From the Rector

Dear Fellow Mazenodians,

Over the past week we have had many moments of grace filled celebrations that have been very meaningful.

Last Sunday night, we celebrated the end of Boarding Week with a combined Mass with both St Brigid’s and our boys in the Chapel. Our collective communities are stronger together and this Mass gave a great witness to that. Boarding holds a treasured place with our Mazenod community and it had long been a dream of the Oblates to create a Boarding school in one of our Colleges. This responsibility has been taken on by our Mazenod WA community and we give thanks that families of this great state have entrusted their sons to its care. Boarding Week gave many chances to celebrate boarding and I am really glad that Mass was a part of that.

We celebrated our Albini House Mass on Tuesday, 20 May, which was a wonderful occasion of House spirit and care. Fr Albini worked on the troubled island of Corsica and found ways to bring about reconciliation and care to the families. He joined the Oblates after meeting and seeing the work of St Eugene and is a very important early member of the Oblates. These House masses provide a valuable opportunity to grow in our knowledge and spirit of the House patrons.

On Tuesday 20 May we also celebrated the Opening and Blessing of newly named Malnia House in the Cebula Residential Community (Boarding). This new construction was facilitated by the Oblates and the Board and saw the construction of new rooms and amenities for 23 boarders. Malnia is a small town in Poland, and the hometown of Blessed Jozef Cebula OMI after whom the Boarding community is named. We welcomed builders, architects, Board members, families, staff and the boys. Fr Andrew Chen OMI, our Provincial, came across from Melbourne for the Opening and Blessing for which we are very grateful. A moving Ceremony of Dirt took place which gathered soils from the different towns that are home to our boarders creating a very colourful reminder of the great diversity of the community.

And then we reached May 21, the Feast Day of St Eugene de Mazenod OMI and our Mazenod Mission Day. After a beautiful Mass with the entire community, we entered into the generosity of raising awareness and finances for the Missions of the Oblates in India and Bangladesh. Combining Mazenod’s Feast Day with MMD is a wonderful testament to St Eugene’s generous heart.

These days help grow within the boys a generous and giving heart and I give thanks to Mr Damian Wallis and everyone who assisted in the fun and beauty of the day. I even found myself on the dunking machine roster where a number of boarders lined up for the chance to dunk me. Their aim was successful and I made quite the splash. 

Thank you to every family who generously supported the day.

Take Care and God Bless

Fr Michael Twigg OMI

Rector of Mazenod College