Prayer and Liturgy

With immense thanks to Almighty God, this year returned to a sense of normality after the past two years of lockdown. With everyone back at school, each morning this year has begun with our community invited to pray the Rosary in the Chapel. This was followed by year level Masses, and then with prayer in each Homeroom.

In February this year, we celebrated Inaugural Mass, which heralds the commencement of our year. During Mass, celebrated in the Provence Centre, we invoked Almighty God’s blessings upon our school year and upon our entire community. During this Mass, Provincial Fr Christian Fini OMI, commissioned College Principal, Dr Paul Shannon, as well as College leaders for this year.

At the start of Lent, we celebrated Ash Wednesday with Liturgy Prefects attending Mass, during which Lenten ashes were blessed. Then, Liturgy Prefects were commissioned to go to their classrooms, conduct a liturgy, and distribute the blessed ashes to each student.

With immense joy, we organised major liturgical celebrations. We celebrated the feast day of St Eugene de Mazenod and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Having been privileged to attend Fr Joshua Nash’s Ordination and his Mass of Thanksgiving, it was great to see him celebrate Assumption Day Mass for the community. During Mass we acknowledged our multicultural community by having the Prayers of the Faithful prayed in some of the languages of our families. Students also participated in a week of meditating upon the Mysteries of the Rosary, in which we invoked our Blessed Mother’s intercession in our lives.

Personally, my highlight was the Mass which celebrated the de Mazenod Family Education Network. Held in the Chapel of the Oblate community in Camberwell, we were joined by the entire Camberwell community, and by representatives from each of our four Oblate colleges in Australia.

Having participated in the first Oblate Education Conference in 1996, and then in others over the years, this Mass certainly epitomised St Eugene de Mazenod’s legacy and Charism throughout the world. We also celebrated a joyous Eucharist in honour of Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and for the Parent and Son Evening. It has been overwhelming to receive so many messages affirming the importance of these Masses in the lives of students and their families. I sincerely thank our Oblates of Mary Immaculate, students, families, and staff for their generosity in agreeing to participate in the readings, Prayers of the Faithful and music for these Masses.

As we support one another in prayer and in liturgies, we remind ourselves that we all form the body of Christ on earth. We extend thanks to our Oblate Fathers for the gift of their priestly ministry to us all and the community for sharing in our desire to worship, and give praise and thanks to our loving God.

Praised be Jesus Christ and Mary Immaculate. May St Eugene de Mazenod intercede for us all. Tina Giacco