From the Rector

Dear Mazenod Community,

Term Four sees the heart of the community looking back in gratitude and forward with hope. Our Year 12s come to their final days as students of the College and we ready ourselves to welcome the many new students getting ready to join the community.

It was a genuine honour to join with Mr Harvey in the final phase of the leadership selection process and to hear the very fine responses of our leaders for 2025. I give thanks to the students and staff who were a part of this process.

Please keep in your prayers our graduating students who will be celebrating their final rituals as students over the coming days with Final Assembly and Valedictory Mass and Dinner. Well done to every family who has journeyed with their son during these College years.

I have been exploring areas in and around the College over the past few weeks in an attempt to feel more at home and I have visited Toodyay, York, Dowerin, Wongan Hills, Moora, Boddington, Mundaring Weir and Kings Park.

Each place was unique and wonderful and I was able to meet many great people.

It will be my aim in 2025 to visit Boarding and Day Families to better support them and also offer home blessings if that is something that is helpful.

Mazenod makes a regular commitment to join the Shopfront Outreach at St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral in Perth City. This work sees us provide some nourishment of food and conversation and is open to students and staff. This outreach to the homeless of Perth connects us deeply with the work and mission of Jesus and St Eugene de Mazenod OMI.

We also welcome Fr Antony OMI to our Oblate Community. Fr Antony was ordained in Chennai, India on the 14th of August in 2021 and arrived in Australia on the 21st of December, 2023. His ordination ceremony was held during the pandemic which meant that only very close family could attend.

He has lived and worked in Melbourne, Fremantle and now here with us.

Fr Antony is from the State of Tamil Nadu in Southern India and is the second child of four in his family. He has an older brother and two younger sisters. Fr Antony’s mum still lives in Tamil Nadu but his father passed away approximately 12 months ago.

Fr Antony was from an Oblate parish and joined the Seminary after an introduction by Fr Vijay who is an Oblate from his parish.

Fr Antony likes reading books, cooking, walking and listening to music and also happens to be a Collingwood supporter. We are unsure of how this has occurred but he is definitely a Magpie.

Fr Antony is with us to help practice his English and we hope that he develops a distinctive Mazenod WA accent! Please feel free to come and say hello if you see Fr Antony around the College and community as this will help greatly.

Just in conclusion, as a Queenslander, I was very happy with the AFL Grand Final and Brisbane’s premiership. All attention and focus now comes to my other team of Fremantle as we chase our first ever Premiership. I do hope it is soon.

Take Care and God Bless

Fr Michael Twigg OMI