From the Rector

Dear Mazenod Families,

Recently I was fortunate enough, alongside Mr Simon Harvey and Mrs Mary Retel, to represent Mazenod at the Australian Catholic Education Conference in Cairns, followed by supporting a meeting of the Catholic School Parents Association of Australia.

The Conference focused on hope being anchored in faith and we were presented with many new ideas and also great affirmation of some of the initiatives here at the College.

On the plane ride back I was glued to my screen watching our Hydrogen Car Racers compete at the World Championships in Germany. It was as nerve wracking as I have experienced and I was super proud of their efforts. Congratulations to everyone involved.

One of the great attributes of Mazenod College is the sense of belonging and community that we promote and support. This aspect of our culture was very important to St Eugene who grew up facing hardships and loneliness and sought to bring people together in their search for dignity and meaning. He ultimately believed that that dignity came from God’s love.

Our school is a place that gives and takes energy. There is a huge buzz around the College at any given time and the energy of the boys seems strong throughout most of the day. It is a place where they get to be part of something and they have friendship groups that are based on doing life together. It can be a joyful and difficult place to navigate, that becomes even more complex and unique when we remember we have the great care and responsibility of being a Boarding School as well.

Inviting every member of the community to belong and be involved is essential for the character of our school. In an emerging world of artificial intelligence, it is also important to hold on to the things that have endured through time like: kindness, honesty, empathy, creativity, compassion and trustworthiness.

I am also of the strong belief that the reverence that the boys show in Mass allows them the opportunity to be open to God’s love in their life as well. Their behavior and reverence are a direct bearing on the values that they are learning from home and I am very grateful to every family who helps keep that reverence strong. Every single student is on their own journey of faith and all of that is welcomed at the College.

Our celebration of the Assumption Mass was a very joyful and reverent occasion that was embraced by the boys. At the end of Mass, we had our own version of a Marian Procession that led into the Italian Festa in the afternoon.

I have been very happy to continue visiting Boarding families in the following towns: Wongan Hills, Karratha, Point Samson and Wickham as well as attending the Dowerin Field Days. I am happy to say that I have now visited 250 West Australian towns and had so many genuinely beautiful experiences. The wildflowers are starting to emerge and the canola is in full golden bloom. I pray that the weather conditions provide the best opportunities for our farming families to thrive.

Alongside Mrs Annamaria Cream, Mr Harvey and other staff, we genuinely look for even more opportunities to ensure that each family feels connected, no matter how far the geographic distance is from the College.

Of course, I could not finish this newsletter without referring to another anchor of hope, the wonderful Fremantle Dockers. After a Brisbane hiccup, they finally secured that finals spot which is a relief to many. The AFL Finals have a representative from each State in the competition which is very rare. Best wishes to all the teams, especially those who have purple in their colors.

Fr Michael Twigg OMI

Rector of Mazenod College