12/02/2025
On Friday 7 February, the whole College community came together at the Quaycentre, Sydney Olympic Park, to celebrate the start of a new school year through the Holy Eucharist.
Our College Chaplain, Fr Jack Evans, concelebrated the Mass with Fr Tom Stevens, Parish Priest of St Patrick’s Mortlake.
At the beginning of proceedings, our new Year 5 students were welcomed on to the stage by their Year 12 House Prefect, before passing through a guard of honour formed by their Year 12 brothers. They then gathered together in the seats for the remainder of the Mass.
College Captain, George Lahoud, and Inclusive Community Prefect, Michael Bridge, introduced this year’s scriptural theme chosen by the student leaders: ‘Friends love you like a sister or brother – they are born to give support during adversity.’
(Proverbs 17:17), and outlined the EREA Touchstone focus for the year, Inclusive Community; both central themes for our Mass.
In his Homily, Fr Tom talked of what it means to be someone who steps out of their comfort zone to lead and ensure a better and more inclusive world for others. He talked of our moral imperative to care for the other and ensure no one is left behind, noting examples of where this doesn’t happen in our world. Fr Tom also reminded all of us how we belong to a community and need to ensure a place for all.
The readings, prayers and hymns all looked at how we need to be a place of welcome and how we are to include rather than exclude. We sang ‘All Are Welcome’, ‘For Everyone Born (a Place at the Table)’ and ‘Come As You Are’ to show that no matter who you are, you belong with us. The College Orchestral Ensemble and Choir lead the music for the Mass beautifully. As one community we also connected mind and body through movement to the Yirrmal song, Mayangan, showing we reach out our hands to make this a better land together.
Following Mass, the whole community celebrated the academic achievements of the Class of 2024; the whole day bringing together our two great missions – faith and education.
