{"id":5756,"date":"2026-05-08T13:55:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T03:55:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mce\/?post_type=article&p=5756"},"modified":"2026-05-08T13:55:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T03:55:19","slug":"week-3-term-2","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mce\/article\/week-3-term-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Week 3 Term 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

8 April 2026\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dear Parents\/Carers<\/p>\n

This morning we were blessed with in excess of 400 of our mums and mother figures and our boys attended our Mother\u2019s Day Mass and Morning Tea. It was standing room only at St Kevin\u2019s. At the end of our Mass, I shared a vote of thanks and a message to our boys and their mums. I fumbled through some parts of it as I shared some of my gratitude for our Marist College Eastwood mothers and a story that is quite close to my own heart. For those of our community who were unable to attend, I\u2019ve included a copy below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n

“Good morning, father, families, staff, the young men of Marist College Eastwood and most importantly the mums and mother figures with us today.<\/em><\/p>\n

Standing here this morning, looking out at a sea of black blazers and the mothers who support them, I am reminded of the unique spirit of our school. Being a “Marist Man” isn’t just about academic results or winning on the sporting field; it is about character. And if we are honest, that character is often forged in the quiet moments at home, steered by the hands of our mothers.<\/em><\/p>\n

In the Catholic tradition, we look to Mary as our model. A woman of courage, resilience, and quiet strength.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

For our boys, “Mary” usually takes the form of the woman who wakes you up when you\u2019ve slept through their alarm and who knows exactly where their lost shoes are. They can see the man you are becoming even when you\u2019re still acting like a kid.<\/em><\/p>\n

Mothers don’t just raise us; they shape us. They teach us the empathy that makes a Marist man a “brother” to his peers. They provide the safety net that allows you to take risks, and they help you form your moral compass that keeps you on the right path when life gets complicated.<\/em><\/p>\n

My mother passed away in her early 60\u2019s. It felt far too early. There were so many milestones I assumed she\u2019d be there for. But God had other plans.<\/em><\/p>\n

When I look back at her life, I don’t think about the big events. I don\u2019t feel sad, I feel grateful for the amazing life I have thanks in large part to her. She set the tone and example for so many things in my life:<\/em><\/p>\n

    \n
  • The Power of Presence: I remember coming home from school, no doubt grunting and using single word responses like lots of teenagers. She didn\u2019t offer lectures or\u00a0 “fix-it” solutions. She just listened. She taught me that sometimes, being a man means just showing up for people.<\/em><\/li>\n
  • The Standard of Integrity: She was 62 years of “doing the right thing when no one was looking.” Whether it was helping a neighbour or holding me accountable, she showed me that a person’s word is their bond.<\/em><\/li>\n
  • The Unspoken Sacrifice: Only now, as an adult, do I realise how many of her own dreams she set aside to support my sister and I.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    We will never truly understand the strength of a mother\u2019s love.<\/em><\/p>\n

    To the boys of Marist College Eastwood, gentlemen, I have one piece of advice that I wish I could go back and give my younger self: Do not wait for a milestone to say thank you. Don\u2019t wait for Mother\u2019s Day, birthdays or Christmas. Say thank you now and say it often, not just with words, but acts of service and lots of hugs.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Mothers don’t need a grand speech or an expensive gift. What they want is to know that you see them. They want to know that when they push you to study or tell you to clean up your mess or apologise, you realise they are doing it because they love you more than anyone else on this earth ever will.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Whilst I have had to grow up for a significant part of my adult life without my mum, and while I miss her every day, she isn’t really gone. I hear and see her in the way I interact with others. I hear her voice when I have to make a tough decision. My actions and decisions are often guided by the thought, \u201c how would my mum respond or would she be happy if I did things this way\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n

    A final word to the mums and mother figures in this church today and all those who can\u2019t be with us: Thank you. Thank you for the countless, invisible hours you spend moulding your sons into great young men. You are the heartbeat of this community.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Boys, you need to make sure you don\u2019t just thank your mum today with some cliched words. Words are important, but your actions mean more. Mums love nothing more than a Disney hug. The kind of hug that doesn\u2019t stop until the recipient is ready.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

    God bless and Happy Mother\u2019s Day.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    Welcome<\/strong><\/p>\n

    This term we welcomed one new member of staff and will welcome some more in the coming fortnight. I\u2019ve said this before, but we are so lucky to be blessed with teachers and support staff wanting to join our community.<\/p>\n

    In Week One we welcomed Mr Brendan Bergin to the Religious Education Department.<\/p>\n

    In Week 4, we will welcome Ms Louise Lawrenson (Diverse Learning Teacher), Ms Sarah Markovic (Diverse Learning Teacher and Ms Sabnam Kanta (TAS and VET Coordinator and Hospitality Teacher).\u00a0<\/p>\n

    All of our new staff join us with experiences and wisdom that will no doubt be put into action educating our students at Marist College Eastwood.<\/p>\n

    Respice Finem<\/p>\n

    Mr David Sullivan
    \nPrincipal\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Letter from the Principal<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","class_list":["post-5756","article","type-article","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mce\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/5756","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mce\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mce\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mce\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5756"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mce\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}