On Friday 16 February, Bishop Michael Gielen celebrated our Opening Mass for 2024, with Fr Alister Castillo (old boy, 2004-2008) concelebrating. We were joined by students and staff from our other Catholic colleges in Christchurch and many of our wider community. Our Year 13 students accompanied our Year 9s into Mass, welcoming and supporting them in their first college mass. They were welcomed by our Kapa Haka group with the Waka. 

The first reading highlighted how we are all given different gifts but together - a kura - we join together as one body. Bishop Michael then challenged the students to be the best possible versions of themselves and the person God chose them to be.

After communion, the college leaders for 2024 received their badges blessed by Bishop Michael. Then all new members to our Bedean community – students, staff and whānau – received a special blessing of welcome, reiterating the words of the first reading:

‘Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ’.

This is our Bedean community.