Welcome back to all families for 2025.

I hope you all had a restful, refreshing and renewing holiday break. I’m filled with excitement and gratitude to begin another year together. The new year is another beautiful gift from God, and we are blessed to make the most of it.

With this in mind, the Iona Leadership Team, guided by both Oblate and educational values, has set an important goal for all Ionians of identifying our potential and growing into our personal excellence.

How can we make the most of this opportunity?

• How can I recognise and embrace my unique potential this year, and what steps can I take to nurture it?
• What does personal excellence mean to me, and how can I work towards achieving it in both my academic and personal life?
• In what ways can I contribute to the growth of others, as we all strive to achieve our full potential together?

In addition to our personal growth, 2025 is also a Jubilee year for the Catholic Church. This is celebrated every 25 years as we celebrate the Incarnation of Jesus. This special year invites us to remember our roots, celebrate how far we’ve come, and look forward with hope and purpose to what is yet to be achieved.

In this spirit of renewal, we also look forward to the celebration of the 50th anniversary of our beloved College Chapel this year.

To mark this milestone, we will unveil a new stained glass door on the last day of Term 1. The Leadership Team and the Oblates are eagerly anticipating this moment and can’t wait to share the beautiful story behind this new addition.

Just as that door will be a new beginning for the Chapel, let’s remember that we’re all on a journey of transformation, growing in faith and hope together.

St Eugene de Mazenod believed that education is about nurturing the whole person: mind, body, and spirit. He wanted us to grow into our fullest potential and use our gifts to make the world a better place. His life challenges us to aim for personal excellence and live with purpose and service to others.

St Eugene himself is a remarkable example of identifying one’s potential and striving for excellence. In his early years, he was not a great model of holiness that we might imagine. But he recognised a deep, untapped potential within himself and, through a radical transformation, sought to become the person God was calling him to be.

He took on the challenge of pursuing priesthood later in life, a decision that wasn’t easy at the time.

But through perseverance, humility, and a deep sense of purpose, St Eugene grew into an exceptional leader, founding the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and dedicating his life to serving those in need.

His story reminds us that it’s never too late to identify our strengths, overcome our struggles, and step into the fullness of who we are meant to be.

As we step into this academic year, I encourage all of you to discover your unique gifts, explore your passions, and become the person you are meant to be.

Like St Eugene, let’s embrace the challenges ahead and use them to grow into the best version of ourselves.

Together, let’s make this year one of transformation, growth, and excellence.

God bless,

Fr Joe Antony OMI
Rector