Mission News

Prayers

For those who are grieving the loss of loved ones, we ask God’s spirit to be with them to give strength and healing. We remember those whose anniversaries occur at this time and pray that God will hold our departed loved ones in an everlasting embrace. In recognising the Queenship of Mary on 22 August, we ask for the gentle presence of Mary our Good Mother to brighten the days of all who are walking the journey with loved ones who are sick or suffering in any way. Amen.

College Masses

This Wednesday, Ephrem House will gather for Mass at :008am in the Chapel. Everyone is welcome, including parents/carers and other family members! 

Friday will see us gather again for Mass at Break 1B – it’s always great to see our sportsmen attend Mass as they ready themselves for the competition ahead. Again, all are welcome for this community celebration.

The Feast of the Assumption Mass 

Last Wednesday 19th August we met as a community in the Champagnat Centre to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption (15th August) and to announce our College Captain and Vice-Captains for 2027. The Mass was fittingly focused on the gentle strength of Mary who leads us in her way – closer to Christ and closer to being the people God calls us to be. It was an occasion involving our current Year 12 leaders in the ministries of altar service, reading and the distribution of communion. The Mission team is sincerely grateful to these wonderful young Marist men who have given of their time and consistently performed these ministries in a reverent and respectful way at Masses throughout this year.

We congratulate the captains for 2027, who were bestowed symbols of leadership for their respective portfolios: Academic, Mission, Sport, Arts and Wellbeing by our 2026 captains, before receiving a special blessing from Fr Tini and joining the recessional hymn Sub Tuum. 

We were grateful to have the Ashgrove community Marist Brothers along with Peter Selwood from the College Advisory Council  and many parents and carers take the time to join us.

We join with Mr Blinkhoff in thanking the musicians (students and staff) who lead the congregation in song, to the tech/production team members, services teams, pastoral leaders and all who contributed to the Mass.

Gospel & Reflection 

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time – Matthew 16:13-20

Peter’s Declaration about Jesus

This Sunday we see Jesus preaching to the largely gentile town of Caesarea, north of Jerusalem. He asks the disciples, “Who do people say I am?” to which they respond: a prophet, a wonderworker. Jesus then makes it personal: “But who do you say I am?”. Peter responds, “You are Christ, the living Son of God”. Jesus blesses Peter and gives him a new responsibility, saying, “Peter, you are the Rock on which I build my Church… and I give you the Keys to the kingdom”. Through the symbol of the keys Peter is designated the first Pope, whose inherited responsibility is to serve the community.

This is a story of Faith. Peter’s response to Jesus echoes last week’s encounter with the Canaanite woman. Both Peter and the woman are blessed because they have the faith to see who Jesus is. Both exemplify humility – one of our key Marist characteristics. In leaning into Christ, both have the grace to see the face of God in the humble Galilean. Both are models of trust – but recognition isn’t the end. Jesus commissions Peter to live out his response.

Being part of the Christian community means moving out in Mission. Jesus tells Peter to go to the margins, showing that the Church is not only a place where we gather for Mass. It’s a living collective charged to make the world a better place. To do Christ’s work – going out and helping at Rosies, Environment Club, Boarder Blitz and all the other wonderful things people do at Marist College Ashgrove.

As Marists there is a special connection to Family Spirit in this story. The Church, and by extension our school, is its own type of family – where people take care of one another. Family Spirit asks – how can I serve my brothers and sisters today? How can I be a person of help? How can I, like St. Peter, be a rock for the community.

Prayer:As we go about our week, help us to be people of Family Spirit who, like St. Peter, don’t just acknowledge the special nature of Jesus but respond wholeheartedly to serving those around us, especially in the little ways we treat and speak to each other. 

Amen.

Year 5&6 and 7&8 Dance - fundraising achievement

With sincere thanks our participating girls’ schools – Stuartholme, All Hallows, Mt St Michael’s, Loreto and St Rita’s - and our enthusiastic Marist students at our recent Year 5&6 and Year 7&8 dances, we are ecstatic to be able to announce that we have raised over $32,000 for Australian Marist Solidarity!! 

The social connection and fun of the dances exactly reflected the friendship and fraternity we share with Marist communities in the Oceania region, including Timor-Leste. And as our immersion students know from their recent time in Timor-Leste, music and dancing is a huge part of Timorese culture.

To all who were involved in making the evening a success – from our staff volunteers to parents who negotiated pick ups and drop offs – we are grateful for your part in making the dances a success. We look forward to continuing to raise money for AMS and highlight their important work as the year continues.

Sony Foundation Camp – selling cans for our camp

Our student Mission leaders led the charge on Friday at first break selling plenty of cold soft drinks to eager customers. We are happy to report we raised $990! The funds raised will go directly to assisting in the purchase of resources and materials for this year’s Sony Foundation Children’s Holiday Camp here at Marist!

Year 10 Retreat

This Friday 28 August, our Year 10 students will spend the day on retreat facilitated by Michael Fitzpatrick. The day is intended as opportunity to reflect on the students’ leadership journey and as a doorway to step more confidently and committedly into their final two years of school as a united cohort. We encourage each and every Year 10 student to approach the day with an open heart and mind, and with courage and compassion, not only for others but for themselves.

Details: Students are to attend pastoral group as normal, and immediately walk to the Cyprian Pavilion for roll marking by 8:50am. 

Clothing: appropriate casual clothes to be worn.

Putting skills to good use!

A special thanks goes to Harold House Mission captain Blake Whitham, who has generously and expertly put his woodworking skills to great use for our Mission department. Blake has created a wooden cross which will be used for our Year 12 retreat next year. Blake – we appreciate you and the work you’ve done!