Principal's Update

Welcome to 2025

I hope all families enjoyed a wonderful Christmas celebration and had a relaxing holiday break. My thanks to parents and carers for all you have done to set your son up for the new school year and in anticipation of your efforts to help your son establish good routines, set boundaries that prioritise their education, and monitor their progress throughout the year.  

It was most heartening to see the excitement of students from all levels on their return to school, and to note the ease with which the Year 7s have settled. A special welcome to new students—Year 7s, to new staff members and new families that are joining the College. We all accept a special responsibility for helping you to settle into your new community. Best wishes to all for an enjoyable and successful year.

Term 1 is a vibrant, busy time at the College with many events, activities and celebrations. In just these first two weeks, we have had school photos, peer support training, swimming training, the commencement of Year 7 camps, ACC Sport, a senior Information evening, Senior House Athletics Carnival and our first College Assembly. 

On Monday evening, we will have our annual Welcome Picnic. We look forward to your engaging with our community and encourage you to regularly refer to our College Calendar through our website, our social media, our app or regular e-Newsletter.

Our first College Assembly for 2025 was held on February 7th. It is always held on a date to approximate the first day of St Bede’s College in 1938; the College is commencing its 88th year of educating boys. The first assembly is intended to “look back and to look forward” so that boys gain some understanding of their involvement in a community that represents many people and many years. The assembly also recognises the outstanding performers from our VCE Class of 2024.

It is usual at this assembly to tell students the story of the life and achievements of a former student. This year, I spoke of Dr. Rolf Gomes, a member of the Class of 1991.  

Rolf migrated from India as a small boy, attended St James College, Bentleigh East, and as was practice at the time, attended St Bede’s for his senior studies.  

Rolf, a cardiologist, is the Founder and driving force behind The Heart of Australia. As a trainee cardiologist, Rolf developed the idea of a bus to mobilise more services, particularly cardiac services, to rural, outback and indigenous populations of Queensland.  In that way, medical specialists from major cities, and young doctors who would not move to the country could spend some time travelling with the Heart Truck. 

The “Heart Buses” are 26m long clinics-on-wheels with their 34 wheels, weigh 56 tons and have roof-top generated solar power making them totally battery operated and able to pull up and conduct tests anywhere—even in a paddock. The bus has a waiting room, two consulting rooms and a large testing room with state-of-the art medical testing equipment made possible with the miniaturisation of technology and improved bandwidth capacity. They operate 7 days a week.  

There is much about Rolf’s work and philosophy to inspire our students, no matter what their interests might be. He certainly followed his mother’s advice, “If it is to be, it is up to me.”  

You might like to learn of this unique program at heartofaustralia.com.au

The Jubilee Year: Pilgrims of Hope

Sunday, 1 December 2024, marked the joyful beginning of the Jubilee Year proclaimed by Pope Francis.  He has chosen as the theme for this year, “Pilgrims of Hope,” and invites the entire Church into a sacred time of grace, renewal, and deepened faith. At St Bede’s College, we have chosen this to be our College theme for 2025.

The “year of jubilee” is referenced in the Old Testament and in the Jewish religion and was intended to be marked as a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation, and involved the forgiveness of debts, the return of misappropriated land, and a fallow period for the fields. In 1300, Pope Boniface VIII called the first Jubilee, to be celebrated every 100 years, and over time, changed to every 50, and now, 25 years. 

In choosing the motto of the Jubilee, Pilgrims of Hope, Pope Francis seeks that we become capable of recovering a sense of universal fraternity and refuse to turn a blind eye to the tragedy of rampant poverty that prevents millions of men, women, young people and children from living in a manner worthy of our human dignity. He thinks particularly of the many refugees forced to abandon their native lands.

Jubilee Years hold a cherished place in the Church’s tradition. They are moments of forgiveness, renewal, and profound encounters with God’s mercy—a time to recommit ourselves to Him and to one another. Every member of the St Bede’s College Community is invited to accept Pope Francis’ call to be carriers of hope, shining Christ’s light in a world frequently overshadowed by fear and despair. May this sacred year serve as a deep source of grace for all of us and our community.  As we walk together as “Pilgrims of Hope,” let us ready our hearts in joyful expectation of God’s promises coming to fruition.

In anticipation of Jubilee 2025, the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne has designated 13 churches and shrines for pilgrims to visit and pray during the Jubilee year. Two of the nominated churches are St Patrick’s Cathedral and St Patrick’s, Mentone. Recently, Pope Francis published a new book titled ‘Hope is a light in the night’ which is a collection of excerpts from his teachings on the theological virtue of hope. He has such a strong belief in hope. He reminds us that hope is both a gift and a task, a habit to be strengthened and then to be put to good use for the sake of others not just ourselves.  

In a recent reflection on his new book in the Vatican News, Pope Francis offered us this simple but profound challenge: 

‘in the evening, before going to bed, as you’re thinking over the events you have lived through and the encounters you have had, go in search of a sign of hope in the day just gone by.  A smile from someone you didn’t expect, an act of gratuitousness observed at school, a kind act encountered in the workplace, a gesture of help, even a small one:  hope is indeed a “childlike virtue”, as Charles Péguy wrote.  And we need to go back to being like children, with their sense of wonder, to encounter the world, to know it, and to appreciate it.  Let us train ourselves to recognise hope.  We will then be able to marvel at how much good exists in the world.  And our hearts will light up with hope.  We will then be able to be beacons of the future for those around us.’ 

A Message From Peter Bray, Brother Visitor

"As the 8th of February approaches, I wanted to take a moment to send my warmest greetings and congratulations to you all as you prepare to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of St Bede’s College. 

 

It is incredible to reflect on how much has been achieved since 1938, when the De La Salle Brothers first established the school. Br Benignus and the founding Brothers had a clear vision of what St Bede’s could be: a place that nurtures both the mind and the spirit. 

 

Over the years, it is clear that this vision has not only endured but has grown stronger, thanks to the commitment and hard work of everyone involved. I want to thank you for everything you are doing to carry the Lasallian mission forward. 

The way you continue to create a community where students are encouraged to grow in both knowledge and character is something I deeply admire. The impact you are having on the lives of your students and on the wider Mentone community is truly something special. As St John Baptist De La Salle once said, “Lord, the Work is Yours.” This phrase encapsulates the spirit of your ongoing dedication to the Lasallian mission. 

 

Your dependence on God’s guidance and your openness to help young people develop so they can live life to the full, is inspiring. You, the leadership team, the teachers, and staff, are the ones who carry the work forward, shaping the future of this wonderful community. 

 

Once again, thank you for all the wonderful work you do. I look forward to seeing how St Bede’s College continues to carry on the Lasallian spirit."

You can read more about Brother Peter Bray here. 

Panelist At The World Gifted and Talented Conference

We are very pleased to share that Brenda McCullagh, our Gifted and Talented Coordinator, has been invited to be part of a panel to present at the World Gifted and Talented Conference in Portugal this year.

Brenda coordinates our BEAM Program (Beda Enrichment and Academic Mentorship), introduced just two years ago and already producing many benefits for our students as they successfully compete and participate in academic competitions or events, with, and against, schools across all sectors. 

Of course, this has a beneficial flow-on effect into their school studies. Encourage your son to join with others in areas of interest to them. It allows them to collaborate with students from other Year Levels.

Per Vias Rectas

Deb Frizza 

Principal

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation, whose ancient wisdom nurtured these lands and waters for millennia.