Mission News

Catholic Education Week 

Last week the College joined other Catholic Education institutions to celebrate and acknowledge the role Catholic Education has played in Australia’s history. As Marist staff and students, we share in the story of the first Catholic school formally established by Fr John Therry at Parramatta in 1821, because that school was then entrusted to the Marist Brothers in 1875 and the secondary school is now known as Parramatta Marist High. The Brothers established their first school in 1872, the year they arrived in Australia at the invitation of the Bishops, at The Rocks in Sydney, naming it St Patrick’s. We acknowledge here at Ashgrove we belong to a long and proud tradition. 

In Queensland, we have what is known as the Spirit of Catholic Education Award that coincides with Catholic Education Week. The award marks special contributions made by people to Catholic Education. This year our College nominated staff member Mr Druce for the award. Older boys may remember him when he was Head of the Primary School, others may have been taught RE by him in recent years. Below is the citation which accompanied Mr Druce’s nomination. 

Citation

Michael Druce has been a Catholic primary school educator for 40 years. Trained in Australia but originally from South Africa, where he was a leader in a number of Catholic schools, Michael returned to Australia in the late 1990s to become APRE at St Joseph's Murgon for two years, and in Semester 2 2000, was appointed Head of Primary at Marist College Ashgrove, a role in which he excelled until the end of 2014 when the College leadership was re-structured. In 2015, Michael joined the Centre for Learning Enrichment team at Marist College. As an experienced Primary School leader, as a teacher and as a colleague, Michael has been an exemplar of what it means to be a Marist educator. The focus of his life and the manner of his being are modelled on discipleship in the way of Mary with this spiritual personal commitment expressed uniquely in his working life.

The environment Michael was able to cultivate and nurture within the Marist Primary School was outstanding in its capacity to welcome boys and families. Michael was (and is) renowned for his gentleness, his kindness and his compassion, extended to every person whom he encounters. A deeply spiritual man, Michael has been a role model for teachers and boys, the very model of what it means to live out the Marist virtues of Humility, Simplicity and Modesty. In 2014 Michael was presented with the Champagnat Award for Staff. Michael is universally respected amongst his colleagues, and by a generation of students and parents who passed through the Marist Primary in Michael's time. 

Those traits of a personal and spiritual kind which saw Michael as an exemplary Primary School leader have been equally demonstrated in his work with students and families who access the resources of the Centre for Learning Enrichment, a unit focussed upon the learning needs of a broad range of students. Here again, Michael is able to inspire his colleagues to approach their work with boys for whom school is sometimes a struggle, with a deep spirit of listening and compassion. Always, Michael wants and works for, the very best outcomes for students. He does this in an accepting and non-judgmental way. Never aggravated or discouraged, Michael works closely with students and their parents to do what is in the best interest of boys. Parents especially, appreciate Michael's kind and gentle manner with their sons. 

Michael's excellence in Catholic Primary School leadership, his personal example as an inspiration to colleagues and a model for students, and his commitment to service of the school community have been brought into high-relief for the Marist Community this year as Michael was for some weeks at the start of the year, suddenly and desperately ill. With the prayers of the Marist Community and through the intervention of Our Good Mother, Michael is now on a long, slow journey to recovery. The ground-swell of support for Michael from past and present students, parents, and colleagues points to the person Michael is and the unique gift he has been for Catholic education.

We congratulate and thank Mr Druce for his 40 years of commitment to the education of young people in Catholic schools. 

Prayers

We pray for all those impacted by the latest outbreak of COVID-19 in this country. 

May our loving God, with Mary and Champagnat, walk with all members of the Marist family. Amen.

Reflection 

Loving God, we ask you to bless our friends and families this day.

We ask You to attend to their spirit at this very moment.

If they are in pain, give them Your peace and mercy.

If they feel self-doubt, release a renewed confidence in them.

If they are tired, we ask You to give them understanding, patience and strength… whatever it is they need.

If their spirit is waning, we ask You to renew them by revealing Your nearness to them.

If they are fearful, reveal Your love to them and give to them Your courage.

If they feel overwhelmed, place them gently in some silence and stillness to revive them. 

If they feel lonely, sit beside them and whisper love and courage to them.

Give each of them discernment to recognize the wholeness of their lives.

We ask You to do these things in Jesus’ name

Amen

Fr Tini celebrating Mass for the Community on Wednesday morning.