MacKillop Mission Blog

Lent

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 02:36:00 GMT

The forty days of Lent are a time of spiritual reflection in preparation for the celebration of Easter. It is a season of prayer, fasting and giving that invites us to re-examine our relationships with others and with God through prayer and reflection. As we move through these next weeks, I invite you to take the following questions into a quiet place and space:

What do I need to free my heart and mind of, in order to be more loving?

God desires to come to each of us – how do I welcome God’s presence in my life?

Ash Wednesday

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 02:36:00 GMT

A liturgy including the distribution of ashes was held in all homerooms to mark Ash Wednesday. Students and staff conducted the liturgies where they prayed that they might be better able to put love and compassion into action, to work for justice and a world of peace.

Shrove Tuesday

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 03:19:00 GMT

Students lined up for scrumptious pancakes on Tuesday 21 Feb atboth MainCampus and St Mary’s. At main campus these were lovingly prepared and sold by Senior VCAL students who raised over $250, kickstarting the College’s fundraising for Project Compassion, Caritas Australia. Caritas is the Church’s agency for development and aid work in our country and around the world. This is the main fundraising focus of the College this Term.

Year 11 Wellbeing Mass

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 02:37:00 GMT

To begin their Wellbeing day, Year 11 students celebrated Mass at St Andrews Church on Monday 20 February around the theme ‘dream it, believe it, do it’. The mass was beautifully celebrated by Fr Shabin and organised by a committed group of Year 11 students.

Opening Mass

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 03:10:00 GMT

The Opening College Mass was celebrated on Wednesday 15 February on a hot night in the Tenison Woods Centre. The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Vincent Long who spoke in his homily of the importance of living our lives based on the values of the Gospel, and not the values of the world. The theme for the Mass was “Be Still and Know that I am God” taken from Psalm 46. This theme invites all of us into deeper prayerful reflection of God’s presence within and around us.

St Andrews Theatre Company

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 01:52:00 GMT

Rehearsals are well on the way for this year’s production of GODSPELL. Over 60 youth from our parish are meeting three times a week at the Parish Centre to rehearse for what will prove to be an amazing show. Performance dates for GODSPELL will be from the December 1–3 at the Moreno Performing Arts Centre. Tickets will be available from October.

UNICEF - 40 Hour Famine

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 01:50:00 GMT

A special thanks must go to the 60 students who participated in this year’s 40 hour famine. A total of over $2500 dollars was raised which is a fantastic effort by all involved. In addition to this, our Year 10 students showed wonderful initiative to run a lunch-time concert raising awareness and money for UNICEF East Africa Appeal. Congratulations to all those students who have been involved in these fantastic activities.

Refugee Tutoring

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 02:42:00 GMT

Monday was our final day with our senior students tutoring at St Thomas Church with the tutoring of the Karen students. A fantastic effort by all who helped this year. Look forward to continuing next year.

Julian Tenison Woods Pilgrimage in Tasmania

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 08:41:00 GMT

On August 3 two of our student leaders, James Daly and Judith Ferguson together with Mrs Sarpi, attended the Julian Tenison Woods Pilgrimage in Tasmania along with staff and students from other Melbourne AJASS schools. They sailed on the "Spirit of Tasmania".

Upon arriving in Devonport they were greeted by the Principal of Sacred Heart College and the Sisters of St Joseph who would journey with them to MacKillop Hill in Forth, just outside of Devonport. On Friday August 5 the students and staff took part in the Colloquium at the Josephite History and Mission Centre in New Town, Hobart. Throughout the Colloquium they discovered how important Fr. Julian Tenison Woods was and particularly the significant part he had to play in the Mary MacKillop story. Fr Julian Tenison Woods was also a scientist, arborist, environmentalist and a poet.

The Josephite Sisters of Hobart (Black Joeys) were delighted that Fr Julian Tenison Woods features so prominently at our own MacKillop College. He was a magnanimous, intelligent and spiritual man who was ahead of his times according to the ‘ Joeys’, and they were thrilled that our accelerated learning Tenison Woods program was named after him.

Soup Van and Refugee Tutoring

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 08:54:00 GMT

A special thanks must go to all our staff and students who every week give of their time so generously to support the ongoing commitment to the Matthew Talbot Soup Van in Footscray on a Thursday evening and the Karen Refugee Tutoring at St Thomas Anglican Church on Monday afternoons. Every week we have around 20 staff and students who support these and without your help they would not be able to happen. Thank you for your continued support and generosity of time.

40 Hour Famine

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 05:37:00 GMT

On the 20^th - 22^nd August, 80 MacKillop staff and students once again participated in the World Vision 40hr famine. This was a wonderful way for people to experience what it is like to really go without and by participating in this, well deserved money was raised to support those who a genuinely in need both here in Australia and abroad. In the past year, over 100 million people have been affected by a food crisis and there are now over 900 million chronically hungry people around the world, and approximately 1.4 billion living in extreme poverty. By participating in the 40hr, we as a community can make a difference to this world crisis. I will keep you posted as to our overall total for 2011.

St Andrew's Theatre Company

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 00:06:00 GMT

The St Andrew’s Theatre Company is proud to announce its 2011 show, “GODSPELL”. This year we have over 50 young people aged between 13 – 30, coming together every Monday and Wednesday evening at the parish centre to put on what will no doubt be a fantastic show for our parish community. The theatre company was started three years ago as a youth group that truly brings together current MacKillop students, past students and other likeminded youth from the parish of St Andrew’s. If there are any students who would like to be involved in this years show then they can call 9741 4144 to find out more details or speak to Mr O’Malley. Everyone is most welcome.