Around the College
March MADness
March MADness has been in full swing around the College of late, with highlights last week including the Staff vs Student Dodgeball match (congratulations to the Students on their win), the Sausage Sizzle, and the new but highly successful Staff vs Student Family Feud event (congratulations to the Staff on their win). All for a great cause!
Remember you can get involved in supporting the Oblate missions across the globe—visit our website below to learn how.
Year 12 Overnight Retreat
Earlier this week, our Year 12 students were blessed to have the opportunity to reflect, pray and get away from it all, during our “Year 12 Retreat”. Our retreat focused on the theme of the journey from youth into manhood, and focused on developing our young men into persons who respect others, who are people of integrity, and who embrace their Catholic Christian faith.
During this time, our students shared with one another and spent time thinking about their lives, their families, their friendship groups, and their journey as young men of faith. Our students were fortunate to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation during their retreat, and we thank our Priests for their willingness to celebrate this Healing Sacrament with us all.
We thank all our Priests, our Staff, our Oblate Youth Ministers and our Students for their wonderful friendship, openness, and sense of fun and joy during our retreat. Our retreat was a little oasis away from our usual busy lives. It provided each of us with the chance to deepen our friendships and support of one another, and to strengthen our friendship with Almighty God and with the Immaculate Virgin Mary.
I would especially like to acknowledge and thank Mr Cristiano Grosso, our Retreats and Staff Formation Leader, for his companionship, excellent organisation, and support of us all during our Retreat!
Please find below some of our students’ reflections on their Retreat experience:
“As being the final camp together as a cohort, the Year 12 Retreat was certainly an unforgettable reflective experience. Taking a break from the stress of SACs to instead spend time with my homeroom was a positive, furthermore the theological aspect was of great importance to me, expanding my worldview. I am so grateful for the youth ministry team and accompanying staff, who provided an appropriate format for meaningful discussions and activities about the society we live in, and also demonstrated the support available from the Mazenod community. The chance to have fun with mates, and even interact with those I wouldn’t have, combined with brilliant food and suitable free-time made this retreat all the better.”
– Roberto di Giovine
“The Retreat allowed me to feel gratitude for the people in my life who care for me, and gave me the opportunity to express my appreciation for them through writing a letter. We were also able to delve deep into our relationship with God through the Rosary, Reconciliation, a Paraliturgy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.”
– Christian Grano
“The Edmund Rice Retreat Centre in Amberly was absolutely beautiful with a wonderful scenery to look at every morning. The Retreat allowed me to be able to talk and build connection to students I would not normally talk to in my day to day schooling. The activities of the retreat was helpful guidance in my connection to God and how he shapes my future.”
– Vincent Ngo
“The Retreat was a great opportunity to get away from school and the regular flow of each week and reflect on and refresh ourselves. The multitude of activities, including discussions, reflections, letter writing and reconciliation all helped us grow as individuals and as young men a bit more, while also enabling us to enjoy some time with our friends. The lovely venue and chances for free time in between sessions enabled us to enjoy the retreat while learning and reflecting upon important lessons and values.”
– Andrew Samuel
“The Retreat has been so enjoyable. Thank you to the people who have spent time planning and organising the retreat for it to go smoothly.”
– Jeremy Chen
Japanese Students Hosting
From Sunday 10th March to Friday 22nd March we hosted Takara and Kotaro from Nishiyama High School in Kyoto, Japan. These two students have been graciously hosted by the Prada and Doan families within our community. During their stay, Takara and Kotaro have immersed themselves in various activities, including kayaking with Year 10 students, making gnocchi, playing volleyball and badminton, and experiencing the typical student life at Mazenod College. Both students celebrated their birthdays while staying with us, and our Japanese language students ensured that these occasions were memorable with gifts and party food. This type of interaction and friendship-building not only fosters respect for other cultures among our students but also enhances their communication skills and, most certainly, their proficiency in Japanese. As the time has swiftly passed, we will sincerely miss Takara and Kotaro when they depart for Japan on Friday.
Year 8 Food Tech - Cake Icing
MACS Mass of St Patrick for Schools
Celebrating unity and faith at the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools Mass of St. Patrick for Schools last Friday. A proud moment for our bright young leaders with Archbishop Peter!
