Mission News

Prayers

• For the repose of the soul of Luke Eysele, Father to Cheryl King staff member.
• For all those in our community who have COVID-19 or are recovering from
  COVID-19.
• For those in our community who are unwell or suffering at this time.

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

Reflection

How do we create real change in our community and in the world around us? That’s the key question for anyone who wants to be a “game changer”. For our Marist Game Changers, we go a step further: how do we do that as Marists?

In the celebration of our Sesquicentenary year, 150 years of Marist education, we can situate ourselves in a story much bigger than ourselves. In fact, we look further beyond 150 years, right back to the founding of the Marist Brothers. How does that story go? An Order of Brothers, dedicated to the education of those on the margins of society, with Jesus Christ as the centre. 

Over the course of 200 years, that movement has grown. Beyond just Brothers. Beyond just France. Beyond just education. Growing and evolving to answer the call in our time to make Jesus known and loved. Which brings us to now. How does a student (staff member, family member or supporter) continue that story in our Marist Ashgrove community? 

Well, it has to start with ourselves. Through self-reflection and learning, we grow to appreciate our own gifts. Through empathy and sharing, we learn how to use those gifts at the service of others. Through gathering with others, we grow the confidence to step out of the comfort zone. 

This is what Game Changers offers Marist students. The meetings provide the space for students to explore their beliefs, ideas and values. Retreat days bring our students into contact with students from others Marist schools, facilitating the exchange of experiences between different groups. This culminates in real, concrete action: students who step up even in mundane, everyday moments, helping those around them to feel known and loved.

How can we be a game changing community? This is a question asked frequently in the Gospels, albeit in different forms: where can I get this living water? (Jn 4:1-26) What must I do to gain eternal life? (Mk 10:17-31) Which is the most important commandment? (Mt 22:36-40). As Marists, our answer lies in Mary’s response. She listens first, discerns deeply and goes forth in haste (Lk 1:39) to share this Christlife in her.

Every Saint, every hero, every “game changer” throughout the history of our world began as “just” an individual, searching out their path in life. What made their lives epic was their enduring hope of what the world could be. Game Changers offers the invitation to our students – to all of us – a hope that through our Christian calling, we too could change the world.

Mother Son Evening Eucharist

7:00pm Wednesday 4 May, 2022 - Chapel of Our Lady and St Marcellin 

Mothers, carers and grandmothers are invited to our special Mother Son Mass whereas a Eucharistic community we will gather in prayer and praise for the gift of each other. 

Creator God,

We give thanks for the women who carried us to life, who nurtured us in our infancy, raised us through our childhood and continue to inspire us.  Whether our birth mother, adopted mother, older sister, aunt, grandmother, stepmother, or another woman who has been an invaluable support to us, we return the love they have shown to us. 

We pray for expectant mothers, as they wonder and wait, grant them joy and hope. 

We pray for mothers who have lost a child that their faith may give them hope, and their family and friends provide the consolation and support they need. 

We pray for mothers who have been unable to support their children and have not been able to sustain their families. May they be liberated from the tragedy of their circumstances and find peace in their lives. 

We pray for mothers who have died. May the blessing of eternal life be with them and you our God a source of comfort for those who grieve. 

We pray for those whose desire to be a mother has not been fulfilled, grant them contentment and peace.

We pray that our mothers continue to share in the joy of life and justice proclaimed by Mary, the mother of Jesus.  May we honour the example of mothers by striving always to love others unconditionally.

Mary, our Good Mother, Pray for us.  

Year 12 Retreat Date Claimer 

Wednesday 13 – Friday 15 July, 2022 (Week 1 of Term 3). Information about the Retreat will be sent to Year 12 parents and students via email during Term 2.

Catholic Men’s Breakfast 2022 – Men Alive

Our College Captains, Mission Captain, Boarding Captain and President of St Vincent De Paul, together with College Chaplain, Fr Alatini and Head of Mission, Luke McMahon, attended the Catholic Men’s Breakfast at Tattersalls Club last week to hear an interesting and very inspiring presentation from Brisbane’s new Auxiliary Bishop, Tim Norton svd. Bishop Norton was ordained a Bishop at the end of 2021 and installed in Brisbane earlier this year. 

An Old Boy of Marist College Eastwood in Sydney, Bishop Norton began his working life as a physiotherapist. A range of encounters and experiences through his school years and during his 20s found him drawn ever more intensely to the person of Jesus Christ. St Vincent De Paul visits whilst at school, doing physio work on prisoners at Pentridge Prison, an immersion to India when he was 21 during which he met Mother Teresa, work on the Night Patrol, were all occasions for Tim to experience what the senior Vinnies conference member told him on his first visit to teenagers in mental institutions – “You’ll find Jesus in there”. 

And as Bishop Tim reflected, that was true then and has been true of so many of the ministries in which he has been involved throughout his life. He worked as a Priest for 13 years amongst the poor in Mexico, as Provincial of the Divine Word Fathers and in renewal programs for the Priests of the Order. 

As Pope Francis has so often said, our Priests and Bishops need to “have the smell of the sheep about them”. Bishop Tim Norton is a wonderful example of hands-on, pastoral leadership in the spirit of Pope Francis. Welcome to Brisbane Bishop Norton.

MenCONNECT is a local Catholic ministry of men whose goals are to connect with each other and to connect with God. It is aimed to bring men together, to renew their faith in God and to encourage them in their roles as husbands, fathers, brothers etc.

Through our regular gatherings, men are invited to explore what God would want for their lives and how they may come to experience the fullness of life that God wants for us all. We are in our eleventh year of operation and generally meet 4 to 5 times a year.

Although based in the Catholic parish of St John’s Wood/The Gap, menCONNECT seeks to reach beyond our parish boundary to other Catholic parishes and also to other Christian religions.

Next gathering will be held on 14 May at St Peter Chanel School (library room) 41 Chaprowe Road, The Gap with the Br Damien Price as guest speaker. The day starts with a cooked breakfast and concludes by 1:00pm. The cost is $20.00. For further information or to RSVP please contact Mike on 0459 992 228 or the Parish Office 07 3300 6099.

Year 11 and 12 Game Changers Retreat Day 

Year 9 and 10 Game Changers Retreat Day