Bernie's 2 Minute Friday

This week we'd like to highlight a significant milestone for two of our Old Boys, who have reached 50 years ordained as Catholic priests.

Father Michael Morley (pictured above) and Father John Prest were both ordained at St Monica's within a day of each other - Michael on the 23rd of May 1975 and John on the 24th.

Fr Michael in particular has a long history with the College - he was part of the class of 1963, the last group to have their full schooling at the Strand campus. He has since been a celebrant at St Bernard's masses and notably opened and blessed the Arts and Technology Centre in 2014. We had the wonderful opportunity to ask Fr Michael a few questions about his time at St Bernard's and his journey as a priest:

What are some of your favourite memories of the Strand campus?

It always amazed me how so many students could find a small square of concrete to play down ball. I lived close by, so weekends were a great opportunity for myself and others to have the hand ball court to ourselves.

How did you come to be a priest? What inspired you?

I was an electrician for nearly ten years. I worked long hours making good money. Then I began to think, is this all there is to life? I had been blessed with so much in life that maybe it was time for me to start giving back and helping others.  The idea of priesthood started to become appealing and soon a reality.

What was your ordination ceremony like?

I was ordained at St Monica’s on the 23rd of May 1975, by Bishop Stewart from Bendigo. Though it was a long trip he was happy to come to Moonee Ponds, because it was his parish when he was growing up. The church was packed!

What has been the most memorable mass you’ve conducted?

There have been a number of celebrations of the Mass that have been important for me for varying reasons.

I was asked to be the main celebrant for a funeral of a lady and her son who died in their home during the Marysville bush fires several years ago. This was the first funeral of all the people who died in the fires, so there was an overwhelming and heartwarming response from local people, the media, the TV stations, and people in general. The funeral had to be held on the golf course as that was one of the few places not affected by the fires.

You’ve been back to the College since, including to bless the Arts and Tech building in 2014. How did it feel to be back and see the change over the years?

I have enjoyed returning to the College and seeing the progress with new buildings - especially the new Chapel. I can remember the days when John McLean and myself would be on the tractor levelling what was the original oval, with a Br Stewart organizing proceedings: he was in charge of the school football teams. The hills all around were just farmland - no houses to be seen!

We love to highlight the success of our old collegians - so if you or someone you know has done some exciting things since their time at St Bernard's, please write in and let us know!

St Bernard’s Old Collegians Football Club are looking for someone who is interested in sports journalism, social media, content creation, photography & videography. The role would include content capture around training and gameday, as well as written pieces for the St Bernard's Football Club website. 

For further information contact Basil Zoccali on 0413 775 007 or basil_zoccali@hotmail.com.

Are you a passionate member of the St Bernard’s College community eager to share your voice and drive positive change? We’re looking for skilled individuals with expertise in areas such as law, risk & governance, finance & investment, property, and cyber security to join our School Advisory Council.

This Council plays a crucial role in shaping the future of our community by providing valuable insights and strategic advice. We seek applicants who can bring their professional skills and experience to make a meaningful impact.

Interested? Email principal@sbc.vic.edu.au to get an application form. Applications are open until Friday, 7 March 2025.

Discover more about the School Advisory Council and learn about our current members by visiting https://www.sbc.vic.edu.au/about-us/leadership.

The SBOCA Bowls Day for 2025 has been rescheduled, and will now be held on Sunday the 13th of April. The event remains at Aberfeldie Community Bowls Club and all other details remain the same.

Get your team of 3 together or come as a pair or individual, and you'll have the chance to win cash from a $3000 prize pool! There will also be lunch and refreshments provided - so whether you want to bowl for glory or simply kick back in the summer sun, this is the day for you.

We invite all from the St Bernard's family - Old Collegians, current students, staff, family members and friends - to participate. Bookings are $50 per person and can be made at this link: https://www.trybooking.com/CXMJM or through the QR code above.

For inquiries or any further information please contact:

Gerard Mahoney (Community Bank Keilor East)   Mobile: 0412 165 912    Email: rollston@optusnet.com.au 

or Ben Lamaro (St Bernard's)    Phone: 03 9289 1106    Email: blamaro@sbc.vic.edu.au

St Bernard's is looking for recent graduates to join our Facilities and Maintenance team on a casual basis with flexible hours (should average 15 hours per week). Ideally, candidates will have graduated in the last two years, have some work experience and a strong work ethic. Most of the work will be outdoor manual labour, working to the instruction of the Facilities and Grounds employees of St Bernard's. We are looking for two casual staff and will be happy to work around university schedules or other part-time work you may already have.

If this is of interest to you, please email HR@sbc.vic.edu.au with a brief CV / one-pager expressing your interest and why you'd like casual work with St Bernard's.

An important reminder that Alumnly is still available to sign up and an account can be made here: SBOCA Alumni - St Bernard's College. The Old Collegians Association has invested significantly in the building of this wonderful database, but it will only be effective if as many alumni as possible sign up. We'd strongly encourage you to join, as the bigger the network is, the greater the reward is for everyone involved.

As we enter 2025, Alumnly will be packed with all the classic Old Collegian events as well as reunions, job postings, networking opportunities, and more in the pipeline, so stay tuned!

For any enquiries or assistance please don't hesitate to contact us by emailing alumni@sbc.vic.edu.au.

For this week's flashback we delved into the 2002 Clairvaux yearbook and found photos from the first ever Santa Monica camp! Much of the program was in place from the very beginning - including surfing, canoeing, the bushwalk and mountain bike expeditions - although a few changes have been made since. For example, the boys in 2002 spent even less of their precious weekends at home, getting dropped off on a Sunday rather than a Monday! The Clairvaux contains articles penned by campus director Mark Smith and Year 9 student Hayden Mackenzie, and both recognised what a unique and special experience Santa Monica is. While Hayden describes challenges (like "being viciously attacked by savage kookaburras" and "someone managing to fall in at every crossing" on the river!) he spoke enthusiastically of the program, while Mark looked forward to seeing the Year 9's develop into "the future leaders of SBC". 

A final reminder to those thinking about applying for the SBOCA Grant program - Applications close Sunday 23 February.

The Global Gateway Grant is available for Old Collegians planning international study (or have international study in progress!), and the Leadership in Community Grant to help fund those who are making a positive difference. 

Check out our interview with Simon Vitelli (class of 2019) for a taste of what the Global Gateway grants can help you achieve! SBOCA Grants Program - Mr Simon Vitelli 

For application details or more information, please contact Ben Lamaro at blamaro@sbc.vic.edu.au.

We love connecting with alumni to see how they can help current students in their career exploration, planning and decision making. There’s richness in what alumni bring to the careers conversation. Neither of us can speak into occupations or universities, vocations or outcomes in the various fields that students are now exploring as much as alumni with professional and firsthand experiences can!

When you’re creating your profile on Alumnly, it would be a tremendous help to our current students if you could fill out – in addition to the relevant ‘Willing to Help’ fields – the 'Field of Expertise’ tab. This means that when we search for alumni who are keen to give back to the SBC community and help in the careers space, we can know exactly where your study and professional experience lies.

We are most in need of:

• Guest speakers for careers events in Year 9, and Years 11-12
• Mentors for Year 12
• Workplace employers for students in Years 10, 11 and 12
• Employment opportunities for post-school

If you’d like to learn more about our careers program at SBC or to let us know how you can assist us in helping our students, please email swoodhouse@sbc.vic.edu.au  - your help will be greatly appreciated!

Sarah Woodhouse

Careers Department – St Bernard’s College