Faith & Mission Report
True community
does not come about all at once.
It grows by God’s grace
and the constant effort of each member.
It needs to be built up each day
into a community of faith and love,
by prayer and the Eucharist,
by listening to and sharing the Word of God.
At the same time,
it needs to be built up as a human community,
knit together by relationships,
where each member brings [their] talents
and knows [themselves] recognised, accepted,
heard, encouraged and challenged (Constitution 33, pg. 22).
If you are new to our community, you may be wondering about the MSCs, and what they have to do with Monivae. The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, known as MSC (from the Latin Missionarii Sacratissimi Cordis, and the French, Missionnaires du Sacre Coeur) are a religious congregation/community within the Catholic Church. The congregation was founded by Fr Jules Chevalier at Issoudun, France, in 1854. The MSC community founded Monivae College in 1954. The Spirituality of the Heart which is central to the MSC way of life, is the charism that underpins all that we do at Monivae.
As a religious community of priests and brothers who live a common way of life, the Constitutions and Statutes of the congregation form their rule of life. Fr Jules Chevalier’s vision was one where lay people would work alongside, and together with, the professed members of the MSC congregation to bring about the mission of the Gospel.
At the start of this Term, Fr Bob Irwin MSC - an MSC priest who is well-known to the College community - spent three weeks with us. Leading our Staff Commencement Mass, and also our College Opening of Year Mass and Celebration of High Achievers, Fr Bob reminded the College community of Constitution 33 - that “true community does not come about all at once” and that it “grows by God’s grace, and the constant effort of each member” (Constitutions, p. 22). Fr Bob reminded us that Monivae is as great or as poor as we make it. Our community is made up of many parts. Each one of us - students and staff alike - have an important role to play.
A new team approach
Recognising that true community is made up of contributions from all, the work of Faith and Mission has been reimagined this year. Building on the great work of those who have gone before us, our new team - convened and mentored by Mrs Fiona Mulhall (Deputy Principal) who brings immense experience in this area - consists of Mrs Lia Mailes who has responsibility for social justice and student retreats, and Mr Matthew Crane who has responsibility for liturgies, prayer life, and staff formation. Our approach to this important work is collaborative, so we band together to support each other’s responsibilities.
This is not our work alone - the faith and mission of the College, by its very nature, must be shared by the whole community. We welcome and encourage the participation of staff and students as they feel able.
Opening Mass
Our Opening Mass, which this year included our Celebration of High Achievers from 2024, was a wonderful opportunity to express our gratitude to God for many rich blessings, and to look forward with hope to a year of possibilities. Our Student Leaders, under the guidance of College Captains Phoebe Dunn and Luke Hannig, unveiled the theme for 2025. Connected by Spirit, Strengthened by Diversity has been chosen by the Student Leadership Team as our College theme for 2025, which connects well with Constitution 33. The banner, which was created by a team of students and staff, hangs in the East Stadium as a reminder that each of us has a part to play in making our community strong.
Our Mass was enriched by contributions from students who brought in our new house banners, proclaimed the readings, led our prayers, and helped to prepare the altar. Our College Choir, under the direction of Mr Harry Price and accompanied by Mrs Francine Bell on piano, enlivened the liturgy by leading our singing. Thank-you to everyone who gave of their time and talents.
We are thankful to Fr Bob Irwin MSC who was our principal celebrant and preacher, assisted by our resident priest Fr Ted McCormack MSC and our Parish Priest, Fr Paddy Mugavin.
Looking ahead
As with the seasons of the year, the Catholic Church across the world follows a Liturgical Calendar, dividing the year up into seasons. We are currently in Ordinary Time, the period of time after Epiphany until Ash Wednesday.
Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, takes its name from the ceremony of ashes which dates back to the early Middle Ages when people did public penance in church. Penance, like prayer, was a communal event, so such people became known as ‘the Order of the Penitents.’ These folk were excluded from the Eucharist during Lent. To show this, they were marked with ashes as Lent began. This kind of devotion was popular, and eventually everyone wore ashes on what became the first day of Lent.
This year, on 5 March, we will mark Ash Wednesday in union with Christians throughout the world. A simple paraliturgy led by our students will begin the day, with everyone receiving the symbolic ashes on their foreheads as a reminder of our human frailty and the love and mercy of God.
During Lent, we will raise funds for Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion appeal which supports works in Samoa, Vietnam, and Democratic Republic of Congo. There will be boxes in each Pod, at the Canteen, and in various places throughout the school. We encourage everyone to donate any loose change as they are able to. Stay tuned for more information about some exciting events our Social Justice Leaders are planning.
Lent concludes on Holy Saturday. We will celebrate the great feast of Easter when we return in Term 2.
The fire of love
Fr Jules Chevalier reminds us that “The fire of love in our hearts must burn incessantly. Let us offer everything to Christ and Christ in his turn will offer everything to God” (Chevalier, p. 65). Life has many ups and downs; may each of us offer to God the good and the not-so-good. We wish each of you a contented and fulfilling term.
The Faith and Mission Team
Mrs Fiona Mulhall, Mrs Lia Mailes & Mr Matthew Crane.