From the Rector

Dear Fellow Mazenodians,

A sincere welcome back to you all after the Easter holidays. The belief in eternal life as a result of Jesus rising from the dead was the great joy of the season.

I was able to visit some of our Boarding families from Badgingarra, Jurien Bay and Mingenew which gave me some valuable and treasured experiences. Our College is enriched by the presence of our Boarders and to know that the whole state is our community is a great strength.

Just after Easter we heard the news of the death of Pope Francis. The Pope’s role links us to the apostles and is a role of service to Catholics and the world. Jesus is the model of this service and Pope Francis sought to remind us of this always. While he did not change any sacred teaching or texts, he certainly held high expectations on the way in which these teachings were to be shared. He insisted on empathy, compassion, community and companionship and I believe we have taken this message to heart at Mazenod.

The Conclave is the collection of Cardinals (Religious Leaders of the Catholic Church) who meet to elect the Pope. Almost all of the process takes place in the privacy of the Vatican and is done so under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Early on Friday morning, we received the news, along with the rest of the world that we have a new Pope, Leo the 14th. He is a religious missionary from the United States who has served the people of Peru. The name he has chosen for Pope is Leo and this will be important to watch as he leads and serves the Church.

Our prayers are with those involved and we look forward to working with the Pope in serving Jesus. We have held Masses for Pope Francis, as well as prayers for the Conclave, here at Mazenod.

Lord, source of eternal life and truth, give to your shepherd a spirit of courage and right judgment, a spirit of knowledge and love. By governing with fidelity those entrusted to his care, may he, as successor to the Apostle Peter and Vicar of Christ, build your Church into a sacrament of unity, love and peace for all the world. 

Amen.

At the time of writing, we are unsure of who has been locally elected in our Federal seat of Bullwinkle. We give thanks for the democratic process and we commit to working constructively and positively with whoever emerges as our Federal Member.

On 20 and 21 May we will be celebrating some great Moments of Grace with the Official Opening and Blessing of our new Boarding House as well as St Eugene de Mazenod’s Feast Day and Mission Day.

I would like to thank everyone who supports the missions of the Oblates through MMD. This support is very necessary and appreciated. The Oblate missions are found in some of the most disadvantaged parts of our world and they try and offer God-given dignity and resources to people in need. Any support you can give would be greatly appreciated.

Take Care and God Bless

Fr Michael Twigg OMI

Rector of Mazenod College