29 FEB 2024 Director of Faith and Community

Welcome to 2024, I hope the new year has begun well for you and your family.

Our Lenten Journey has begun, an opportunity to reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice for us and how we can heed his call to ‘take up the cross’.

At Kolbe, on the 14th of February, we gathered as a whole school for our Opening College Mass, which also included the distribution of ashes. As we received the ashes, we were instructed to ‘repent and believe in the Gospel’, Jesus reminding us to make sacrifices and put others before ourselves. We are mindful that any suffering is brief and to bear with it, as we are sharing in the experience of Jesus’ redemptive suffering.

To assist our year 7’s connect more with each other and the Catholicity of our college, all year 7’s engaged in a reflection day, facilitated by YMT. To ensure the students had a meaningful experience the cohort was split, with a repeated program running across two days. I commend the students for their behaviour and willingness to engage with the outcomes for the day. Thanks to all the staff who helped supervise these sessions, your support ensured the day ran smoothly.

Finally, we look to future events before the end of this term.

In a few weeks, our Student Leaders will represent the college at St. Patrick’s Cathedral for Catholic Education Week. It will be an opportunity for all Catholic schools in Melbourne to gather and celebrate Mass, acknowledging this year’s theme of ‘In the light of Christ’.

On the 7th of March, students of Dunlop House will gather together for a Mass, celebrating their House Patron, Sir Weary Dunlop.

As a community, we will gather for the final time this term on the 26th of March for an Easter Liturgy, an opportunity to spend some time in prayer and reflection, preparing for Easter and Jesus’ death and resurrection in our lives.

Peace and blessings.

Rob Dellar
Director of Faith and Community