Deputy Principal

Feast Day & Cultural Festival

On Friday 18 September, Mount Alvernia College will celebrate our annual Feast Day and Cultural Festival, one of the most significant and anticipated days in our College calendar. 

The celebrations will begin with our Feast Day Mass in the San Damiano Centre. All students are expected to arrive at school by 8.30am for Homeroom and roll marking, before moving to the San Damiano Centre for Mass, which will commence at 9.00am. As a Franciscan school, this celebration of the Eucharist is the heart of our Feast Day and an important expression of who we are as a community, and we expect full attendance from our students.

Following Mass, students will participate in the Cultural Festival from 10.15am to 12.15pm. Throughout the morning, students will have the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of activities and cultural experiences, including face painting, yard games, Indigenous cultural workshops, a reptile experience, photography and pavement art competitions, cake decorating, Italian language activities, a costume parade, live music performances, and a dedicated Chill Out Zone. 

Food will be available for purchase from a great range of food trucks located in the San Damiano car park. Students may pay at food trucks using cash or EFTPOS (physical bank cards only). La Cucina will also be operating on the day and food can be purchased as normal using their student ID card. Food truck menus will be made available on the student's Homeroom Page. Dietary requirements have been considered across the available options.

The afternoon will conclude with the much-loved Cultural Festival Concert, commencing at 1.15pm in the San Damiano Centre. Students will enjoy performances from across the College before the annual Battle of the Houses competition. The school day will conclude with dismissal at 3.00pm. 

Students are required to wear their full College uniform to school. Students may bring their sport uniform, House-coloured accessories, and approved costume items to school and change after Mass during the Cultural Festival period. 

A detailed program, activity information and food truck menus are available to students via the student Homeroom page on MyMtA. 

Please note that the Cultural Festival is a staff and student event only, and we are unable to accommodate parents, carers or members of the public on the day.

Feast of the Stigmata of St Francis

As we approach our College Feast Day, we take time to celebrate the Feast of the Stigmata of St Francis of Assisi (September 17). The Stigmata recalls a profound moment in the life of St Francis on Mount La Verna, where he received on his own body the wounds of Christ's crucifixion. While this experience can be difficult to understand, it reveals the depth of St Francis' faith and love of God, expressed in his radical poverty and humility.

It is from this sacred place, La Verna, that Mount Alvernia College takes its name.

For our College community, this feast is an invitation to reflect on how we live our Franciscan identity each day through kindness, compassion, service, and respect for others. As students and staff gather to celebrate our Feast Day next Friday, we give thanks for the Franciscan values that continue to shape our community and the many ways our young people bring those values to life.

Blessing of the Animals

To mark the conclusion of the Season of Creation on the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the College will hold a Blessing of the Animals Liturgy on Wednesday 7 October from 7.45 - 8.30am in La Foresta (Cremorne Road entry). 

Students are invited to bring a family pet to the liturgy. Pets must be socialised and suitably restrained at all times. Families must make arrangements for pets to be collected prior to the start of the school day. 

If your family would like to attend with your pet, please register here.