Rector's Report
Greetings! We come to the end of another month in our calendar year. Unfortunately, we are moving into our colder months which brings with it the season of colds and flues etc.
Feast of St Eugene de Mazenod
On Friday May 17 the College community gathered in the Provence Centre to celebrate the Eucharist for the Feast of St Eugene de Mazenod. The actual date of the feast is May 21, 1861, when Bishop Eugene de Mazenod entered eternal life. At the celebration we were joined by our Provincial, Fr Christian Fini OMI, and Fr Eugene Bendict OMI, Asia Regional Councillor. Fr Eugene is in the Australian Province to consult with the Oblates as we discern the appointment of a new Provincial for 2025 when Fr Christian’s term concludes.
On behalf of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate I thank all who ensured this was a prayerful celebration of the Eucharist followed by an enjoyable lunch with the staff and Oblates. To enhance the celebration of the feast our students enjoyed a half day holiday whilst our teachers finished early after the community lunch. I pray that St Eugene will continue to bless and inspire all of us involved in our Mazenod community.
Old Collegians' Founders Day
On May 17 & 18, the Mazenod Old Collegians Football Club celebrated their annual Founder’s Day. I was invited to join the male and female teams after training on Thursday evening to give a presentation on the link between the football club, Mazenod College and St Eugene de Mazenod emphasising the pillars of the club: Loyalty, Daring, Passion & Community. On Saturday several staff including Dr Paul Shannon (Principal) and I enjoyed a St Eugene’s lunch and then witnessed a win by the football team. Thanks to all involved for continually recognizing the foundations of all these events in the life of St Eugene de Mazenod.
Br Kombo Benjamin OMI
During this term we are pleased to welcome Br Benjamin to our college community. Br Kombo Benjamin OMI is from the Oblate Mission of Nigeria in the Province of Cameroon and is presently in the Australian Province to complete his priestly studies. Br Benjamin has been visiting various classrooms and sharing his vocation journey with our students, hopefully inspiring some of them to consider a vocation to the priesthood and the Oblate way of life.
During Oblate Week our Oblate seminarians visited the college. A highlight was their address to our staff at a professional development session where they shared their personal vocation story.
Feast Day of Mary Help of Christians
On Tuesday, May 24, our Year 8 morning Mass celebrated the Feast Day of Mary Help of Christians, Patroness of Australia. This feast has been celebrated in Australia since 1844. The early church in Australia had a special reason for turning to Mary as no catholic priests were sent to the colony and Mass was not allowed except for one brief year in 1820. In those early days it was the Rosary that kept the faith alive. Catholic Australia remained faithful to Mary and was the first nation to choose her under the title Help of Christians, as principal Patroness, and the first country to have a mother-Cathedral, St Mary’s, Sydney, under the same title.
Confirmation
On Thursday May 23 I was able to join my great niece Alice Harder for the celebration of her Confirmation at Sacred Heart Parish, Morwell. The celebrant for the Confirmation was the Bishop of Sale, Gregory Bennet. Also pictured is Fr James Fernandez, Parish Priest, and my sister Sue who was Alice’s sponsor.
Opening & dedication of the original building
On Friday May 24 the College gathered for an assembly to officially open and bless the refurbishment of the Heritage Building and launch our Reconciliation Action Plan. This refurbishment has been a multi-stage project including a new staff room, court yards, canteen, Penola Centre for the Learning Diversity, staff offices and classrooms that were part of the original 1967 building.
The assembly commenced with a traditional smoking ceremony. A liturgy of the Word followed. Fr David Franics OMI, Representative of the Canonical Administrators and Dr Paul Shannon, Principal, officially unveiled the plaque with the State Member for Mulgrave, Ms Eden Foster, cutting the ribbon. Fr Harry Dyer OMI, Rector, performed the prayer and blessing on the buildings. Fr Eric Alleaume OMI, Director of MAMI, was present to collect a cheque for $47, 000.00 for the Oblate missions which was raised by the students, staff, families, and supporters on Mission Action Day. Fr Harry Dyer OMI, Mazenod Rector received a cheque for $757.00 on behalf of the Rosies Oblate Street Mission.
2024 The Year of Prayer
In preparation for the Jubilee Year, Pope Francis has asked that this year of 2024 be “a year dedicated to rediscovering the great value and absolute need for prayer in one’s personal life, in the life of the Church, and in the world”.
The fourth prayer tradition I want to focus on is Supplication.
4: Supplication: The prayer of supplication reflects our human vulnerability and need for help. With this type of prayer, we present our personal needs, deepest desires, and most urgent concerns to God. We are encouraged to present our requests to God with confidence and perseverance, remembering that He is always ready to listen to our hearts: «He asks us for constancy, He asks us to be determined, without shame. Why? Because I am knocking on my friend’s door. God is a friend, and with a friend I can do this. A constant, intrusive prayer» (Morning Meditation Chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, October 11, 2018). Supplication, then, becomes a time of intimate communion with God, where our vulnerability meets His infinite mercy and love: through it, we learn to trust God more deeply, entrusting Him with our whole life, our concerns, our hopes, and desires.
Yours in Jesus Christ and Mary Immaculate
Fr Harry Dyer OMI