Our Community Award recipient is Mr John Stubbings. This gentleman has always put the needs of the students first but with the provision of sensible, safe opinion as to the financial implications. He has provided dispassionate, clearheaded advice, quiet reflection, considered opinion, and sound advice to the Trustees. He has never sought the limelight in this essential service but always given honest, substantive opinions about what the financial implications of any college developments might be. This recipient has been an outstanding contributor for 25 years to the financial development of the College with his membership of the College Foundation, including time as Chair as well as a member of the College Finance Council. While he may be not be readily known to our student body, the work this recipient has done has enriched the lives of the students and staff over many years and assisted in the development of Marist College Ashgrove. Our first Champagnat Award went to a member of the broader Marist community. We congratulate these recipients and I share a little of their story. Traditionally, we have also recognised members of the Marist College Ashgrove family who have lived the attributes that Marcellin Champagnat exhibited himself - a member of our community, a staff member and to a Year 12 student. Today at our Champagnat College Mass, we recognised staff who have given long-standing generous service to the College. God of the Journey, may Marist College Ashgrove be a place where the Marist spirit abounds - a place of love, where we authentically live the Gospels, share our faith and bring Christ’s message to birth. We, as Marists, should be Mary to the world – bringing Christ to birth by our actions and voice. Champagnat believed that love would bring the church and its people back to life – love conquers death. When he died, he was surrounded by his Brothers and he told them, “you must love them and love them all equally”. In the times of the French Revolution, when the Church was fractured and discredited, Champagnat emphasised love as a means of overcoming ill-will. Marcellin reminds us that “Mary is helping us, and this is enough.” In the same breath, Marcellin had Mary as his strong role-model as it was Mary who brought Christ to birth as we are expected to also bring Christ to birth in our lives. As a result, the importance of education, of witnessing Christ through our actions and educating young people in the faith within the Catholic School context, has become even more important today. There is no doubt that our society has become more secular and young people less educated in relation to the Christian faith, particularly within the churched family. One of the earliest pieces of wisdom Marcellin shared with the Brothers was, “You are Gospel workers, and it is up to all of us to be living the Gospels as you might be the only Gospels students read.” This statement was true for the southern country areas of France post the French Revolution, but this statement has also become a relevant message to our educators today. Marist College Ashgrove is part of a worldwide educational system – some 80 countries, 40,000 staff and 500,000 students, including 54 establishments in Australia. The Marists set up their first school in 1872 at The Rocks in Sydney, marking the sesquicentenary in 2022. There are many writings and reflections of St Marcellin Champagnat which enables us to understand and remain authentic to his vision of Catholic education in France and around the world, including Australia and Ashgrove (1940). The boys and the Marist family celebrated this feast day today, with a College Mass, awards, celebratory lunch, games and theatre sports. St Marcellin Champagnat was a priest in Southern France who established an order of Brothers in 1817 creating educational opportunities for young people in that rural area. Some of the Marist old boy Wallabies should feel very at home at this location. This is where it all started for Marist education. Saint-Etienne is just 10 minutes drive south of the Hermitage which Marcellin Champagnat and his Brothers built at St Chamond. Secondly, the Wallabies were given three options for their World Cup base and decided on Saint-Etienne, the small city where they will play their second and fourth pool matches, against Fiji and a qualifier, at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. What do the Wallabies and Marists have in common? Firstly, Marist schools like St Joseph’s Hunter’s Hill, Marist Ashgrove have produced 71 Wallabies between them.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |