Faculty Report

Assumption Day Mass

Mazenod College recently honoured and celebrated the Feast Day of the Assumption of our Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven. This year, our celebration had the added joy of nine of our current students, and one Old Boy from the College, having received the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Our celebrations commenced with members of our College Community praying a decade of the Rosary to Our Blessed Mother Mary as our gift to her on this special feast day. The prayer of the Rosary means that we are offering the gift of “beautiful roses” to our Blessed Mother Mary. Each Hail Mary that we prayed represented a single rose. We prayed the Rosary in some of the languages which represent the inclusivity of our multicultural community at Mazenod College.

Following, the Rosary, we commenced the celebration of the Mass. Immediately following our Readings and Gospel in honour of our Blessed Mother Mary, our Confirmation Candidates were presented to our College Community, and they made their “Declaration of Intent” concerning their reception of this Sacrament. This was followed by Fr Harry Dyer OMI’s Homily, where Fr Harry so eloquently linked the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary alongside the gifts of the Holy Spirit which we receive through the Sacrament of Confirmation. Instead of us all praying the Creed, our Confirmation Candidates renewed their Baptismal Promises in front of us all. Finally, with the “Laying on of Hands”, our Candidates received the Sacrament of Confirmation. This was such a moving and prayerful experience, as we witnessed our three Missionary Oblates of Mary immaculate: Fr Harry Dyer OMI, Fr Casmir Arul OMI, and Fr Andrew Chen OMI, lay their hands on our Candidates. Finally, our Candidates were Confirmed and received the abundance of graces and gifts poured into them by the Holy Spirit!

In the same way that during the Church’s first Pentecost Day as recounted in the New Testament, whereby, the Disciples were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, during our Mass, the Prayers of the Faithful were prayed in some of the different languages spoken by the families of our College Community. Moreover, as the prayerful celebration of the Mass continued, we enjoyed the beautiful music and singing from our College’s Music Department, as we reflected upon a multitude of beautiful images of our Blessed Virgin Mary, as she is venerated in different nations throughout the world.

Additionally, during this past week, our Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate have been on Retreat. Therefore, our College Community has been invited to pray the Rosary at 8.10am each morning in our College Chapel. It has been wonderful to see our students and staff join us to ask for our Blessed Mother Mary’s intercession in our lives. Just yesterday, we honoured the Memorial of our Blessed Mother Mary, as the Queen of Heaven.

May our Immaculate Mother Mary intercede for us all with our Almighty God!

Tina Giacco

Liturgy Leader