Dear Ionians,

As we come to the close of Term 3, I would like to extend my best wishes to each of you for a restful and refreshing holiday.

This is a time to step back from the busyness of school life, to enjoy time with family and friends, and to return renewed for the final term of the year.

I write this message while the Oblates and I have the privilege of being on retreat in the Dandenong Ranges.

Surrounded by the quiet beauty of spring blossoms and the freshness of creation, it has been a time of solitude, prayer, and renewal.

We carried each of you in our prayers during these days, and we are deeply grateful for the prayers you offered for us in return.

As we look ahead, I invite our community to keep in your prayers the 21 young men and four staff who will soon travel to Vietnam on a cultural immersion. This new initiative offers a wonderful opportunity to connect with the wider Oblate family.

The immersion will begin with time spent alongside the Oblate Fathers and their mission: participating in an Oblate Youth Sports Day and offering a day of service in one of their communities.

Our students worked with great dedication to raise $3000 towards a project identified by the Missionary Association of Mary Immaculate (MAMI). While the project cost is $9000, MAMI has generously agreed to contribute the remaining amount, allowing our boys to be part of the project’s initial stage.

This is a very exciting and tangible way for our young men to both learn from and support the Oblate mission in Vietnam.

Another new beginning was celebrated earlier today in Brisbane, with the Solemn Installation Mass of the Most Reverend Shane Mackinlay as the eighth Archbishop of Brisbane.

Our new Archbishop has a long and wonderful relationship with the Oblates, and we look forward to nurturing this even further in his position as the Head of the Catholic Church in Brisbane.

On behalf of the Oblates and the whole Iona community, I offer our congratulations, support and prayers as His Grace begins the next stage of his life of service.

Just as the spring flowers remind us of new beginnings and hope, may these holidays be a season of rest and gentle renewal for all in our community. May you return in Term 4 with energy, joy, and a heart open to the opportunities that lie ahead.

With every blessing,

Fr Joe Antony OMI
Rector