tomb through his resurrection. It is easy these days to ‘Google’ your local parish to find the times and places (as some parishes have more than one church) where these liturgies will be celebrated.

Palm/Passion Sunday (April 13): Palm Sunday takes place one week before Easter and commemorates Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Catholics carry blessed palm branches into church, symbolising the crowd's welcoming gesture as Jesus rode into the city on a donkey. The Gospel readings recount the story of Jesus' death and Passion, inviting us to reflect on his sacrificial love and the profound significance of Holy Week.

Maundy/Holy Thursday (April 17): The evening Mass on Holy Thursday is referred to as the Mass of the Lord's Supper. This is where the Church re-lives the institution of the Eucharist, as well as the institution of the priesthood. The "washing of the feet" signifies our role of service—just as Jesus did with his disciples.

Good Friday (April 18): Good Friday is a day of fasting and abstinence. This is the day of the crucifixion—the day Jesus died for all of us. It is called ‘Good Friday’ because it opens the possibility that we will live forever.

Easter Vigil/Easter Sunday (April 19/20): A Vigil Mass is held on the Saturday after nightfall in celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus. This is called the Easter Vigil: the most glorious and dramatic liturgy for the Church, and it is what we've all been waiting for after our forty days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving during Lent. This is the ‘Night of Nights’ when our hearts and souls can joyfully celebrate the culmination of the Paschal mystery: the Resurrection of Jesus.

Catholic Church statistical update – 2025

Since my last newsletter, I have been reading some of the data from the Pontifical Yearbook for 2024. I thought I would share a summary with you that you might find interesting.

Global Catholic population increased by 1.15%, rising from approximately 1.39 billion to 1.406 billion.
Africa includes 20% of the Catholics of the entire planet and is characterised by a highly dynamic spread of the Catholic Church. The number of Catholics increased from 272 million to 281 million, with a variation of +3.31%. The Democratic Republic of Congo confirms its first-place position for the number of baptised Catholics, with almost 55 million, followed by Nigeria with 35 million, then Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya.
Catholics of Oceania (our region) numbered just over 11 million, an increase of 1.9%.
406,996 priests, with an overall decrease of 0.2%: Africa (+2.7%) and Asia (+1.6%), and a decrease in Europe (-1.6%), Oceania (-1.0%), and America (-0.7%).
The decline in the number of professed religious sisters also continued. At the global level, their number decreased from 599,228 in 2022 to 589,423—a variation of -1.6%. The decline is largely due to a considerable increase in deaths, resulting from a high proportion of elderly religious sisters.
Candidates for the priesthood decreased globally from 108,481 to 106,495 in 2023, with a variation of -1.8%.

‘A Taste of Mazenod’

On Saturday evening, March 29, families and friends of Mazenod College gathered for the inaugural A Taste of Mazenod—a fundraiser for the redevelopment of our Food Technology area. Perfect weather enabled the large crowd to enjoy the new outdoor surrounds of the College courtyard, fine food and wine, which added to the fraternal atmosphere of the evening. Dr Paul Shannon, Principal, commenced proceedings by welcoming the gathered guests, thanking all the sponsors, and welcoming the patron of this project and former student, George Calombaris.

College Courtyard

Rosary making

On Tuesday, March 25, we gathered to make rosary beads for our 2026 Year 7 cohort. I thank those who attended for the gift of their generosity and for the fun time we all shared together. When the next rosary-making night is advertised, please consider coming along to join us. Everyone is welcome.

I know it is a little early, but this will be my last opportunity prior to Easter to express, on behalf of our Mazenod Oblate Community—Fr David Francis, Fr Dominic, Fr Anthony, and myself—our joyous Easter greetings and blessings to you and your families. I pray that you and your families will experience the peace, joy, and hope of this Holy Season. I hope you will receive and enjoy some of those chocolate goodies as you celebrate Jesus’ Resurrection. Just remember—not all at once!