In week 2, we gathered as a whole school community to celebrate and pray together at our Commencement mass. The mass gave us all the opportunity to seek God’s blessings for the year ahead and to be grateful for the many blessings we have.

Our sincere thanks to Bishop Columba Macbeth Green, the Bishop of our Wilannia Forbes Diocese for leading our mass and for his leadership and support of our community.

In addition to welcoming our new students and staff to the college, an important ritual occurs during this mass. Saint Marcellin Champagnat, the founder of the Marist Brothers had a practice of placing the names of Marist Brothers in a brass heart when they left for their ministry as teachers.

This practice was a great faith statement of St Marcellin, and was in the loving spirit of Jesus and Mary, who radiate care and protection. With that same spirit, we place the names of all students and staff of the Red Bend Catholic College community into our Brass Heart.

The practice of placing the names of special people in a heart and dedicating them to Jesus and Mary has been fondly adopted by Marist Schools and Communities all over the world.  The names will remain in the heart for the year ahead, and the heart is located in the front office foyer below Marcellin’s image. Each week at our College assemblies, the Brass Heart forms parts of the entrance procession, reminding us that our community is held in the sacred hearts of Jesus and Mary.