From the Principal

Dear Parents, Guardians, Students, Staff and Friends of Mazenod College,

“Through your closeness to the land you touched the sacredness of humankind’s relationship with God, for the land was the proof of a power in life greater than yourselves” (Pope John Paull II address to First Nations people in 1986).

Our College assembly last week took on extra special significance as we gathered in the midst of National Reconciliation Week. This week of reconciliation is so important for us all across our nation, to focus on our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and I think the theme this year is a great promotion of this – “Bridging now to next”.

We were treated to a very special address from Miss Nunnerley along with an engaging video capturing the thoughts of a number of our First Nations students about the importance of their cultures and the impact of celebrating National Reconciliation Week. The collective theme and common sentiments shared, was that of “togetherness” and how important it is for us all to walk, talk, grow and learn together, for reconciliation to be an essential strength of our society.

Thank you to Mr Hayward and Miss Nunnerley for their efforts in promoting this special Reconciliation Week and well done to those who participated in the games. I particularly loved the traditional first nations games on the oval at lunchtime on Tuesday and special thanks must go to our First Nations students for facilitating and sharing those games for us.

It was also a special treat to have Fr Gerry Conlan OMI with us for this assembly and the days surrounding. Fr Gerry is a Mazenod Old Boy who now works in Kenya and this is a wonderful example to us all of the gift of missionary work – working for the poor and less fortunate, well and truly stepping into the lives of others, in another part of the world.

As a College at this assembly, we also acknowledged the contributions of Mrs Katherine Muller, who concludes her time at Mazenod College at the end of next week. We wish Mrs Muller all the very best at her new school and thank her for her service to Mazenod.

In conclusion, I extend our prayers and thoughts to our Year 11 and 12 students who are engaged in their Semester One Examinations and we wish them all well at this time.

“We must strive first of all to lead people to act like human beings, and then like Christians, and finally we must help them to become saints” (St Eugene de Mazenod).

God bless.

Simon Harvey

Principal