Mission News

Prayers

We pray for loved ones who are unwell and those who have died recently. We keep in heart and mind people who are grieving and we ask God to hold in eternity those who have passed away. 

Community Mass

Community Mass will be held on Wednesday morning at 8:00am and Friday at Break 1. All are welcome!

Students attending Friday Mass, including some of our 2025 Mission leaders. Students are always encouraged and invited to attend our community Masses.

Gospel and Reflection

Excerpt from Mark’s Gospel from 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

From the beginning of creation God made them male and female. This is why a man must leave father and mother, and the two become one body. They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.' …

Jesus’ teaching on divorce challenged a patriarchal society in which women had far fewer rights than men. A man who decided he wanted to divorce his wife could quite easily dismiss her. This would leave the woman in a highly vulnerable state. Jesus is encouraging the Pharisees to see marriage as a sacred bond, not something easily broken. This teaching speaks to more than marriage – it speaks to all the ways each of us are deeply, humanly connected and how we are connected to all life. Our indigenous brothers and sisters have long understood this. Understanding our interconnectedness calls us to see beyond conflict, hurt and division to the hope of healing and reintegration. We hold this hope of wholeness (holiness) for our personal lives and for our lives in community. It is with an abiding hope for unity and peace that we extend our prayers for our global community. 

With October 7 marking a year since the Hamas attacks in southern Israel, we pray for those devastated by the worsening crisis in the Middle East. Pope Francis last week expressed his sorrow over the expanding war that has now reached "martyrised" Lebanon and called for "an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon, Gaza, the rest of Palestine, and Israel."

"Too many people are continuing to die day after day in the Middle East," Pope Francis said. 

And so we bring our hurts, our sorrows and our hopes to our prayer today, for our own lives and for the people who face the brutality of war:

(Prayer by Michael McGirr, Caritas Australia)

+God of peace and healing, 

we hold out to you the agony of your world 

and ask that your Holy Spirit may work wonders,

reaching past our bruises to renew our inmost being. 

We are deeply afflicted.

For a year, your children have been at war. 

The suffering in the Middle East has been indescribable. 

During this past year, we have been pained by wars throughout the world,

in Sudan, Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, West Africa and other places. 

Why does this happen? Why do we never learn? 

We have nowhere to run but to you, 

who loved us to the death of your son and who loves us still. 

Hear our lament as we stand with Mary at the foot of the cross of Jesus. 

May your kingdom come, a Kingdom of peace, justice and love.

We pray this with burning hearts.

Mary our good mother                         pray for us

St Marcellin Champagnat                     pray for us

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop          pray for us

And may we always remember           to pray for one another

Amen. + 

Sony Foundation Camp

Last Wednesday at Assembly, our Sony Camp Student Volunteers were recognised with a Certificate of Appreciation. As mentioned previously, these gentlemen did a fabulous job and we couldn’t be prouder of the way they cared for, assisted and entertained the children over the Sony Foundation Camp. Lachie Vink and Francis Schutt provided a recap of the camp for students and staff, explaining to the audience the lasting impact the camp had on them. We were able to show the video that our Media students so wonderfully put together… I think the Mission Team have watched it over 50 times and the song - Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go will take on a new happy meaning.

After the Assembly our current Year 10 students were emailed an expression of interest form to volunteer for next year’s camp. If any students or families have any questions, please come and see us at Mission or by emailing the team at mission@marash.qld.edu.au.

eWaste Permanent Collection and Drive

Year 10 students, James Dee, Joel Dargusch and Luke Garvey, are a part of the Lord Mayor's Young Environmental Leadership Network. They need to design and implement an environmental strategy for the school and have decided to focus on the issue of eWaste. eWaste describes electronic products that are unwanted, not working and nearing or at the end of their “useful life.” The most common eWaste at Marist are broken computer mice, headphones, chargers, laptops etc. Instead of throwing these into general waste, students will soon have the option of properly recycling them. We now have a permanent eWaste bin in the Science Foyer which students use at their convenience.

This coming Saturday 12 October we will also be hosting an eWaste drive in the McMahon Oval car park from 9:00am – 11:00am. This will be for our local community to properly dispose of any larger eWaste items they might have at home. So now’s the time to start collecting those broken TVs, printers and other electronic items that you may have been holding on to at home.

Organ Historical Trust of Australia visit Marist

Last week we welcomed visitors to our chapel as part the Organ Historical Trust of Australia (OHTA) annual conference which was being held in Brisbane. Our wonderful pipe organ, built in 1986 by Roger H. Pogson, is considered an instrument of historical interest. As such, Marist College Ashgrove was on the group’s itinerary to visit before continuing to the Cathedral of St Stephen. As part of the presentation, the pipe organ was played, allowing its beautifully full sound to be appreciated by all. The organist “pulled out all the stops”, a phrase which comes from how the pipe organ is played!

Stationery Aid

Stationery Aid will meet again this coming Friday 11th October at 7:30am in Room 801. Come along and help out!

Stationery Aid headquarters is need of extra shed storage space. If you have storage space available, please contact the Mission office.

To find out more, visit: https://stationeryaid.org/ 

St Vincent de Paul and Environment

Environment group are meeting this Wednesday 1st break in Room 801.

The Vinnies group is selling $4.50 Bacon & Egg Burgers this Thursday from 7:45am. Come along to buy yours!