In his book The Worth of the Ordinary: Stories for your Journey (2008), author, Br Damien Price CFC opens with the following…

One can’t really live without community… But community within itself just does not happen; it must be worked at. Ultimately our life journey is one into community – with ourselves and others and ultimately God. This journey is made up of hundreds and thousands of small choices to love. That is what makes this journey so rich; that is what makes this journey the only one worth walking.

In this, my last Calling article, I would like to thank all members of the St Patrick’s College community over the last ten years that I have been College Principal. As Br Damien has said, ultimately our life journey is one into community. My journey here at St Patrick’s is littered with moments of gratitude, joy, despair, sadness, and most of all… with love. There are not too many people who move into retirement still energised by their work and the people around them. Whilst I am certainly looking forward to “hanging up the boots” I have always felt energised by the people around me. I have always felt a part of a team.

I have always loved my work because of the people that I meet and those that I work with. In a school of around 1420 students and 200 staff, there is a lot of people and a lot of love. It shows in the culture of respect for one another and the way that we all try to make others feel at home in this place. Whilst I would be the first person to admit that we are not always perfect at this, our strength is in the fact that we do try to be authentic. I have nothing but admiration for our staff who now work in far more complex places and have greater demands from external bodies, governments, and parents than when I began teaching. I want to thank them for their trust and patience. Everything good that has happened in the ten years of my tenure as College Principal would not have happened without the hard work and dedication from them. This school has many talented and amazing staff who are not consumed by themselves but rather by bringing out the best in their students and others around them.

The students here hold a special place in my heart. They are diverse in character, vast in numbers but beautiful in nature. Each has their own story but together they form a wonderful community. Again, they are not always perfect, but they try to be better, and that is what I love about them. I thank them for making me always feel welcome and at home here. I will miss the hustle and bustle of schools and the smiling faces and warm greetings. Students have a significant impact upon the culture of any school community and St Patrick’s is very blessed to have the boys that we do have.

Finally, I would like to pass on my appreciation to the many families here. Your trust and support have been very much appreciated by me. There have been times when we may not have agreed with each other but ultimately the conversations and decisions have been made with your sons’ best interests at heart. Thank you for working with us in partnership to develop your son into a Man of Action. The partnerships have been genuine, and the boys have benefitted because of this.

Personally, I feel blessed to have been able to journey into, and with, this community and I thank you all for accompanying me along the way.

God Bless. Live Jesus in our Hearts!

Chris Mayes
College Principal

I would like to sincerely thank all parents for your wonderful support during the year. The role of parents within the College community is vital to the success of a school. The end of the school year brings the holidays upon us and in many cases the question of what to do to keep our sons engaged. Hopefully, the holidays will be a time for families to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. Most important in this is spending time together. The greatest gift we can give our children is our time. Make the most of these opportunities and enrich your son’s life.

I would like to thank the staff below who will finish their journey at the College at the end of the year, and wish them all the best in their future endeavors:

LEAVING
• Mr Chris Mayes (Retirement)
• Mr Andrew Pashley (Retirement)
• Mr Troy Schultz
• Mr Darren Kearney
• Mr Tim Kenny
• Mr Adam McPhee
• Mr Peter Dowling (Retirement)
• Ms Kerrilyn Hill
• Ms Ally Garside

END OF CONTRACT
• Mr Peter Parker
• Mr James Valentine
• Ms Elyse Smallacombe
• Mrs Jasmin Burgess

All the very best to the Staff below who will be on leave throughout 2025:
• Mr Andrew Scanlan – Term 1
• Ms Annette Holmes – Semester 1
• Mrs Liz Skinner – 12 months leave
• Mr Hamish Teitzel – 12 months Long Service Leave
• Mr Tim Bermingham – 12 months Long Service Leave
• Ms Kelsy Duke - Leave
• Ms Paige McDonald – 12 months leave

I hope everyone enjoys a safe and joyous Christmas.

Mr Frank Torrisi
Deputy Principal