Blessing and Opening of Champagnat House
It was a privilege to be able to attend the blessing and opening of Champagnat House at the North Sydney campus of Australian Catholic University on Tuesday 22nd July 2014. Bishop Peter Comensoli DD officiated at the ceremony assisted by Marist Provincial Br Jeff Crowe and Vice Chancellor Prof Greg Craven. Marist guests and University staff joined in the celebration. The ceremony was followed by the blessing and opening of The Peter Cosgrove Centre which is located in the adjacent Tenison Woods House from where the photograph above was taken.
Prof Craven spoke about the generous contribution Marists have made to the establishment of the University in its foundation years. The naming of this building is in recognition of that contribution. Br Michael Green spoke of the inspiration St Marcellin Champagnat has handed down to contemporary Marists who now work across all levels of Catholic education. Today staff in Marist schools, when undertaking Graduate Certificate and Masters degrees at ACU, enjoy programs led by the Mission and Life Formation team. Following participation in these programs, which are mainly held at Mittagong, participants undertake to successfully complete an academic piece of writing, 5000 words for a Graduate Certificate Unit and 5,500 words for a Masters Unit. These essays often turn into excellent articles from which we all benefit.
Bishop Peter Comensoli blesses the plaque.
Mr Nehme Khattar (left) and Br Peter Conolly