Mission News

Prayers

We remember in our prayers Robert (Bob) Vlug who passed away on Tuesday 13 May 2025 aged 96. Bob was Grandfather (Opa) of Olivier Vlug (Year 12 2020). We also for Lorraine, the mother of staff member Dawn Spicer, who passed away last Thursday. May all those who have died be at everlasting peace with God and may those who grieve their loss be comforted. 

Community Masses

Please join us for Masses throughout this week: Monday 1st Break, Wednesday 8am and Friday 1st Break. This Wednesday, Ignatius House will be celebrating their House Mass on Wednesday morning at 8am. All are welcome.

Gospel Reflection

Gospel from 5th Sunday of Easter, 18th May. John 10:27-30 (JB)

When Judas had gone Jesus said:

'Now has the Son of Man been glorified,

and in him God has been glorified.

If God has been glorified in him,

God will in turn glorify him in himself,

and will glorify him very soon.

My little children,

I shall not be with you much longer.

I give you a new commandment:

love one another;

just as I have loved you,

you also must love one another.

By this love you have for one another,

everyone will know that you are my disciples'.

Last Tuesday night, Professor Stan Grant delivered the annual Marian Lecture on the theme Pilgrims of Hope. What Stan shared was profound and poetic. He spoke of hope as the wellspring of justice. That to live without hope is to cease to live, yet hope is often a burden. For Stan, hope is not loud; it is not found in politics or in the pursuit of happiness. Hope exists in ordinary places: in schools, sporting clubs, places of work and worship. 

Stan also spoke of Mary, of her consent to God, her obedience to love – that she perfected God’s love… For Stan, what he calls Mary’s perfection of love is what he saw in his own beloved mother, who, when he was a child, would tuck him into bed and write poems at night.

Love is an overriding theme of Sunday’s Gospel, with Jesus giving his disciples a new commandment to love one another. 

In our culture, love is often expressed as a feeling we possess, something we gain and lose. Yet we also recognise that love flows outwards through deeds and actions. We see in the parable of the Good Samaritan that love is expressed as compassion and mercy, leading the Samaritan to cross the road to tend to the nearly dead man in the gutter. This love is concrete and real. It is a gift. And its opposite is often fear, apathy and indifference.

Jesus follows the commandment “love one another” with the words “just as I have loved you”. The Gospels show that Jesus loves through healing, listening, touching, forgiving, feeding others, praying with others, washing his disciples’ feet, eating with weirdos and wastrels. Jesus loves as God loves, like the forgiving father who runs to meet his prodigal son. God calls us son and daughter. Even when we are at our worst and most unlovable state, we are forgiven and embraced, welcomed home and celebrated. This is the kind of love which Jesus is asking us to embody. It is love that recognises freedom and dignity, a love that gives and forgives.

And so, called to love, we pray:

+ God of unending love,

Forgive us for the times we have been hard-hearted, fearful or indifferent to others.

Help us to grow in love for you and one another, especially the people we find hard to love.

Guide us to show love without expectation of reward or praise.

Give us hearts to move towards the most vulnerable, to wash their feet and listen to them.

Help us to rediscover and share the freedom, hope and dignity that love brings.

And may we like Mary, say Yes to your will for us, and to all that is loving and just.

Mary our good mother – pray for us

St Marcellin Champagnat – pray for us

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop – pray for us

And let us always remember – to pray for one another

Amen.+

Marian Lecture Recording

For those who missed it or want to hear it again, the recording of the 2025 Marian Lecture delivered by Professor Stan Grant is now available online.

Marist 180 Free Dress Day 23rd May – Loud Shirt Day

This Friday (23rd May) is the Marist 180 Free Dress Day.

We encourage students to wear LOUD SHIRTS as part of their free dress to raise awareness of hearing loss in children.

Students who wear Free Dress are asked to donate $2, $5 or $10 with all funds raised going to the Marist 180 Noel Appeal. Please be reminded, it is a cashless day, all donations will be collected via ID Cards in the morning.

A loud shirt is any shirt that is bright, colourful or has a fun pattern. Please see the flyer below for shirt inspiration.

Thanks to our Marist Community for supporting both of these important causes. We would also like to thank our Year 12 student Cam McPhee for championing this initiative.

Genesis Youth Group and Youth Alpha Program

A reminder that Genesis Youth has launched! It is a fantastic opportunity for students to meet awesome people, ask big questions and have fun.

Where: The Daley Centre (behind St William’s Grovely Church, 67 Dawson Pde Keperra)

When: Sunday afternoons from 3-5 

Who: For Ages 13-17.

Contact: stwilliamsyouthgrovely@gmail.com

The Youth Alpha program starts this Sunday, 25 May, and will continue for approx eight weeks. See here for a taste of what Alpha is about. 

Paddington Community Centre

This week saw the beginning of our Paddington Respite Centre visits for 2025. Our students from Harold House engaged in conversation, games and activities with the patrons of the centre, including a game a Mini Golf. These visits will continue throughout the year and are often a highlight of both the patrons and our students' day.

Meat Tray Fundraiser for the Sony Foundation Camp 

A massive thank you to Primary Teacher and all-round Legend - James Trebbin for organising and selling raffle tickets again at last Saturday’s home games. A huge thanks to Henry Trebbin, Elliot Katter and Felix Katter who helped sell tickets also. An incredible $1,880.00 was raised for our upcoming Sony Foundation Camp.  

A massive thank you goes to Meat at Billys and Thrive Law Co for donating the meat trays. Did you miss out? The good news is – we will be selling raffle tickets along with Popcorn, Slushies and Fairy Floss at our upcoming Super Saturday on the 31st of May!! We can’t wait to see you there

Well done to this week’s winners and our gratitude extends to our ever so generous Marist Community for your donations.

Stationery Aid Friday Mornings

Stationery Aid is on this Friday Morning in Room 801 from 7:30am. Helpers are needed as we continue sorting and cleaning stationery ready for reuse. Currently our focus is on exercise books. A huge shout out to Miss Ryan’s PG Ignatius 101 who came to last week’s session! It was lovely to see so many new faces, the extra sets of hands helped us get through a large volume of books. 

A reminder that donations of good quality unwanted stationery is always welcome and can be placed in the blue bin outside the Mission Office. 

To find out more and to check the list for what can be donated, please visit: https://stationeryaid.org/