From The Rector

Fr Greg Chambers sdb | Rector and Chair of the College Board

Dear Parents, Students and Staff, Just like last year, we made a very purposeful start to our liturgical and sacramental year with our Whole School Opening Mass of St John Bosco, our Year 7 Camp Prayer Service, our Lenten Reconciliation Service, our Resurrection Masses in the Easter Season, our Mother’s Day Mass and our Mass for the Feast of Mary, Help of Christians which was celebrated by Fr Brendan Hayer, the representative of archbishop Peter Comensoli. During Term 1, we also hosted the Leadership Mass of the Associated Catholic Colleges in our Chapel. Then, as you Melburnians well know, we experienced a broad range of COVID-related lockdowns and restrictions in our fair city and state that changed the face of teaching and learning, spiritual and liturgical life, and human social interaction for the second consecutive year. Thankfully, as I write this yearbook article, we are gradually emerging from the very challenging and demanding period in our history full of hope and expectation of much better things to come in 2022 and beyond. As Rector of the College, I congratulate Mr Mark Ashmore on his appointment as the new Principal of Salesian College and commend him for the excellent start that he has made in Term 4 this year. At the same time, I sincerely thank Mr Neil Carter for the outstanding role he played as Acting Principal for the first three terms of 2021. At the same time, I warmly congratulate Br Joseph Ellul, a staff-member and stalwart of Salesian college for some 37 years on celebrating his 90th birthday in November this year, and acknowledge Fr Lawrence Moate who market the 50th Anniversary of his Priestly Ordination in October 2021. Well done to these two fine Salesians!

Finally, I wish to formally announce that I will be concluding my three-year term as Rector of Salesian College at the end of the current year, and will be taking up a new appointment in the Salesian Parish of Massey in Auckland, New Zealand in early 2022. I will be succeeded as Rector by Fr Joseph Binh Dinh, who is currently Rector of the Salesian College in Sunbury. I am sure that you will make him very welcome.