We had a wonderful Mother’s Day event last Friday morning. Almost 400 mums, boys, staff members and other community members gathered in our Chapel and Hall for a moving Mass offered by our Rector, Fr. Chambers. The highlight of the Mass, for me, was a reference Father made in his homily to the pure love Essendon footballer Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti expressed for his mother in a recent media interview. This same quality of love was revealed in all its beauty when boys and their mums had their photos taken together. It was just lovely! Many thanks to our Parents’ Association for their great work in sourcing special gifts for the mums in attendance.
We know, of course, that Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a beloved and pivotal figure in Christian life. In our Australian and Salesian context, it is even more difficult to over-estimate the importance of Mary as she is both Patroness of Australia and the Salesian order. We will be celebrating Mary’s Feast Day at 10.00am on Thursday 20 May with a Whole School Mass. This is a red letter day in our calendar made even more notable by the fact that the Mass will be led by Archbishop Peter Comensoli. Due to the significance of the occasion, we plan to livestream the Mass so that members of our broader community can participate in our celebration from their workplace, home, university etc. Further details about the login detail for the Mass will be forwarded next week.
I find that I am learning a lot in my short stint as Acting Principal. Sometimes, difficult issues arise where I need to learn how to navigate a pathway or traverse an obstacle. More commonly, there are sparkling moments. One such instance occurred first thing on Monday morning. I went into a Year 7 classroom to give a boy his birthday card. The boys were eerily silent as they steeled themselves to begin their first NAPLAN test. I had hoped to pop in and out of the room without causing an interruption. But the boys noticed and, as I left the room, they started to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to their mate. They did it quietly, they did it together, they meant it. Next stop was a Year 12 class where one of our House Leaders had, that day, turned eighteen. I have watched this boy mature over the years into a fine man. It was great to shake his hand and wish him well. Witnessing young boys grow into good and decent men – it doesn’t get better than that. If only the big fella would shave a bit more frequently though …..
Mr Neil Carter
Acting Principal