Mission

On Monday of this week our staff were privileged to attend a day of faith formation at our spiritual home as Marists – The Hermitage in Mittagong. Acquired in 1905, this place was originally used as a Training Centre for young men training to become Marist Brothers. After the Novitiate was transferred to Sydney in 1985, the vacated premises were renamed 'Marist Farmhouse' and used for young adult ministry.

It is our intention that The Hermitage becomes a place where all of our students are able to connect with the Marist story and our particular way of being Catholic. Our senior students already participate in the Year 12 Retreat which takes place at Mittagong in Term 4. We are also hoping to provide opportunities for our Junior School students to travel down and experience this Marist place.

As a Retreat and Spirituality Centre, The Hermitage also offers programmes for adults. Participants are often staff from Marist places, but The Hermitage is and should be a sacred place where all those who are connected to the Marist mission are “at home”. This includes our families. As it reads on their website:

It is a place of spiritual formation and rejuvenation that links the Marist story from past years to the present. It is a place of pilgrimage, inviting all who visit to a wider and deeper appreciation of what it means to be sowers of the Good News nurturing the Church into life, in the way of Mary.

https://www.thehermitage.org.au/

As part of our faith formation experience, the staff reflected on the theme of one wild and precious life through interactions with science, music, art, literature and film. We read some writings of Brian Swimme and Miriam MacGillis and were brought to an understanding that all of us as humans are part of a profoundly inclusive kinship: no matter what being we’re talking about on the planet, we are related. We are related in terms of energy. We’re related in terms of genetics. We’re all in one way or another like a form of kin and that is overwhelming.

Each year Br Robert O’Connor writes a series of reflections to help us as Marists to bring the theme of the year to life. Part 2 in his series of reflections follows. As a staff we will continue to reflect and respond to the question what are you going to do with your one wild and precious life. We also hope to continue to support our young people on their journey of faith by asking the same question.

As we are now well into the second week of Lent, there is perhaps no better time to do so.

Cathie Clarke

Director of Mission/Religious Education Coordinator