The vision for Catholic Education is the facilitation of development based on Christian life expressed within the Catholic Tradition.
Faith & Spirituality
There are several dimensions to the Religious and Spiritual life to the College and each plays an important part in recognising Edmund's exhortation to all members of Edmund Rice communities to "Give to the poor in handfuls".
The Gospel calls people to service of others in some way. It is an intrinsic duty of all the baptised to serve others in some way and so build up the Christian Community.
We invite you to read below to discover some of the ways for service in our School and the wider community.
Our Religious Formation Team Members
| Fr Milani | Chaplain | 9369 0673 | |
| Mr Davis | DHM Religious Programs | 9369 0694 | |
| Ms Cullen | Social Justice Coordinator | 9369 0690 | |
| Mr Evans | Sodality of Our Lady Leader | 9369 0704 |
Worship
Each Wednesday morning of the school terms, Mass is celebrated by our College Chaplain, Fr Martin Milani, in the College Chapel.
On Holy Days of Obligation also there is usually a Mass available for the boys at the College.
Major events in the life of Waverley College are celebrated with Mass. These Masses draw the entire community (both Junior and Senior schools) together to celebrate the life of our College and our belonging to a community founded in Edmund Rice. Such events include:
- Commencement Mass (to mark the start of the school year)
- Ash Wednesday
- Easter Liturgy
- Anzac Day Liturgy
- May Procession (first Sunday in May)
- Patronal Feast Days such as Founders Day (18th September) and the feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (27th June)
- Valete Mass (Mass to celebrate the graduation of Year 12 students)
- Closure of school year.
Parents and members of the wider school community are always welcome and are warmly invited to attend any College liturgy.
As well, from time to time, individual Religious Education classes and Year Groups in both the Junior School and Senior School attend special Celebrations as part of the Religious Education Program. The College Chaplain is assisted by the College Liturgy Co-ordinator and members of the local clergy.
Spirituality
There are groups available for boys wishing to make a strong commitment for their faith in the Sodality of Our Lady, St Vincent de Paul Society and Social Justice Group.May Procession
The Annual Waverley College Procession in Honour of Our Lady will be held on the afternoon of the first Sunday in May. This is a compulsory attendance function for all students of the College and seeks to recognise the very great esteem held by our founder Edmund Rice for Mary and as a reminder to the College community of the presence and life of Mary in our lives today.
Sodality of Our Lady
The Sodality is the oldest College based student group, having been founded in 1908 and continuing today. It's purpose is to help students deepen their devotion to Our Lady and to understand Mary's place not only in our lives, but in the life of both the Church and the world in contemporary society. Members are drawn from years 8 to12. They meet once a week and are central to the planning of the May Procession. The Sodality is under the guidance of Mr Anthony Evans.
St. Vincent de Paul Society
Founded by Frederick Ozanam in 1833, the society of St. Vincent de Paul was begun to honour and remember the work of Vincent de Paul (founder of the Congregation of the Mission and co-founder of the Daughters of Charity), whose work can be summed up by the rule of the Vincentians, which is service to the poorest of the poor. Through an understanding of Vincent's teachings and a variety of practical works, the College chapter of the Society seeks to introduce and foster within the students a love and reverence for those who are less fortunate than ourselves. The society meets once a week.
Ministry
There are a number of ways in which members of the College student community can provide witness to their faith and their desire to be part of the College community:Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist
We rejoice in the presence of the Risen Christ when we celebrate the Eucharist and we hear the command, "Take and eat; Take and drink!" It is an invitation to each of us to participate in the new life of the Resurrection in the here and now of our daily lives.
As we gather to celebrate Eucharist (Mass), we delegate members of our student Community to serve us as ministers of the Eucharist, sharing the presence of Christ with all who receive the body and blood of Christ. They are ministers of the assembly in the service of the Lord.
Our first eucharistic ministers were instituted in 2001 and are generally chosen from the Year 11 students. Those who wish to undertake this ministry are invited to contact Fr. Milani.
Readers or Lectors
Proclaimer of the Word of God
In the Eucharist, the Lector proclaims the scriptures in the midst of the Assembly, sharing with them the sacred stories of our faith, enabling the Assembly to take hold of these stories and make them their own.
The Lector is the Community's storyteller, proclaiming the Word of God in the midst of the Assembly, calling everyone gathered to listen attentively to the presence of God in the Word.
Lectors are chosen from within the student community. Anyone, from any year level may undertake this role and you are invited to talk to Fr. Milani in regard to this.
Readers or Lectors
Waverley College has a fine musical tradition and part of this is the provision of music at Masses. There are a number of choirs involved in the liturgical program at Waverley College. These choirs range from the Chapel Choir to Year Group choirs to the Full school choir. The Mothers' Choir is a group of past and present mothers of students who gather to sing at a number of liturgies and who are invited to join the College at all major liturgies. We also enjoy the accompaniment of the College orchestra.
Sacristans
Busy people need responsible people. People who know where the books are kept, the altar cloths are kept, the KEYS are kept and who know where and when each of these items has to be placed. Sacristans are responsible for setting up for Masses and the clean up afterwards. It's a pretty thankless task but without sacristans we probably wouldn't be as organised as we are. Students who are interested in helping as sacristans are invited to make contact with Fr. Milani.
Altar Servers
A very special and dedicated group of students within the College community, altar servers are rostered to attend Mass and serve at that Mass. It's one way of deepening a faith commitment to the service of God. Altar servers are called from all years of the College community and interested students should talk to Fr. Milani
Edmund Rice - Founder of the Christian Brothers
Edmund Ignatius Rice was born in Callan, County Kilkenny Ireland on 1 June 1762.
At the age of seventeen, he was apprenticed to his uncle who was in business supplying ships - a business which Edmund later inherited.
In 1785, at age 23, Edmund married Mary Elliot. In 1789, Mary died in childbirth, leaving Edmund with a disabled daughter, Mary. Edmund's life was never the same.
Edmund's compassion for the poor, already evident, grew even more over the next 13 years. He became increasingly conscious of the ever-widening gap between the way of life of prosperous, educated Catholics like himself and that of the poor.
By 1802, Edmund felt so called to a life of service to God that, having continued to ensure for the care of his daughter, he decided to sell his prosperous business, live in renovated stables and commence a school for the "street kids" of Waterford.
Edmund and seven companions took vows on 15th August 1808 as Religious Brothers of the Presentation, later to become the Congregation of Christian Brothers. He is one of the few people ever in the Church to found a religious congregation.
Edmund died on 29th August 1844. Trusting in God, Edmund had transformed his vision into reality. His experience had been of Christ appealing to him in the poor. Edmund's utter conviction was that God was calling him to work with and for the poor, especially through education, enabling them to live with hope for the future. Edmund wanted them to see, as he did, what their world could be when seen with the eyes of Christ.
Edmund not only taught poor youth, he gave solace to prisoners in jail, especially those condemned to death, performed unremitting legal work for the poor who were so easily badly done by, opened his schools so that the Brothers could care for the victims of cholera epidemics, fed and clothed the poor boys who attended his schools and helped their parents with evening classes and material to read. He refused to remain immobile when confronted with grave injustices. Edmund's strong faith was proof against discouragement and the challenges of the mission he undertook.
Edmund Rice was beatified in Rome on 6 October 1996.