In the evening of Thursday 7th June 2018, at St John the Evangelist Church in East Melbourne, Melbourne’s Archbishop Denis Hart, welcomed all staff, students, religious and the diocesan communities of the Catholic Theological College, that had gathered for the annual College Mass.
This yearly event was in honour of the two great Saints, Peter and Paul, and was attended by participants that wanted to share the joy with those, who by their constant commitment and hard work, had achieved great academic results. During the Presentation Dinner, Master of the College, the Very Reverend Associate Professor, Shane Mackinlay, expressed his gratitude to all the graduates who had greatly contributed to the life of the College for many years. Many of the students were commended for their successes in a variety of academic fields and rewarded with prizes for their input and achievements, especially essay based achievements.
It was also a memorable day for the Salvatorian Community in Australia which started its activity and pastoral ministry in Melbourne in February 2017. The Salvatorians were represented at the Mass and Presentation Dinner by the Superior of the Australian Region of the Polish Province, Fr. Bronislaw Pietrusewicz SDS, Parish Priest of St. Anthony in Alphington, Fr. Adam Babinski SDS, and also a seminarian and student of the Catholic Theological College, Peter. The Presentation Dinner included a ceremony of official affiliated between the Australian Salvatorian Community in Australia and the Catholic Theological College. Rev. Shane Mackinlay spoke highly of the Salvatorian Order, their contribution to the College, especially that of Fr. Krzysztof Gasperowicz SDS, a lecturer in Pastoral Care and Spiritual Leadership at the College. A brief history of the Salvatorian Order, as well as of the life of their Founder, Fr. Francis Mary of the Cross Jordan, was highlighted during the presentation. Shortly afterwards, the Superior of the Salvatorians presented a picture of the Founder of the Salvatorians, Fr Francis Jordan to Archbishop Dennis. The picture of Fr. Francis Jordan will appear in the College hallway among six other Founders of Religious Communities, whose members are students of the College. This symbolically concluded the ceremony of affiliation and belonging to the college.