August 2025 news

Deer Park visitors

Led by their principal, Armando Gagliardi, nine staff members of St Peter Chanel’s primary school, Deer Park, Victoria, visited Villa Maria monastery precinct on Aug 28. The school in Melbourne’s western suburbs was once in the pastoral care of the Marist Fathers in St Paul’s parish, West Sunshine.

Former pastor of St Paul’s, Fr Pius Jones SM, came from Brisbane to host the Deer Park group during their visit which is likely to be followed by annual pilgrimages to local Marist places in Sydney. One important site is the historic St Peter Chanel chapel in the Villa Maria monastery grounds. The group is pictured below during their visit.                              [Aug 31]

Death of Br Kevin Jackson SM

Members of the Australian District of Marist Fathers mourn the sudden passing of Br Kevin Jackson SM, 92, on Aug 29, after sixty-six years as a Marist religious. Br Kevin had recently taken up residence at St Catherine’s Aged Care, Marsfield, NSW, and died peacefully at Royal North Shore hospital at 9.30 pm in the company of fellow Marists from his community of Montbel, Hunters Hill. May he rest in peace.

For a summary of Br Kevin’s life, click here.                            [Aug 30]

Fifty Years of ‘A Founder Speaks’

2025 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the first issue of the landmark Marist publication, ‘A Founder Speaks’, a selection of quotes from Ven Jean-Claude Colin, Founder of the Society of Mary. The book is the work Marist scholar and historian, the late Fr Jean Coste SM, with quotations drawn from the conversations of Fr Colin noted in the Memoirs of one of his early companions, Fr Gabriel-Claude Mayet.

In his introduction Fr Coste comments,‘The aim of this selection is to present in as objective a way as possible the fundamental themes of a man to whom a good number of men and women look as their spiritual master.’ 

Originally in French, ‘A Founder Speaks’ (‘Entretiens Spirituels’) was immediately translated into English and later into Spanish (‘Habla Un Fundador’). It was followed in 1983 by a companion volume, ‘A Founder Acts’, a collection of the reminiscences of Jean-Claude Colin by Fr Mayet.

Commenting on the anniversary one Marist observes: ‘Fr Coste’s introduction to ‘”A Founder Speaks” is itself a fine summary of the early history of Fr Colin and his time as Superior-General’.  In this sesquicentenary year of the death of Fr Colin, Marists are encouraged to return to the foundational inspirations of their Founder.                           [Aug 21]

Muriel Valles’ visit

Bridge Program and Australian Catholic University graduate, Muriel Valles, recently visited the Marists at Hunters Hill spending several days in Sydney en route from Hong Kong to the Thai-Myanmar border where she will take up a teaching position in an international school.

Muriel’s educational journey took a significant step forward in 2013 through the Marist-supported Bridge Program in Thailand’s Mae La refugee camp enabling her access to ACU’s diploma course in Maesot, Thailand. After this she won a scholarship to Hong Kong’s Institute of Education and in 2017 visited Australia as part of a student exchange with the University of Wollongong. While in Sydney Muriel was one of the guests of honour at the Endeavour Australia award ceremony at Sydney’s Government House. 

Muriel attributes much of her success to the support and encouragement of Marists and her participation in the Bridge Program along with the experience of becoming its first local coordinator. The program has assisted over a hundred young Burmese refugees to access tertiary education, employment and resettlement.

During her recent time in Sydney Muriel met with local Marists and fellow Karen refugees. Thank you for your visit, Muriel !                             [Aug 20]

Brothers’ Jubilees

Six Marist Brothers celebrating major anniversaries of religious life were honoured at a Mass and luncheon at St Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill, on Aug 17. They are among a total of fourteen jubilarians from the Sea of the Sea Province of the Marist Brothers, guests of honour at celebrations in various part of Australia.

At the Sydney event were Brs Robert Badior (75 years), Peter Ciezak and Geoffrey Kelly (60 years) and Jeffrey Barrington, Peter Conolly and Tom Chin (50 years).

Congratulations, Brothers!                              [Aug 19] 

Above: The jubilarians renewing their religious vows in the chapel of St Joseph’s College, from left, Brs Peter Ciezak, Peter Conolly, Geoffrey Kelly, Jeffrey Barrington, Tom Chin and Robert Badior. Fr Gary Perritt CP, presided at the Eucharist assisted by Frs Gavin Foster SM (St Joseph’s College chaplain) and Anthony Kennedy SM (District Superior of the Marist Fathers in Australia).   |  M.C., Br Anthony Boyd, welcoming guests to the luncheon.  |  Fr Gavin Foster blessing the meal.  |  Provincial, Br Peter Carroll, speaking of each jubilarian.  |  Br Peter Conolly responding on behalf of the jubilarians.

Below: The cutting of an anniversary cake in the Farrell Auditorium of St Joseph’s College in the company of families, friends and many Marist Brothers. 

An early farewell

Anticipating the Marist Fathers’ leaving the city shrine of St Patrick’s, Church Hill, at the end of 2025 a farewell event was held on Aug 10. A packed assembly attended the midday Mass concelebrated by parish priest, Fr Michael Whelan SM, other priests of St Patrick’s and fellow Marists before a gathering in the crypt beneath the historic church.

Bishop Danny Meagher traced the history of the Marist Fathers’ association with St Patrick’s and offered words of appreciation for their 157 years of service at ‘everyone’s parish church’. The Marist priests who serve or had served at the church were presented with gifts which included a framed image of the shrine and the names of those who have ministered over the years.

The event included a lavish buffet, organised and funded by parishioners and attendees of St Patrick’s.                             [Aug 13] 

Marist ordinations in Africa

In ceremonies at Aného, Togo (Jul 19), and Yaoundé, Cameroon (Aug 09) four young Marists were ordained to the priesthood. They are Frs Joseph Koffi Adjokpa SM, Godlove Ngwese Ndema SM, Clovis Gwencho Nformenteng SM and Joel Sebastien Eyango Ebonto SM.

Scenes from the ordinations are pictured below. Congratulations, Frs Joseph, Godlove, Clovis and Joel!                             [Aug 12}

Bell, Book and Bomb

More than a hundred members and friends of Sydney’s Japanese Catholic Community gathered at Hunters Hill on Aug 09 to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. In the parish hall of Holy Name of Mary parish they stood in silence during a live telecast from Nagasaki’s Urakami Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception as its two bells, one of which was restored in recent years, rang at 11.02 am local time, the moment of the bombing in 1945. 

A reflection led by the community’s leader, Michi Sugimoto, was followed by the telecast and Mass for world peace concelebrated by Frs Brian Vale SSC and Jim Carty SM and supported by the Japanese community choir.

A special guest was former missioner in Japan, Fr Paul Glynn SM, 96, whose book, ‘A Song for Nagasaki’, records the life and heroism of Dr Takashi Nagai, a victim of the bombing and advocate of peace and reconciliation in the years before his death in 1951 and whose cause for beatification was introduced in 2021.

The event concluded with lunchen featuring Japanese cuisine.                            [Aug 09]

Solemnity of St Mary of the Cross

O God, source of all goodness, who have shown us in Saint Mary a woman of faith
living by the power of the Cross, teach us, we pray,
by her example to live the gospel in changing times
and to respect and defend the human dignity of all in our land.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

 Collect of the Mass of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Aug 08.

Euroinfo

Marist news from Eurrope. To download the August issue of Euroinfo click here or go to Members’ Page.                            [Aug 08]

Charism and Culture week

In a tradition extending over a decade members of Marist school staffs (see below, Immersion week begins) spent a week at Villa Maria monastery, Hunters Hill, exploring the charism and culture of the Marist Family. The immersion experience concluded on Aug 07, anniversary of the birth in 1790 of the Founder of the Society of Mary, Ven Jean-Claude Colin.                              [Aug 07]

The Quiet Boy from Beaujolais

Aug 07 marks the anniversary of the birth in 1790 of Marist Founder, Jean-Claude Colin, in the tiny hamlet of Barbery, central France. Orphaned before the age of five, the shy Jean-Claude was to emerge as the leader of the Society of Mary, advisor to Popes and model of a unique way of living Mary’s spirit in the revolution-torn world of his time.               [Aug 06]

• For ‘The Quiet Boy from Beaujolais’ click for: scrolling  |  printing
• For a children’s ‘Story of Jean-Claude Colin’, click here.   
• For ‘Reluctant Saint ?’, a summary update on the Cause for his Beatification, click here.   
• For a ‘Liturgy remembering Jean-Claude Colin’, click here 
• For ‘A pictorial life of Jean-Claude Colin’ click here

OMP newsletter

From Suva, Fiji, the Oceania Marist newsletter reports on happenings throughout the Pacific Province. To download click here or go to Members’ Page.                              [Aug 05] 

‘CEBs’ revisited

From the community of Misioneros Maristas, Tarija, Bolivia, Fr John (‘Hoppy’) Hopkinson SM, reports on a recent visit to the former mission of La Mamora and the Basic Church Communities (CEBs) established by Fr Hoppy and his team. (see captions, below)                                [Aug 05].

Above: ‘Marist team with the animators of the St Francis CEB, high up (3000 metres) in the Andean mountains where the condors majestically fly overhead.’  |   Marist team with the CEBS of Río Negro, another from our former La Mamora mission.’

Below: ‘Hoppy giving the blessing at the conclusion of that CEBS meeting whose agenda focused on a group reflection on the theme of “solidarity” in relation to the upcoming presidential elections and the preparation for the zonal CEBS encounter in late August where the CEBS of the La Mamora zone will celebrate their silver jubilee [25 years].  The CEBS of this zone were founded and formed by the Marist team and continue to be accompanied by them.’

Immersion week begins

The annual Marist Charism and Culture immersion began at Hunters Hill on Aug 03. Staff members from five Marist-associated schools will spend the week at Villa Maria monastery exploring Marist spirituality, history, charism and culture.

The colleges represented ae St John’s College, Lismore, NSW, Marist Sisters College, Woolwich, NSW, Holy Cross College, Bellambi, NSW, Cerdon College, Merrylands, NSW, and Marist Regional College, Burnie, Tas.                          [Aug 04]

JPIC meets

A new member of the Marist Family Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation committee, Sr Judith Lythall SM,(pictured below, far left) was welcomed to the group by Sr Grace Ellul SM at its meeting on Aug 02 at Hunters Hill.

Agenda items included development of a Marist Family JPIC website, preparation of a statement on domestic violence, planning for a ‘Season of Creation‘ event on Sep 14 and a possible reflection on the forthcoming Bishops’ Social Justice Statement for 2025.

As the 80th anniversaries of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings occur in coming days, Fr Jim Carty spoke of the distribution of Fr Paul Glynn’s epic book, ‘Song for Nagasaki’.                              [Aug 04]