Spiritual Formation - A Critical Ingredientfor Catholic Schools
Greetings from the Hermitage
Towards the end of July my wife Jennie and I were able to get away for aweek to the Margaret River region of Western Australia. It is a beautifulpart of the country – geographically interesting with the added attractionof numerous wineries dotted throughout. We were grateful for the breakand grateful also to the team back here at the Hermitage who managedthings very effectively in my absence.
At the end of our trip, I headed to Freemantle for the Marist Schools Australia (MSA) Biennial Conference. I joined over 180 other Marists from across the country for three days of inspiring input and valuable networking. Marist Schools Australia is of course closely aligned with the Hermitage with programs for Marist staff and students running here for over 80 days of the year. It was one of those occasions that was not only personally and professionally enriching, but it was also just great to spend time with some of the other Marist “Family” in this part of the world.
If you wish to continue reading, please click the following link:
Winter Hermitage Newsletter 2026
The following is from a Homily given by Fr Anthony Casamento at the Footsteps Mass here at The Hermitage on Tuesday 25 August:
Today's Gospel is one of the strongest challenges Jesus ever gives. At first glance, Jesus seems to be criticising people who are trying very hard to be religious.
They were meticulous. They followed rules. They paid attention to the smallest details of the law.
But Jesus is not against discipline or tradition. In fact, he says, "These you should have practiced without neglecting the others."
The problem isn't that they care about the small things. The problem is that they have forgotten the big things.
They have become experts at appearances while neglecting the condition of the heart.
Jesus uses a simple image everyone understands. Imagine being invited to dinner and being handed a sparkling clean glass.
It shines on the outside—but inside it's dirty. No one would want to drink from it.
Jesus says that's what happens when our public image is polished but our inner life is neglected.
The Gospel invites every one of us to ask a simple but confronting question: Who am I becoming on the inside?
Not simply: What grades am I getting? How successful am I? How busy am I? How do other people see me?
But: Am I becoming more compassionate? More truthful? More forgiving? More courageous? More like Christ?
And I think this this question lies at the very heart of Marist education. You see, Marist schools have never claimed that education is only about academic achievement. Excellence matters—but it is never the whole story.
The Marist tradition, inspired by Saint Marcellin Champagnat, has always believed that education is about forming good Christians and good citizens; young people whose minds are educated, whose hearts are formed, and whose lives are lived in service of others.
Marcellin knew that if education only fills the mind but never shapes the heart, something essential is missing.
He once said that to educate children well, "we must love them, and love them all equally."
That is not simply a teaching strategy. It is a Gospel strategy. Justice. Mercy. Faithfulness. Exactly the qualities Jesus says matter most.
Every Marist school has classrooms, sporting fields, music rooms and science labs. These are wonderful places of learning.
But perhaps the most important lessons are often learned somewhere else.
They are learned when a student notices someone sitting alone and chooses to include them.
When a teacher stays back after school because a young person needs someone to listen. When older students mentor younger ones. When mistakes are forgiven rather than weaponised. When success is celebrated without arrogance. When failure is met with hope rather than shame.
These moments don't usually appear on report cards.
But they are precisely the "weightier matters" Jesus is talking about. Justice. Mercy. Faithfulness. They are signs that the inside of the cup is becoming clean.
One of the beautiful characteristics of Marist schools is the emphasis on family spirit.
Family spirit is much more than friendliness. In a family, people matter more than performance.
People are loved before they succeed. People belong before they achieve. That echoes the way Mary lived.
Mary never sought recognition. She never tried to appear important. Her greatness came from her openness to God. She was beautiful on the outside because she was beautiful on the inside.
Perhaps that is why Marists have always looked to Mary as their model. She reminds us that holiness is usually quiet. It grows through small acts of love repeated every day. Not dramatic gestures. Not impressive appearances. Simply faithful hearts.
Our world often tells young people that image is everything. How many followers. How many likes. How successful you appear. How perfect your life looks.
Jesus quietly turns all of that upside down. God is not impressed by appearances. God looks at the heart. And that is wonderfully freeing. Because none of us has to pretend. None of us has to be perfect.
We simply have to allow Christ to keep shaping us from the inside.
Every school day offers opportunities to do exactly that. Every conversation. Every friendship. Every decision to tell the truth. Every act of kindness. Every apology. Every effort to include someone who feels invisible.
These are not interruptions to education. They are education.
As we celebrate our Marist mission today, perhaps the Gospel leaves us with one simple challenge.
When people leave our schools—whether students, staff or families—will they remember us simply for our buildings, our results or our reputation?
Or will they remember that they encountered a community marked by justice, mercy and faithfulness?
A place where they felt known. Welcomed. Forgiven. Encouraged. A place where Christ was present.
That is the kind of school Saint Marcellin Champagnat dreamed of. And that is the kind of community Jesus calls us to become.
So today, as we gather around the table of the Eucharist, we ask God for the grace not simply to polish the outside of our lives, but to transform us from within.
May our minds seek truth. May our hands serve generously. May our hearts grow in justice, mercy and faithfulness.
And through the example of Mary and Saint Marcellin Champagnat, may our Marist schools always form young people who shine—not because they look successful, but because Christ lives within them. Amen.
“But in setting upright the cocktail glass in the aftermath of the commotion, didn’t he also exhibit an essential faith that by the smallest of one’s actions one can restore some sense of order in the world.”
From “A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towle
Greetings from the Hermitage
The observation above is from Viktor Stepanovich, a character in the bestselling novel “A Gentleman in Moscow” by American author Amor Towles. It is a beautifully written book, first published in 2016 and now a popular mini-series which you can watch on SBS or Paramount+. I would highly recommend both the book and the series, which stars Ewan McGregor as Count Alexander Rostov – the “gentleman in Moscow.”
Without giving away too much of the plot, it is set in post revolution Russia. Deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, Alexander is sentenced to house arrest indefinitely, not in some faraway gulag, but in the lavish Metropol Hotel in Moscow. And so, the story (and the fun) begins.
Continue reading at this link:
June Hermitage Newsletter 2026
Marcellin in the Age of AI: Why “Good Christians and Good Citizens” Still Matters - Br Darren Burge Reflects on Champagnat Day and Pope Leo’s Encyclical
Today we observe Champagnat Day, marking the anniversary of the day that Marcellin Champagnat entered eternal life. More than two centuries later, Marcellin’s dream of forming “good Christians and good citizens” has taken on a renewed urgency. This call resonates strongly in light of Pope Leo XIV’s recent encyclical, which challenges us to safeguard what is deeply human in an era of unprecedented technological advancement.
Drawing inspiration from the Holy Father’s reflection, Br Darren Burge, Provincial of Star of the Sea Province, explores how Marcellin’s vision continues to speak powerfully to our contemporary world. He reflects on what it means to form “good citizens” in an age shaped by artificial intelligence, rapid technological change, and growing social complexity.
Continue Reading at this link:
A Champagnat Day Message from Br Darren Burge
Greetings from The Hermitage!
May, the month of Mary and the blessings of Autumn
Mary does not let us remain fallen and at times she takes us into her arms without judging us. Our converse with her consoles, frees and sanctifies us.
Pope Francis. Gaudete Et Exultate #176
In the Catholic tradition, the month of May is a time dedicated to Mary. This tradition goes back to the 13th century and has more of a northern hemisphere focus as it has some alignment with the northern hemisphere seasons – the new life bursting through Spring and into Summer. However, that has never stopped us here in Australia from celebrating this universal observance. In fact, there has been, and in some cases still is, a strong devotion to Mary for many Catholics in this country which goes back to the early days of the colony. With very few priests to minister to the flock, lay people helped to keep their faith alive by gathering to pray the Rosary, thus developing a deep devotion to Mary. This practice continued for a long time – I remember as a kid myself in the 1970s being involved in ‘home rosaries’ as parishioners gathered in one another’s homes each week during May to pray the Rosary.
Continue reading at this link:
May Hermitage Newsletter 2026
Blessed are the Peacemakers
“I have no fear of the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel.”
(Pope Leo XIV, aboard papal flight to Algiers, 13th April 2026)
Greetings from The Hermitage!
The quote above is from Pope Leo as he headed off for his 11-day trip to Africa. He went on to say:
"That’s what I believe I am called to do and what the Church is called to do. We’re not politicians. We’re not looking to make foreign policy, as (Trump) calls it, with the same perspective as he might understand it.
But I do believe that the message of the Gospel 'blessed are the peacemakers,’ is a message that the world needs to hear today."
Continue reading at this link:
April Hermitage Newsletter
Easter greetings from The Hermitage!
The Easter story is undoubtedly one of the most intense, dramatic, captivating and significant events in human history – in fact for Christians, we might say it is THE most significant event in human history. The plot of this story has it all. At its darkest moments it is full of denial, betrayal, torture, cruelty, high emotion, tension, anxiety, agony and suffering. But it is bookended by a special meal with friends at the start and a truly astonishing revelation at the end which, while confusing for some who experienced it at the time, has remained a source of joy and hope for so many across two thousand years
Continue Reading at this link:
Easter Hermitage Newsletter 2026
New Year greetings from the Hermitage!
Each year the Marists develop a theme with a view to tapping into something that is contemporary, that has resonance with people, and that gives a focus to our spiritual journey through the year. Staff from the Marist Life and Mission (MLF) Team prepare resources that assist schools and other ministries to explore the theme, and they also visit schools to facilitate Staff Spirituality Days.
The theme for this year is:
FULL OF GRACE
Transform the World with God’s Love
Grace can be a bit of a slippery concept. Many of us would remember the old saying, “there but for the grace of God go I.” What is God’s grace, and how does one get access to it, and most importantly, what is its impact on us?
In 2018, renowned spiritual writer Fr Michael Casey, a Cistercian monk, wrote a book called simply, Grace – on the Journey to God. Grace certainly is about a journey – our spiritual journey. Casey says in his introduction that the book is a series of reflections “on what we are likely to experience when we begin to give ourselves conscientiously to the spiritual journey.” When we have this openness, says Casey, we are likely to find that “God’s grace is everywhere” – even in our desires, our temptations, our leisure and our silence.
Continue reading at this link:
February Hermitage Newsletter 2026
Recently, local reporter Lewis Nancekivell, from Southern Highlands News, visited The Hermitage property to write an inviting article about our history and the operations of our beautiful property today.
Click the link to have a read:
Southern Highlands News - The hidden Mittagong sanctuary with a surprising 120-year story
Dear Friends
When researching some years ago for workshops I was leading on spiritual accompaniment, I wanted to find something about the concept of ‘presence’, which I believe to be powerful in our human experience and often under-estimated.
The nature and quality of our presence have an impact on our relationships and all the interactions we have with others.
But what exactly do we mean by 'presence'?
It is more than simply being physically there.
True presence means bringing our full, authentic self into each moment and interaction - setting aside distractions, agendas, and preoccupations to truly attend to the person before us and the situation at hand. In the Marist context, this quality of presence is at the heart of our charism. It is what Marcellin embodied with the young people he served: a way of being that creates space for the Spirit to work and transforms ordinary encounters into moments of grace. Without presence, our work becomes mere activity; with it, we become instruments of transformation.
How, then, do we cultivate such a presence?
Continue reading at this link:
Star Messenger, 5 February 2026
As we hurtle towards the end of the year, perhaps now is the perfect time to pause, not to reflect on the year that’s almost gone – there’ll be plenty of time for that later – but to look forward in anticipation and expectation to what is ahead of us in the coming weeks. Christians refer to this time as Advent, a time of preparation. Preparation for what?
Well, the simple answer is the birth of Jesus which is celebrated on the 25th December. But it’s not simply an acknowledgement of a historical event, as important as that event is for humanity. It’s really a preparation for what that event actually means for us individually and as a local, national and international community. As we come to the end of a Jubilee Year where Pope Francis invited us to be Pilgrims of Hope, Advent can have a special resonance with it’s focus on hope. As the scripture reading from last Sunday’s Mass says:
Everything that was written long ago in the scriptures was meant to teach something about hope from the examples scripture gives of how people who did not give up were helped by God.
Romans 15:4-5
Continue reading newsletter at this link:
Advent Hermitage Newsletter 2025
Greetings from the Hermitage!
What a month it has been for Marists!
Beginning with the legacy of the Founder of the Marist Brothers, St Marcellin Champagnat. On 9 October Pope Leo XIV released his first Apostolic Exhortation, “Dilexi Te” ("I Have Loved You"), where he referenced St Marcellin as a model for serving the poor through education. This document, commenced by Pope Francis and completed by Pope Leo, focuses on love for the poor, and it mentions how Champagnat dedicated himself to educating and evangelizing children and young people, especially the most vulnerable. It highlights his dedication to these young people who were often overlooked, a mission that those involved in Marist education continue today. We thank God for the initiative, vision and faith of St Marcellin which has inspired so many over the past two hundred years and opened up educational opportunities for countless young people.
Earlier in the month we received some truly historic news. As the General Chapter of the Marist Brothers – a series of high-level meetings held every 8 years - was coming to a close in the Philippines, it was announced that our own Br Peter Carroll, Provincial of the Star of the Sea Province, had been elected as the new Superior-General. Br Peter hails from Brisbane and has held significant positions within the Province and has also been a principal in 3 Marist schools in Australia.
Continue reading at this link:
October Hermitage Newsletter 2025
