Greetings to you all! I thought this term would be a little less hectic, but I have been proved wrong. I suppose this is only to be expected in such a big, busy, and diverse place like our College community. Having said this, I must admit that I enjoy all of the activities that give me the opportunity to interact with our students, families and staff.

On Friday, April 19, our Careers & Pathways team brought to life a major initiative for our senior students, branded the ‘Discover Tomorrow' Expo. The aim of the expo was to assist students to understand that successful career development is the process of identifying their career goals now and, in turn, creating a plan to achieve them. This event was open to our senior students in Years 10, 11 & 12, and enabled them to meet with members of the wider community who gave meaningful insights into the complex world of careers, employment and study.

On behalf of the College, I thank the former students, past and current parents who generously volunteered to represent businesses and share their own career journey experiences. There were also representatives from Tertiary Education, University and TAFE sectors and from major recruiters in the public and private sectors. What a wonderful opportunity to have all this information and experience under the one roof, in Oblate Hall, Mazenod College! Thank you to our College baristas who produced enjoyable coffee and hot chocolate drinks for all of our visitors.

This year an added information stand was constructed for the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Current Oblate seminarians from St Mary’s were present to share their vocational journey as an Oblate. Hopefully parents will encourage their sons or friends to consider a vocation to the priesthood or religious life, especially the Oblates. This is vitally important if we want priests and religion to continue to be present in our Colleges and our parishes for the celebration of the sacraments on our faith journey. Many thanks to the Careers & Pathways team and all involved for supporting this great initiative.

Panthers vs Mazenod Students

On Wednesday April 24 we hosted the annual Mazenod students versus Mazenod Panthers football match on the Johnson Oval. The Mazenod Panthers team caters for all people with an intellectual disability regardless of ability, The purpose of the All-Abilities teams is to enable access for people with disability to the game of Australian Rules football.

The inclusive spirit of Mazenod was very tangible with our students volunteering to participate in this match which is a highlight on our college calendar. Players on both sides displayed their skills with the Panthers clinching an eight-point victory.

I also enjoyed the game as I came out of retirement from my goal umpiring days to team up with one of our teachers, Jacinta Fox.

St John Vianney Parish 60th Anniversary

Thank you to the staff members who joined the St John Vianney parish on Sunday April 28 for the 60th anniversary celebration of the Eucharist.

2024 The Year of Prayer

In preparation for the Jubilee Year, Pope Francis has asked that this year of 2024 be “a year dedicated to rediscovering the great value and absolute need for prayer in one’s personal life, in the life of the Church, and in the world”.

The second prayer tradition I want to focus on and the one that we are more familiar with is that of Intercession.

2: Intercession: Intercessory prayer is the prayer that best expresses the Communion of Saints; in it we pray for the needs of others, showing solidarity, understanding and compassion. It is good to emphasize the importance of this form of prayer as an act of Christian love and solidarity, which unites us with others and makes us sharers in their sufferings and in their hopes. Intercessory prayer is a powerful tool of communion, through which we can bring before God the needs of the world and the needs of our brothers and sisters. In this way, intercessory prayer becomes a bridge connecting the faithful and their intentions, transcending the boundaries of space and time, to share each other’s joys and sufferings before God. In the context of the Jubilee, the grace of a plenary indulgence to be applied to a deceased believer is also an expression of the intercessory prayer that unites us with all our deceased loved ones, with whom we may one day enjoy heavenly riches.

Have a laugh!!

When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
Prison is just one word to you, but for some people, it’s a whole sentence.
I lost my job as a stage designer. I left without making a scene.
I got over my addiction to chocolate, marshmallows, and nuts. I won’t lie, it was a rocky road.

Yours in Jesus Christ and Mary Immaculate

Fr Harry Dyer OMI

Parents & Friends Association