Mission News

Prayers

• For the people of Queensland and New South Wales as they recover from the effects of the recent rain and flooding. 
• For peace in our world, particularly in the Ukraine. 
• For those in our community who are unwell or suffering at this time
• For the repose of the souls of 
• Peter Serone’s mother Jill
• Sam Ferraro’s Grandfather 
• Nikhil Kent (Old Boy 2006)

May our loving God, with Mary and Champagnat, walk with all members of the Marist family. Amen

Shrove Tuesday 

The College St Vincent de Paul group sold pancakes today to mark the observance of Shrove Tuesday and to kick start our Lenten appeal. Our thanks to the kitchen staff, students and staff who made this possible. A bright moment to accompany the sunshine of today after the rains of the weekend. 

Ash Wednesday 

Our Ash Wednesday Mass will be live streamed to all classes tomorrow. Under the current COVID-19 restrictions we will not be distributing ashes. You are welcome to join us at midday the link can be found here https://youtu.be/OrECOn43uUI

Lenten Appeal 2022

The Marist theme for 2022, Known and Loved – dignity for all is the motivator and sentiment behind our 2022 Lenten appeal. Fund and awareness-raising provides opportunities for our community to practically provide for others, proving that God-given dignity is for all and that we here at Marist take everyone seriously. 

Why Marist College Ashgrove Collects Funds in Lent

Starting this Ash Wednesday and for the weeks of Lent, boys, families and staff will be encouraged to contribute funds to the Lenten collection. Our collection supports three agencies:

• Australian Marist Solidarity (AMS)
• Caritas Australia
• Catholic Mission

As a Marist school the bulk of our funds will go to support a range of Marist Solidarity programs in the Asia-Pacific region. Detailed information on AMS can be found at this link: https://www.australianmaristsolidarity.net.au/ 

The AMS offices for Australia are housed at the Marist Schools Office at the Moola Road gates. 

WHO IS AMS?In the tradition of St Marcellin Champagnat…

AMS vision…

is of a world that reflects Marists’ desire that vulnerable young people are brought towards the centre from the margins through access to education.

AMS mission…

is to empower young people by enhancing their human dignity and developing their capacity to transform their lives and communities.

AMS core values…

are aligned with the principles of Catholic Social Teaching and the traditions of the Marist Brother’s founder, St Marcellin Champagnat and his concern for the poor, especially the young.

Promoting the dignity of the human person

Ensuring just relationships and structures

Standing in solidarity to ensure freedom and equity

Being people of hope

Offering genuine and engaged presence

Promoting a family spirit

Modelling love of work

Engaging in the way of Mary and

Practising simplicity.

AMS works to support young people in these areas:

Access to Education

AMS assists access to quality education for vulnerable children and young people through projects in primary, secondary and tertiary education programs across Asia and the Pacific.

Facilities for the Future

AMS invests in infrastructure to ensure safe places for learning.

Resilience and readiness

AMS supports programs to build resilience, provide care, and empower vulnerable and marginalised communities to strengthen access to education and workplace-specific skills and knowledge.

Current AMS projects can be found in Bangladesh, Bougainville, Cambodia, Fiji, India, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, The Philippines, Timor-Leste, Vanuatu and Vietnam. 

Marist College Ashgrove through the generous and compassionate concern of all those associated with our College community hopes each student can donate $20.00 to our appeal this year. 

This can be done via the House based collections or through our MCA monitor link. 

Lenten Appeal Link: http://bit.ly/MCA-FR

or go to the Online Store ----> Student Shop ----> Fundraising Menu ----> Lenten Appeal

Thank you in anticipation for your support and care. 

Staff Spirituality Day Program

The Staff Spirituality day due to be held on the student free day was postponed due to the Queensland weather event. We look forward to holding this at another time. 

Irish St Patrick’s Day Mass 

The Annual St Patrick’s Day Mass, organised by the St Patrick’s Day Parade Committee as part of the Brisbane Irish Festival, will be celebrated again this year in the Cathedral of St Stephen, Elizabeth Street at 10:00am on 17 March 2021. Fr Gerard McMorrow will be the celebrant. All are welcome to attend, Irish or not. And, for those who may be unable to do so, the Mass will be live-streamed through the Cathedral website on this link - Live web cast - Archdiocese of Brisbane (brisbanecatholic.org.au) You may wish to pass the link on to someone overseas.

Updated Wednesday Morning Mass Schedule for Term 1 2022

Please note the following changes:

• There will be no 8:00am Mass on Ash Wednesday 2 March. Mass will be livestreamed from the Chapel to the College community at 12:00pm.
• The St Vincent de Paul student group Mass advertised for Wednesday 23 March has been postponed.

Chaplain’s Corner 

The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. It is a season when we try to recall in a special way the suffering that Jesus endured for our sins and to do penance for the sins that caused his suffering. 

Each year on Ash Wednesday, we mark our foreheads with ashes. We do this for two reasons. 

First, ashes are a sign of repentance. They indicate that we are sorry for our sins and will do penance for them during Lent. 

Second, ashes are a sign of our mortality. They indicate that we will die someday. To understand this second sign, recall that right after Adam and Eve sinned, God said to them: “Because of what you have done… you will go back to the soil from which you were formed. You were made from dust, and you will become dust again.” 

Today’s gospel invites us to consider doing three things this Lent to show our sorrows for our sins. 

First, it invites us to consider giving something extra to the poor. 

Second, the gospel invites us to consider being more prayerful during Lent. This explains the practice among some people of attending Mass daily, or at least one extra day a week, during Lent. 

Third, the gospel invites us to consider fasting during Lent. This explains the practice of some families of not eating between meals during Lent, or at least on the Fridays of Lent. 

The important thing in all this is not what we do, but why we do it. We do it, as Jesus says, not to be seen or to impress one another, but as a penance for our sins and for the suffering these sins caused Christ. 

The saddest of all sad things would be to come to the end of Lent without having done one concrete thing to express our sorrow for our sins and to prepare for the celebration of Easter. 

Let’s close by praying these words from the Preface (Lenten II) of today’s Mass: 

“Father… This great season of grace is your gift to your family to renew us in spirit. You give us strength to purify our hearts, to control our desires, and so to serve you in freedom. You teach us how to live in this passing world with our hearts set on the world that will never end.”

Mary our Good Mother, pray for us. 

St Marcellin Champagnat, pray for us. 

St Peter Chanel, pray for us, 

St Mary of the Cross, pray for us.

And may we always remember to pray for one another. 

Thanks from St Vincent de Paul Society