Faith & Mission Report

“It is by the heart that we are something” Fr Jules Chevalier MSC

Term 2 began with the sombre news of the death of His Holiness Pope Francis.  Pope Francis was an extraordinary leader who led from the heart – a value that we strive to model for everyone in the Monivae community.  Much has been written about the life of Pope Francis, and of his ministry before becoming Pope, and much of this has been encapsulated in the following prayer written for our Staff Briefing by Mr Tyler Fehsler:

Loving God,

With grateful hearts, we remember Pope Francis, your humble servant, who led your Church with deep compassion, simplicity, and strength. In his words and actions, he revealed something of your own Sacred Heart—gentle, inclusive, and full of mercy.

He reminded us that faith is not distant or cold, but alive in the way we love, serve, and reach out to others—especially those most in need. Like the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, he lived the call “to be on earth the Heart of God,” bringing hope to the poor, dignity to the forgotten, and healing to a hurting world.

We thank you for the example Pope Francis set: a man of faith rooted in kindness, who taught us that tenderness is not weakness, but strength guided by love. May his legacy continue to shape our Church into one that walks with people, listens deeply, and acts with justice and compassion.

Help us now to follow his footsteps, by living the MSC spirit in our own lives—with open hearts, courageous service, and trust in your unfailing love.

May Pope Francis rest now in the peace of your Sacred Heart, which he so beautifully reflected to the world.

Through Christ our Lord,

Amen.

Following the Conclave, where the Cardinals were sequestered to vote on a new pope, we celebrate the announcement of Pope Leo XIV’s election.  You will no doubt have seen in the news details of Pope Leo’s life, including the fact that he is Chicago-born, but also of the welcomed news that he is committed to continuing the changes begun by Pope Francis.  We pray for Pope Leo XIV as he undertakes this important new ministry.

House Liturgies – Easter 

This Term, each of our Houses are having an opportunity to celebrate Easter in a smaller, intimate liturgy in the College Chapel.  Easter is a season, from Easter Day until Pentecost (8 June) when we continue to celebrate the stores of Jesus’s resurrection. Each House has had the opportunity to learn more about the Easter symbols – the paschal candle & holy water – and to hear the wonderful story of the proclamation of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead as told in the Gospel of John by Mary Magdalene.

Spend the Day at Monivae

We welcomed 115 Grade 6 learners from schools across the district to the Chapel for Spend the Day.  After a special prayer for the day ahead, learned then heard a little about Fr Jules Chevalier and the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.  We talked about the importance of the heart, and the heart of Jesus.  Together we built a heart using LED candles, before a very rousing rendition of the Monivae song was sung.

A huge thank you to all of the staff and Monivae students involved in making the Spend the Day at Monivae such an exciting and innovative day for the Grade 6s.

Staff Formation Network (SFN)

Our College community may be aware that Monivae is one of four schools owned and operated by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) in Australia.  Our sibling schools, Chevalier College in Bowral (NSW) Daramalan in Canberra (ACT), and Downlands – the oldest of the four schools – in Toowoomba (Qld), all share the same motto and MSC charism.

The Staff Formation Network (SFN) is a bi-annual opportunity for Faith & Mission leaders in our four schools, accompanied by senior leaders, to gather to develop and enhance our shared expressions of the charism, as well as to share resources and foster collegiality between the schools.  The Network is convened by the Chevalier Institute, the MSC’s school formation team.

This year Katee Mitchell, Director of Students, joined Lia Mailes and Matthew Crane from the Faith and Mission Team.  The most recent SFN gathering was held in Sydney at the Sacred Heart Monastery in Kensington, from 30th April until 2nd May.  The gathering focused on the theme of Hope – leaven for the heart and gathered those in our MSC schools who are pastoral care leaders.  The keynote presentation, which was offered by Matthew Crane, focused on person-centred approaches to pastoral care in Catholic/MSC education context.  It was a wonderful opportunity to share, learn and grow together in love and collegiality.

Sacred Heart Day

We are looking forward to our annual celebration of the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, or Sacred Heart Day.  It is a premiere event in our community with our Festive Mass, inter-house basketball competition, and talent show.  It is a time to reflect on and celebrate all the varied ways that each of us is on earth the heart of God.

Leukaemia Foundation: World’s Greatest Shave

Well done to the students who participated in this year’s World’s Greatest Shave on the last day of Term 1.

Twelve students in Year 12 raised an amazing $13,002!!!

The shaving/cutting took place in the school's courtyard at lunchtime. A large crowd gathered to support the students ‘losing their locks’ to support this worthy cause. Students and staff watched in awe as pigtails were cut and heads were shaved. We had a late addition on the day, with Jack Roberts also deciding to sacrifice his curls for this worthy cause. Special thanks to the three hairdressers, all Old Collegians and current parents of students at Monivae - Thank you to Belinda Colliton (Symmons), Joe McKew and Peta Richards (Rhook), for donating their time and talents on the day. 

Thank you to the Monivae Community for supporting the following Year 12 students in their efforts to raise $13,002 for the Leukaemia Foundation.

Liturgical calendar

24 May             Our Lady Help of Christians

31 May             The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

1 June               The Ascension of the Lord

8 June               Pentecost Sunday

Mr Matthew Crane

Faith and Mission Co‑Leader