Catholic Identity and Mission
The Sion to our Marist
When I was younger my sister came to Marist-Sion College, although it was always pronounced more like “Mariss-ion’ or more frequently just referred to as ‘Marist’. I didn’t actually realise that there were two separate words, let alone the religious institutions they represented.
During the past 18 months, I have been fortunate to have some formation from Marist Schools Australia, connecting with the vast Marist Network in activities, seminars and retreats. For our students, the Marist network provides opportunities for connection through sports, immersion, Game Changers, social justice activities and even the theme for our school year. It is beautiful and because there are lots of people and resources, it is easy to access and can be easy to lean into.
Our Sion formation is undertaken with a smaller team but the learning and community building is equally as important to us. The Executive were fortunate to spend a day with the leaders from the other two Sion Schools in Australia, Catholic College Sale and Our Lady of Sion Box Hill, on Friday 14 June.
Understanding our charism informs our identity and how we function as a school community. It gives us our Why? The Sion charism calls us to be in dialogue with the ‘other’ – whoever the ‘other’ might be. This doesn’t mean that we need to believe life in the same way or share the same faith as the ‘other’, it is actually the opposite. It means that we can exist in our differences, work where we have common ground and live and work peacefully as a community. The Sion spirituality is open and welcoming.
In September, we will be taking 20 Year 10 students to Box Hill to spend a day with the other Sion schools to experience a day of Interfaith Dialogue with Jewish and Muslim students of the same age in Melbourne. If you have a child in Year 10, please encourage them to apply when the time comes. They are welcome to express interest to their RE teachers or contact me directly. It is an opportunity that doesn’t come around many times in a person’s life, if ever, and it will be a beautiful Sion experience for our Marist-Sion students.
Champagnat Feast Day Mass
On Thursday 6 June, the whole school celebrated the Feast Day of Saint Marcellin Champagnat with a Whole School Mass celebration.
It was the first time Fr. Brendan Hogan celebrated Mass with our whole community, which was also attended by Marist Brother, Br Tony Clark; The Sisters of Our Lady of Sion, Sr Mary Barbuto, Sr Mary Reaburn, and Sr Angela Bayliss; Mrs Carmel Crawford, Mission Coordinator; and Mr Mark Walsh, Formation Leader for the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion; and Mr Paul Velten – Director of Catholic Education- DOSCEL.
NAIDOC Week
From Sunday 7 July to Sunday 14 July, NAIDOC will be celebrated across Australia. NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines' and Islanders' Day Observance Committee. The theme for 2024 is “Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud’.
At the College, we will celebrate NAIDOC Week during the first week of Term 3, but I encourage you to look into what is happening locally and get involved in the activities and learning opportunities on offer during the holidays. Many of the events are free and it is a great way to actively engage in reconciliation.
Information on some local NAIDOC Week Events can be found at:
The Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria - Cranbourne
DOSCEL Network Meeting
On Thursday 13 June, all of the Catholic Identity and Mission Leaders from our seven (7) DOSCEL Secondary Schools and DOSCEL Catholic identity and RE leaders met at Marist-Sion College for formation and development. We welcomed our guests into the heart of our College – our beautiful Chapel.
Discussion for the day focused on building Parish-School Partnerships, new Scripture Resources, the pending curriculum updates, Camps and RE offerings for senior students. It was the first Network Meeting for this group and the collective learning was invaluable.
Mrs Jacinta Johnston
Deputy Principal: Catholic Identity and Mission