Newsletter 8: 13 June 2023

Dear Colleagues,

As one of the great spiritual families of the Church, each June 6th, Marists around the globe celebrate the life and legacy of the Founder of the Little Brothers of Mary, St Marcellin Champagnat. As contemporary custodians of a particular style of educating and a living spirituality there is great joy in recalling the life of St Marcellin as an inspiration for us today. Celebrating the extraordinary life of this French country pastor is an occasion for each of us to reflect on his life, vision and his deep faith in Jesus Christ, and in doing so to be re-inspired by this saint for the whole Church. We hope that the celebrations of this year’s Champagnat Day were a great occasion in your school and a chance to recall with great gratitude those Marists who have inspired us and those today who continue to animate Marist life.

It is also customary in most schools to recognise those students and staff who exhibit the qualities we treasure in our Marist communities. These ‘Champagnat Awards’ or perhaps ‘Marcellin Medallions’ are tangible ways to affirm students and staff who help us all to recognise the foundational characteristics that give our schools that distinctly Marist ‘flavour.’ Congratulations to award recipients and thanks to school leaders and staff for the many creative ways that the characteristics and qualities of Marist life are affirmed and promoted to young people in our schools. Moreover, in the 56 Marist schools across the nation, 186 women and men were recognised for milestones in their years of service to Catholic education in the Marist tradition.

This year we also celebrated the centenary of Catholic education in the Marist tradition at Marcellin College Randwick. Former student of the College, Bishop David Walker was the principal celebrant for the Eucharist at St Mary’s Cathedral on Champagnat Day. Bishop Walker’s homily provided an encouragement to all involved in the work of Marist education to take Jesus’ image of the Good Shepherd as our guide. This great celebration was complimented by the unveiling of the most beautiful statue of the Marist graduate that now greets anyone entering the gates of this century old school. Congratulations to the Marcellin community and especially to Mark Woolford, Principal, on a wonderful celebration.

In Avis, Leçons, Sentences, addressing the first Marist Brothers, Marcellin is quoted to say that the teacher,

“should present himself as a living gospel, in which each student can read how to live in order to imitate Jesus Christ and be a good Christian.”

Having celebrated Champagnat Day 2023 we give thanks for the generations of women and men who have been living gospels for each of us and we re-commit ourselves to be, in our time and place, living gospels for the young people in our care today.