Mission Update – Term 2 Week 7
This Saturday, 6 June, Marists around the world will celebrate the Feast Day of St Marcellin Champagnat, the founder of the Marist Brothers and the inspiration behind the mission we continue today.
When we hear stories of saints, it can sometimes be difficult to relate to them. We may imagine them as extraordinary people whose holiness places them somehow beyond the experiences of ordinary life. Yet the saints were, first and foremost, people just like us. They faced challenges, doubts, and limitations. What made them remarkable was not perfection, but their willingness to love God and to love others.
Marcellin Champagnat was one such person. Born in rural France in 1789, he was not a man of wealth, influence, or exceptional academic ability. Rather, he was a priest who saw a need in his community and chose to respond. He noticed the young people who were overlooked, forgotten, and lacking access to education and faith formation. Seeing their needs, he acted with humility, courage, and determination.
I often wonder whether Marcellin could ever have imagined what would grow from those simple beginnings. Could he have envisioned Marist schools on the other side of the world in Australia? Could he have imagined the thousands of students, families, staff, and communities who would one day be touched by his vision? I suspect that he would be genuinely surprised. Yet perhaps that is the beauty of his story. He did not set out to change the world; he simply responded faithfully to the needs he saw before him.
As we celebrate his feast day, we are reminded that the call to holiness is not reserved for a select few. Each of us is invited to be part of the communion of saints by continuing their work in our own time and place. Like Marcellin, we are called to notice those who may be overlooked, to respond with compassion, and to bring the love of God to others through our words and actions.
I wish all members of our community a wonderful weekend as we reflect on the life and example of St Marcellin Champagnat. While his feast day falls this Saturday, we are very much looking forward to celebrating together as a College community on Friday 19 June, once our senior students have completed their exams.
Mr Stuart McClorey
DIRECTOR OF MISSION & CATHOLIC IDENTITY