A new home to accommodate older members of the Australian province was blessed and opened on Sunday 15th November.
The spirit was one of giving thanks as well as congratulations for the architects, builders and the Australian Province’s Committee for Aging, ably led by Gary Reynolds.
Approximately 100 invited guest were present for the Blessing which was conducted by Australian Provincial, Paul Cooney.
Guests included Kevin Duffy from the new General Council, Phil Cody, Vicar Provincial of New Zealand and other representatives from the Marist Fathers in the Asia-Pacific region, in Australia for Marist Asia Pacific meetings.
The opening was a simple and dignified ceremony of singing, prayer and speeches, followed by alight luncheon in the new dining room area. Later in the afternoon the building was opened for inspection to local parishioners. Many of whom requested to live in the new house.
The name Montbel follows two other houses of the Society. The first near Toulon, France was for a while, until the Marists were expelled, a retirement community, and the second established in 1860 by the early French Marists, not very far from where the new Montbel stands.
The new residents of Montbel will begin to move into the new building over the coming weeks.
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