Opening College Mass – Feast of St Maroun
On the Feast of St Maroun, Monday 9 February, all students from Year 1 to Year 12, staff and parents gathered for the College Opening Mass in the Mother Isabelle El Khoury Stadium. It was wonderful to see the whole College come together for Mass. As the only Maronite College in Victoria, it was fitting that the Opening Mass is on the Feast day of the Founder of the Maronite Church, a clear statement of our Maronite Identity.
I share with you some of my Introduction to the Mass explaining the 2026 College Theme – God is Love.
The College theme this year is simply ‘God is Love’. Simple yet very deep in meaning. We see this statement in the John’s Gospel, ‘ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love’.
Note he doesn’t just say God is loving, he says God is love; it's not just an attribute but who He is, the source and definition of all true love.
This refers to a selfless, unconditional, and sacrificial love that values others for their intrinsic worth, not their performance. While human love is a faint reflection; God's love is perfect, constant, and endures despite human failings.
The verse in John’s gospel links knowing God with the ability to love others; if you truly know God (who is love), you will express love. And by believers loving each other, they reflect God's own love. This love is demonstrated by God sending Jesus (John 3:16) and forgiving sins (1 John 1:9).
His Excellency, Bishop Tarabay has announced that The Maronite Eparchy of Australia, will observe 2026 as the Year of Prayer for Peace under the theme: “My peace I give to you” (John 14:27).
Launching today on the Feast of Saint Maroun, this year invites our families, parishes, and communities to become true instruments of Christ’s peace through prayer and action. We can show God that we love him by being peacemakers and spreading God’s love.
And so as we begin our school year, I invite you to reflect on the theme and ask yourselves these two questions:
• What is one way we can show God’s love and bring peace into our homes and within our families?
• What is one way we can show God’s love and spread peace at Antonine College?
I pray that St Maroun, St Anthony and all the saints intercede on our behalf and pray for our Antonine College. I wish you every success for the 2026 school year.
May St Maroun intercede on behalf of our College protecting all our students, staff and families.
Enrolments for 2027 and 2028
Please note that we are currently finalising enrolments for Foundation and Year 7 for 2027 and we are accepting applications for 2028. We do have some availability at other year levels but please put applications in now to avoid disappointment.
Students’ Identity and Gender
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference released the following document: Created and Loved: A Guide for Catholic Schools on Students’ Identity and Gender (2026)
As a Catholic school, Antonine College follows the guidelines of the Australian Catholic Bishops and of the Maronite Bishop. I encourage parents to read this document which was first published in 2022 and has just been recently revised.
Role of Catholic Education
In October last year, on the 60th anniversary of Gravissimum Educationis, Pope Leo XIV’s Apostolic letter ‘Drawing New Maps of Hope’, re-emphasised the importance of Catholic Education in the context of the modern world. I encourage you to click on the links to read the references above. Again, these documents guide all Catholic schools as they share in the Mission of the Catholic Church.
I wish you all a great 2026!
- Ms Joanne Bacash