Mazenodian magazine - December 2021

MAZENODIAN A PUBLICATION FOR THE COMMUNITY AND FRIENDS OF MAZENOD COLLEGE ISSUE 2 • VOLUME 32 • DECEMBER 2021

ALUMNI OFFICE

FROM LOGES DESK Moments that move you. Not just those everyday moments, but those that reset your compass and make you reflect on who you want to be.

Moment 1 - Connections: Reunions. An ex-student expressing how much he loved his time at the College some 20 years ago and what it gave him transitioning into the real world. The memory of the teachers and the support made him emotional, and he wanted to reach out to a few staff to say hello and thank them again. Reminds me that every interaction we have with our students is important and life shaping.

Moment 2 - Support: Old Boys Memorial Mass. Watching incredible people, no, feeling these incredible people look at their sons, brothers frozen in time on a photo display during the Mass, as they continue to grow old. The same incredible people trying to find the strength to get out of the car to attend the Mass knowing it will bring back painful memories, but they must be present to preserve the memory of their loved one. Such strength for one parent came from seeing other parents walking to the College Chapel carrying the same pain, burden with them. Inspiring, heartbreaking, and inside you are embarrassed at your own worries that dwindle into insignificance.

This is a wonderful community to be a part of. Well done to MOBA for creating these moments for connection and support of one another.

PLEASE KEEP IN TOUCH We welcome all former students, parents, friends and staff to renew their association with the College and update their contact details.

Let us know where you are these days and what you are doing in your family and working lives. Please email info@mobwa.com.au or if you are an Old Boy and would like to become a member of the MOB go online to www.mobwa.com.au and download the membership form.

Alternatively, you can telephone Jeremy Logan on (08) 9291 1500.

Enjoy the following pages full of support, reconnecting and good memories.

Email addresses are very important to

Jeremy Logan (87) Old Boys Liaison Officer

method.

us, as most communication is via this

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Welcome to this edition of the Mazenodian. Semester Two has moved so quickly and the end of the year is clearly in sight. It has been another great semester where our students have shown a commitment to our core values - Respect & Dignity, Courage & Passion, Compassion & Charity and Personal Excellence. This edition of the Mazenodian covers a variety of the pursuits of our students and staff. As always, it is so heartening to read of the activities of our Mazenod Old Boys as they strive to continue pursuing personal excellence. I hope you enjoy reading the Mazenodian.

Mr Andrew Watson Principal

HOT OFF THE PRESS On the nights of Wednesday 17 and Tuesday 18 November, I had the pleasure of attending the graduation recitals for Jordan Boase (vocals) and Ben Shelley (drums) both from the Class of 2017, at the Ellington Jazz club.

Both boys blew the audience away with their improvement and finesse. Jordan’s velvet tones led us down the R&B/soul path while Ben, ever the technician, explored an intellectualised interpretation of modern jazz drumming. There were also some other Old Boys who featured on both evenings with Camryn Thomason (Sax - 2018) and Finn Owen (Sax - 2017) in many of the eight recitals including the recital of our drum tutor, Ben Stacy.

Congratulations to both Jordan and Ben, you are a credit to the Mazenod spirit.

Mr Sam Graham Coodinator of Music

QCE AWARDS Welcome to My Country is a Mazenod podcast created in conjunction with our Mazenod students and staff to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for NAIDOC 2021. The project commenced through discussions with the Year 12 Aboriginal boarding students about a podcast conversing about Country and the NAIDOC theme: Heal Country. The senior students were eager to share their experiences and culture with the community, in their own words.

The exhilaration after the initial podcast was created in July and released through Spotify, saw more students willing and eager to sit down during their lunch times to discuss Country, Culture, Mob and legacy.

The engagement and reception from students, staff, families, and the wider College community, saw the podcast featured by Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) news in July, impressed with the students’ ability to educate the wider community through their lived experiences. Excitement continued for the students as the podcast exploded, reaching around the globe with audiences from Australia, the United States, Singapore, Italy, New Zealand, Germany, the United Kingdom, Egypt and Norway.

The College chose to enter the Welcome to My Country podcast into the 2021 Quality Catholic Education (QCE) Awards. The QCEs recognise programs and initiatives in Catholic schools across Western Australia that support CEWA’s vision of providing Christ-centred, student-focused, engaged learning environments, whilst celebrating the

remarkable efforts and dedication of Catholic school communities, staff and students across our state.

The podcast was entered into the Community pillar of the QCEs, which is centred on the mission of Catholic schools to provide inclusive and welcoming communities where the diverse needs of all students are supported and where partnerships with parents are valued.

A Gala Breakfast was held on Friday 15 October at the Crown Towers for Catholic Colleges showcasing initiatives, with presentations from the Director of Catholic Education, Dr Debra Sayce and the Minister of Education and Training, Sue Ellery MLC. It is with immense pride that Mazenod College was announced the winning entry for the Community pillar of the QCE Awards, beating 31 other contenders. This award is a testament to the amazing Aboriginal students who bravely and passionately spoke of their culture and lives. It challenged our non-indigenous students’ perspectives resulting in reflective thinking about how groups express their identities and come to understand how group belonging influences perceptions of others. Furthermore, the award recognises Mazenod College’s fervent commitment to creating a community where all feel valued, respected and loved by God and celebrating this for all to hear.

Editor’s Note: Congratulations to our Head of Diversity, Ms Beth Murphy whose idea and work the Welcome to My Country podcast was. Beth was assisted in the program by Mr Brad Gardner and Mr Sam Graham. An outstanding initiative that also showcased the passion of our staff.

MAZENOD MISSION DAY 2021 Mazenod was blessed with a beautiful sunny day for our Mazenod Mission Day on Friday 13 August.

The day started well with a whole school Mass to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our Mazenod Oblates, Fr McMahon OMI and Fr Ousley OMI, were joined in celebrating the Mass by Fr John Sebastian OMI from St Patrick’s Parish in Fremantle. Fr McMahon, in his homily, encouraged us to make a place for Mary in our daily lives and hearts, and this was brought home by a rousing version of Paul McCartney’s “Let it Be” by the choir at the end of Mass.

For a number of weeks, staff and students had been planning their stalls. There were 29 stalls in all, including the dunk tank, milk shakes, chase the ace, bacon and pancakes, choc pong, pulled pork and many more. The boys came well prepared with

dollars to spend, so much so that they managed to raise $12,456. This is a fantastic total, over $3000 more than the previous year. Combined with the donation envelopes from families, the final total raised for the Oblate Missions this year was $21,500.

Thank you to all those families who generously supported this year’s Mazenod Mission Day. The funds raised this year are going to support the Indian Province of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate with their ongoing work to help the poor through the COVID-19 pandemic. This will be done by our donations providing food and healthcare as well as school fee relief to some of the most marginal people that the Oblates in India support.

Mr Damian Wallis Director of Faith and Mission

COFFEE ANYONE? At Mazenod we are always looking for ways to value-add to boys’ education. Many of our students work in hospitality or look to work in the area while they are at school, or in Year 13 as they commence further education. To help facilitate this, we purchased a coffee cart, gave it a new paint job and with the input of the community, we christened it the U Bean coffee cart. The goal of the U Bean coffee cart is to help provide students with skills and experience to assist them with future job applications. So far, the U Bean coffee cart has made appearances at the House Athletics Carnival, early morning student drop off and for staff events.

A significant number of students have expressed interest in being trained. Initially the training will be conducted with our own students but eventually this will lead to an industry recognised Barista qualification.

Thanks to the Mazenod College Parent Association for helping fund the purchase of the coffee cart, we know it will receive a lot of usage for years to come.

Mr Mike Buselich VET Coordinator

EAGLES CUP 2021 The Western Australian Football Commission (WAFC), Year 8/9 School Boys Cup (Waalitj Division) is the premier interschool competition for boys in WA. The state’s top football schools play home and away games across the metropolitan area. Currently known as the Eagles Cup, the last time the College won this competition was back in 2001. This year the team was coached by Mr Brad Gardner, Head of Year 10, and Mr Liam Mallon, Head of Year 9.

It was a very successful season with the team reaching the Grand Final.

The start of the season saw Mazenod College defeat traditional rivals, CBC Fremantle, 56 to 11, with many of the midfield players leading from the front. Round Two, saw the team record an easy 65 to 15, home ground win against Emmanuel Catholic College. The confidence of the team was growing, and the momentum flowed into Round Three with the team claiming it’s third victory, beating Darling Range Sports College by 37 points at Darling Range. The team finished off the regular season with a tight four point victory against a very good Comet Bay side, in front of a packed crowd at Fr Mackintosh oval. The team finished on top of the ladder and with a win in the first qualifying final were guaranteed a spot in the grand final.

Mazenod hosted the first qualifying final against Churchlands Senior High School. After a tight start the team put in a very strong performance with 22 solid contributors. The boys were very eager to make it through to the grand final and they eventually pulled away from the opposition, defeating Churchlands 57 to 23, to earn their spot in the Grand Final.

After some delays due to COVID-19, it was decided by the WAFC that the game could not be played before an AFL match but would be played at the home of the West Coast Eagles, Minerals Resources Park. The game would be against Governor Stirling Senior High School, a highly touted Specialist AFL Program school.

Our boys were going in undefeated, excited and confident.

The game lived up to all expectations and it was a brilliant display of tough and fair football from both sides. Mazenod controlled the flow of the game early in the first half but could not convert this dominance to points on the scoreboard.

Governor Stirling then made the most of their chances to pull the game’s result into their favour, and eventually kicked away into the second half and won the game by four goals.

Despite not going home with the flag, the boys should be proud of their performance and the way they showed great character in defeat. Joshua Mason was named Mazenod’s Best on Ground on Grand Final day as well as throughout the season. All students who were a part of the Eagles Cup squad should be very proud of the season that they have had, and we look forward to seeing their progress in their senior years at the College.

Thank you to the parents, teachers and students who came along to barrack for the boys throughout the season.

Mr Brad Gardner and Mr Liam Mallon

OLD BOYS’ STORIES

DEAN NEWTON (91) Any personal news you would like to share?

I am very happily married to Natalie (nee O’Hart – SBC 1992). Natalie and I married in 1999 and moved to our first home together in South Perth but with the family on its way in 2002 we outgrew our little townhouse and moved to Karrinyup. It wasn’t long before more space was required, and we opportunistically moved to our now family home of 12 years in Lesmurdie, which is not far from our teenage homes. We have four children Holly (19), Joshua (17), Xavier (14) and Imogen (12) We all love our sports and activities. I play hockey in the winter, followed by two summer hockey stints between October and March. I also play cricket for Lesmurdie Mazenod Cricket Club. The most wonderful thing about these sports is that I get to play them with the boys. A window of opportunity appeared where the notion of playing competitively seemed tolerable to Josh and Xavier. I hope to be able to keep this going as long as possible as being on the field with them is a true highlight for me.

What is your current job and what does it involve?

I’m currently working as a Director for the State Government, specifically in Regional Development, where I develop projects and programs that are aimed at assisting WA’s regional economies grow.

An example of this is what we call the Local Content Program. The State Government spends $8.4 billion a year and our regional towns and cities would employ more people, have stronger economies and be more resilient communities if regional businesses were able to win a greater share of government expenditure in the regions. Our job is to provide businesses with access to these tender and procurement activities, as well as convince big agencies that it’s a good thing to do.

Did you go straight into this career, or has it been a journey?

For me, I love the career journey. I enjoy the variety and abundance of possibilities we are privileged to have in this country. Sure, there have been themes in my career, such as property development,

community building and economic development, but the idea of spending 10 or 20 years in the same job or system never appealed to me, so I have had quite a few jobs.

As I write this, I’m reflecting on my current situation, where I’m considering the predominantly buoyant economy and labour market conditions, and I’m looking at taking on a new challenge after five years in this role…. the journey continues.

Could you highlight any career achievements?

Something that has developed as a key professional motivator and increased my sense of self value and purpose, has been ensuring that I’m using my skills and experiences in a way that improves social and community wellbeing. So, it is easy to say that my career highlight to date, was when working in Broome for the traditional owners, the Yawuru people.

Roebuck Plains Station (275,000 ha) was the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the federal government’s pastoral portfolio. It was a privilege to lead the negotiations, on behalf of the Yawuru community, in a transaction that saw ownership of Pastoral Lease transferred to the Yawuru corporate entity while extracting maximum commercial value from the government as the ‘tenant’. My motivation to be successful in this mission came directly from the community. On several occasions I was privileged to be taken onto Country and hear their stories and learn of the significance of the land. Being exposed to the cultural significance of the land as well as the personal journeys of community members, was a life changing experience that I carry with me always.

Can you reflect back at your time as a student at Mazenod and share something that you learnt that has had an influence on your life and/or career?

The late Fr Patrick Dwyer showed me compassion and gave me a chance, by allowing me to even attend Mazenod. I won’t elaborate further on this, other than to say that my formative years were a little troubling at times.

Mr Jeff Ronan, although not apparent to me at the time, delivered excellent discipline, with surgical precision that kept me on the relative straight and narrow. Fr McMahon, on countless occasions, was and still is I must add, there to listen and guide me with the wisest of counsel on pressing life issues. The work of the Oblates and caring staff of Mazenod have instilled values in me that I sincerely hope are present in my work and family.

Is there anything else you would like to share with current Mazenod students?

‘All work and no play make Jack a dull boy!’

Find a healthy balance between getting the grades you need, while staying socially and physically fit.

TRAVIS FROMONT (17) I am currently in my second year studying Civil and Construction Engineering at Curtin University.

If there is one thing that I learnt as a student is that mistakes or failures don’t define you as a person unless you let them. Everyone makes mistakes in life and these can present unique opportunities for growth. If you do make a mistake or fail, don’t let it bring you down or control your perspective, learn from it and push yourself so that next time you can accomplish more and hopefully succeed.

As a student at Mazenod, take as many opportunities/tasks/subjects given or presented to you during your secondary education. The more you explore areas of life or study that interest you, the more likely you are to discover who you are or want to become. Also be willing to try new things and take risks and leave your comfort zone as you may discover a passion for something you didn’t realise you would like.

FRANS BROUWER (73) I was rather flattered when Jeremy Logan invited me to give career advice, especially after my effort in the July 2020 Mazenodian. He could have rung two other engineers from the very first graduating class in 1971 (50 years ago!) – David Robinson (CEO of McConnell Dowell), and Matt Duxbury (Western Power and later contracting and consulting). Or he could have picked high-flyers from my class two years later – Michael Patroni (architect), Chris Nichols (obstetrician), Phil Duxbury (physicist) and Shane Colquhoun (performing arts). Perhaps he was after ordinary to make you all study harder.

I became an electrical engineer, but never a great one. On the other hand, I was lucky enough to be heavily involved at the forefront of technological change, and expansion of the Victorian transmission network. So educated people can always find a satisfying career at whatever level suits them.

Be prepared for change. My school year level was born in 1956 and saw plenty of it. Decimal currency arrived in 1966; we learnt imperial and metric units together in Science A and B before metrication arrived in the early 1970s; and maths tables (log and trig) and graphs improved on pencil and paper.

I started engineering at the Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT), which is now Curtin University, in 1974 and bought an expensive engineering slide rule before tossing it aside when HP35 and HP45 hand-held calculators arrived in mid-year; and we wrote our computer programs, had them punched on paper cards, and the computers spat them back.

Telex machines communicated overnight with Sweden when I arrived in Melbourne in 1981 to work for ASEA (now ABB); I joined the SECV in 1987 (soon to become one of the first disaggregations and privatizations of a utility in the world); was allocated my first PC the following year – with a floppy drive instead of a hard disk; and my first return flight Melbourne to Perth in late 1981 (under the 2-airline policy) cost $630!!!

PS: Vale Father Mackintosh – one of the best things he did when he came in as Rector in my last year was to grab a hat, punch a hole through it, and declare that they were banned for evermore. Tigers back to back in 1973/74, and back to back when he departed 2019/20. Interesting!

JEREMY PAYET (04) What is your current job title and what does it involve?

Environmental Advisor – Mining. Core duties include but are not limited to groundwater and surface water monitoring and management, land use/ clearing assessments, contamination assessments, weed control mapping, vegetation assessments, feral animal control, consultant support, workplace environmental inspections, waste control, mining licence compliance, annual emissions and monitoring data reporting.

Any other personal news you would like to share.

Travelled around Europe and Asia in my younger years, backpacking and being a bit of a vagrant.

Recently had a camping trip from Perth all the way to Kununurra which was amazing to see how vast the state of WA is.

Currently my partner is stuck in Switzerland, but am unmarried and my only dependant would be my dog Nico a four-year-old Border Collie. I am living in WA and happy to be here in the best state of Australia.

I spent nine years as a Contaminated Land Consultant, with the last 3-4 years in the mining game. Career highlights would have to be some of the endangered Night Parrot monitoring down at the Fortescue Marsh, which is 105 kilometres long and the biggest ephemeral wetland in the Pilbara.

Can you reflect back at your time as a student/ teacher at Mazenod and share one thing that you learnt that has had an influence on and/or career.

The greatest lesson I took away from my time at Mazenod would have to be around mateship. The bonds developed between friends during those challenging years have lasted thus far and I am sure will continue well into the rest of my life. I learnt that no good deed goes unnoticed and investing some of your time in your mates, whether you know them well or not, means a hell of a lot to them and chances are this is likely to be reciprocated at times when you need them most. For me, this has forged long term friendships, even if after many years you realise you’re just a bunch of goofballs.

Thinking about your time in Mazenod College, is there something you could share with current students that may help them on their journey through secondary school?

My biggest message to current students would be not to stress if you don’t know what you want to be in life, or where you are going. Life is an interesting journey that will take you in many different directions.

If you put effort into your work and studies, and even your hobbies you will find that you will attract like-minded people and be heading in a direction that makes you happy. Even when the times are tough, keep moving forward, you will get to where you want to be eventually. Also, try not to burn bridges, you never know when you might have to call on the help of someone.

If there is anything else you would like to include?

Be nice to your teachers, they are people too. Weird people, but they have your best interests at heart!

JONATHAN WILLIAMSON (04) What is your current job title and what does it involve? If studying, what are you currently studying towards I am currently a journalist (or, as it is commonly called ‘a hack’ - which also succinctly sums up my footy skills) based in Oslo, Norway. I work for a news company called Norway Today which is the largest English based news website in Norway. I have a weekly column and also report mostly on news, politics, current affairs and culture.

Any other personal news you would like to share.

After leaving Mazenod I studied at Curtin University.

I have a double degree in Bachelor of Social Sciences, majoring in History and a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in International Business and Management.

As I came to the end of my degree, the Norwegian girl I was seeing at the time was heading back to Norway as her student visa had expired. So, after

graduation I took the plunge and moved to Norway.

I have been living in Oslo since 2011 and loved every single moment of it. Although, I must admit that the cultural shock was much more than I expected.

Norway is a safe, small and great country to live in however the winters are long and extremely cold.

I went to Tabian Clough’s (04) wedding in Hermsillo, Mexico in 2016 and met a Mexican girl who was visiting her hometown from New York. Long story short, after spending much of 2018 flying from Oslo to New York, we got married, in Oslo in 2019 and we are expecting a baby in February 2022.

Can you reflect back at your time as a student/ teacher at Mazenod and share one thing that you learnt that has had an influence in your life and/or career.

As Norway is very much a country that prides equity and egalitarianism, there are almost no private schools here. Most children attend government run kindergartens, primary and secondary schools. I must admit that my Norwegian friends find it slightly bewildering that I went to an all boys boarding school and had to wear a uniform every day. I really think that this is a bit of a loss for Norwegian society. I think no one is more surprised than me, that I truly cherish my years at Mazenod. The sense of community that Mazenod instils coupled with the structure that teenagers actually need, regardless of what they say, helped set me on the right path for life.

Mrs Byford’s English Literature classes helped fuel my thirst for the English language, it gave me a solid foundation for the writing and the analysis needed for my job. A huge hats off to Mr Magro for his Human Biology classes. It was very evident he was passionate about sharing his knowledge to us all.

His patience with us all and warmth made studying the subject interesting and fun. I can’t claim to have

used much of the knowledge gained in this class yet, but I can still remember that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.

Thinking about your time at Mazenod College, is there something you could share with the current students that may help them on their journey through secondary school?

Contrary to popular belief, high school is not a matter of life and death. Given the rise of social media there is even more pressure on kids today, which was not there when I was at Mazenod. I think you need a sense of perspective in high school to deal with the good and the bad. One failed test will not ruin your life and one good test doesn’t make you the next Einstein. What worked for me was using high school to set good standards and practices, and discover what the bad ones were, to get rid of them for the rest of my life. Study hard but enjoy your time there. Many of you will want to grow up quickly, become adults and get into the world. This time will come soon enough even if it feels an age away on a Tuesday afternoon during Maths. I would strongly recommend enjoying your time and learn. Learn as much knowledge as you can but also use high school to learn about who you are, what you like and who you would like to be when you enter the adult world.

Is there anything else you would like to include.

There are a million stories I have to tell but most are probably best left to when most of the current readers turn 18. For now, I’ll leave you with a few memories of mine: Mr Payne circling the school yard, like a shark, looking for socks not pulled up, top buttons undone, and shirts untucked. Mr Lumbus treating all of us with a backflip or two, to celebrate the end of a school week on Friday afternoons.

Rumour has it he will come out of retirement to be the Docker’s mascot again when they get into a Grand Final…might be a bit of a wait though…

OLD BOYS GOLF DAY St Eugene worked his magic to give us glorious weather for the annual Mazenod Old Boys Golf Open on Monday 23 August. We had roughly 85 people take part, with a wide variety of Mazenod community members and Old Boys playing.

The day was extra special due to the painting of a tree as part of the “Blue Tree Project”. This initiative is to raise awareness of mental health and to help males have open and helpful discussions. The Old Boys have also arranged for a plaque to be placed next to the tree. This was coordinated and orgainsed by committee member and Old Boy, Andrew Ross (96).

As groups passed they were able to add a bit of paint and finish off the tree.

It was a close contest this year with a draw occurring for first place. The group with the best raw score

off the stick was last year’s champions – the Bewick Team. However, after the random handicap generator, the following teams got final placings: 3rd: Dean and Damo 71.8 2nd: Douthie/Payne group on 72.6 1st: Jay Critch Team and Cooper Boyd Team on 67 each.

Thank you to the Mazenod Old Boys, Mike and Harry Fernando and Greg Roberts, KPFP Financial Planning for sponsoring the event. Thanks also to Liam Mallon (06) and Mr Tim Grabski for their assistance, and for all those who participated on the day.

Mr John Keogh (04) MOB President

1ST XVIII V OLD BOYS MENS MENTAL HEALTH MATCH Friday 17 September Fr Ian Mackintosh Oval Conditions: Slight easterly breeze with slightly overcast. Feeling in the air – Electric!

The stage was set for a classic MOB v Students footy match. The Old Boys had won the last few and were eager to cement their position as a powerful side not to be reckoned with. However, with the students fresh from a heart wrenching grand final loss – they were clearly hungrier. The game was tightly contested for most of the play with the Old Boys putting in the hard yards during the dying minutes

– even with a snap attempt at goal during the last seconds. However, it was not to be with the 1st XVIII boys winning by five points. Well done to all those involved. The MOB look forward to 2022!

Coach: Adrian Conti (87) (MOB) Regan Hill (Students) Best Player: Tom Amos(15) Regan Cole Mr John Keogh (04) MOB President

MOB SUMMARY

MAZENOD OLD BOYS PRESIDENT’S REPORT A warm welcome to the second Mazenodian for the year. I hope you are enjoying the final months of the year as we begin to enter the ‘silly season’ and end of year events.

For the most part, this year has seen a return to ‘normality’ as we have effectively been able to hold all the events we wanted. All except the big celebration of the Mazenod Old Boys being an official association for over a decade. This event is slotted to occur around the middle of next year. We eagerly await with anticipation!

As always, the following pages have amazing stories of what our graduates have been up to. Their various involvements and contributions to their families and communities is always inspiring and great to see.

True to the “Mazza Spirit”, the values taught to us at Mazenod are truly present in our various communities.

Again this year, the Mazenod Old Boys committee has been mindful of the importance of men’s mental health. For the second time running we promoted men’s mental health through reference to RUOK? Day at the MOB Footy match. As always, we took one minute’s silence with the players to remember

all Old Boys who have passed. At our Golf Day we had player groups add blue paint to a tree down in Hartfield Golf Course, as part of the Blue Tree Project. A plaque will be installed at the tree by the end of this year too.

The Old Boys committee also created, in partnership with the school, a ‘13th Year’ event where the 2020 cohort was invited back for pizza and drinks to talk about their successes, challenges, and just general reflections from the first six months out of school.

It was received quite well with about a third of the cohort attending.

This year we held a general catch up for MOB members at the Empire Bar in May. We had approximately 50 Old Boys attend, with year groups from the 1980s through to last year’s cohort. It was a great event and allowed a lot of people to catch up and see what others were up to.

Recently, we held the ever important Old Boys Memorial Mass for deceased Old Boys. This annual Mass is a very special and moving experience for all involved. Thank you to Fr Oulsey OMI and Fr McMahon OMI for celebrating this Mass.

In a similar fashion, the memorial Mass held in March for Fr Ian Mackintosh OMI was a very special one. We were lucky enough to have Fr Christian Fini OMI, Provincial of the Oblates for Australia, fly over and celebrate Mass here in WA. It was a very special event with many Old Boys from the 1970s and 1980s returning to the College – some for the first time since they left.

As always – please ‘like’ or ‘follow’ our Facebook or Instagram pages for updates, or update your email address by contacting our School Liaison Officer – Mr Jeremy Logan (87). He does a wonderful job on strengthening the link between the MOB and the College and improving the stature of the MOB. To our newest members, the class of 2021 – Congratulations – “Welcome to the club’. I hope and pray you enjoy your newfound freedom and contribute to the various endeavours you set out in. Remember – you are not alone – and you will always have a place back at Mazenod. Please keep in contact and pop into the College to say hello. I look forward to seeing you at some of our events or taking part in the ‘13th Year’ events for 2022.

I thank the 2021 MOB committee for their work over the course of the year and wish to extend a special thanks to Chris Lowery (87) for his service on the committee. Thank you to our current committee members for your work over the year – Liam Staltari (12), Sean Cameron (82), Bob Huston (78), Leo Conti (82), Jeremy Logan (87), Chris Mason (01), Liam Mallon (06), Andrew Ross (96), Sean Marriot (03), Adrian Conti (87), Iggy Moro (87) and Sebastian Fiolo (89) – your work and dedication is always appreciated, and I thank you for all that you do for the “MOB”.

Finally thank you to all the MOB members, supporters, and College community for the support of the MOB throughout the year. While we have had our challenges, I think we have shown great community spirit. Thank you.

I extend to you all a warm and holy Christmas and a restful and enjoyable break with family and friends.

Looking forward to seeing you at a future MOB event in 2022.

John Keogh (04) MOB President

Front Row: Basil Conti (83), Leo Conti (82), Bob Huston - Secretary(78), John Keogh - President (04), Sean Cameron - Treasurer (82), Jeremy Logan (87). Second Row: Adrian Conti (87), Liam Mallon (06), Iggy Moro (87), Sebastian Fiolo (89), Chris Mason (01), Chris Lowry (83).

Absent: Liam Staltari – Vice-President (12) Sean Marriot (83)

55 Gladys Rd, LESMURDIE WA 6076 T: (08) 9291 1500 F: (08) 9291 6711 E: oblate@mazenod.wa.edu.au www.mazenod.wa.edu.au