Marist180 celebrates 30 Years

Across 2025, Marist180 is celebrating a very significant milestone-30 years of service. These celebrations are in a variety of forms, at different times and locations. The final formal one of these was with Civic and Church Leaders, the Marist Star of the Sea Provincial Council, partners and peak bodies, at a sumptuous Dinner hosted by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, at Darling Quarter, on October 23.

The Dinner was a moment, a gathering of gratitude, of affirmation, of taking stock. We were delighted to feature a video which was made for the 30th Anniversary, which weaved stories of ‘home’: for First peoples, in the Boys Home, for young people seeking home, for refugees fleeing and finding safe home, those building skills to make a home, amongst others. The video was further amplified and brought to life by an excellent panel, drawing on lived experience:

• Elaha Qasimi, a former Unaccompanied Humanitarian Minor (client), now Social Work student on placement with us.

• 25-year veteran Youth Worker Isileli Koloamatangi (a 2024 finalist in the NSW Youth Worker of the Year Awards).

• Andrea Thomas, our Unaccompanied Humanitarian Minor Program Manager.

We were privileged, to have Acting Provincial, Br Darren Burge, deliver a well-crafted and insightful reflection at the dinner. Darren offered the following:

Marist 180 30 Years on: Reflections

By Brother Darren Burge FMS

Good evening, everyone — to the Provincial Council of the Star of the Sea Province, Bishop Vincent, the Honourable Barbara Perry, Chair of the Board, members of the Board, Peter Monaghan, CEO of Marist180, members of the senior leadership team, invited guests, and friends.

It’s a real privilege to be here with you as we celebrate 30 years of Marist180 — three decades of care, courage, and hope for thousands of young people who’ve faced some of life’s toughest challenges, often through no fault of their own. Over these years, Marist180 has offered not just shelter or services, but a foundation for life — helping young people see new possibilities and rediscover hope for their future.

Our story goes back well before 1995. From St Vincent’s Boys Home at Westmead in 1896, to the group homes of 1981, and then to Marist Community Services in 1995 — the beginning of what we now know as Marist180. Today, Marist180 has more than 50 homes across Sydney, the Hunter, Western NSW, and the ACT, with over 500 staff supporting around 1,300 people each year. That’s an extraordinary impact!

Of course, this journey hasn’t always been easy. There have been moments when leaders faced real uncertainty — times when sudden funding cuts forced painful choices, balancing the welfare of staff with the survival of the mission itself. Many of those working directly with young people carried the weight of compassion fatigue, dealing with stories and circumstances that defy belief. For senior leaders, the wellbeing of their teams has been a constant concern in a sector marked by long hours, high turnover, and growing complexity.

There must have been moments when those leading this bold ministry wondered whether it was all worth it. And yet, through it all, a deeper current has remained strong — a current of faith, passion, and conviction that has sustained the brothers and all who have shared this work. This is, at heart, a profoundly human story — and wherever there is humanity, there too are faith, heart, and spirit.

I’m reminded of a bright Year 11 student who once challenged me about the parable of the Prodigal Son. He couldn’t understand how forgiveness could come without punishment. His question has stayed with me because it captures the tension that sits right at the heart of Marist180’s mission — that space where mercy meets justice, where human brokenness meets compassion. Marist180 has always chosen to stand in that space — sometimes alongside society, sometimes gently in defiance of it — responding not with judgment, but with the steady, healing power of love.

Our story is deeply connected to the vision of Marcellin Champagnat, whose spirit still animates everything we do. Br Michael Green reflected recently that:

“Not dissimilar to the experience of the current Board and leadership of Marist180 in 2025 – and to its experience right through these last thirty years… the funds available to Marcellin were never quite a match for either the size of his heart or the pressing needs of young people.”

In 1836, Marcellin took on the care of an orphanage run by laymen from St Nizier’s parish — the same parish linked with Frédéric Ozanam, founder of the St Vincent de Paul Society. His one-page contract, signed on 9 April 1836, says so much about who he was. Of its eight articles, two are striking: the

modest stipend for the Brothers — “considerably less than Marcellin typically demanded” — and an article about their approach to care:

“The Brothers shall show truly fatherly concern for the orphans; they shall exercise the greatest of care when overseeing the boys’ religious and moral conduct, endeavour to inspire them with a love of work, manage them with gentleness and firmness, intelligence and wisdom, always trying to bring them back to their duties by using affection rather than severity, and when correcting them, they shall never allow themselves to strike them.”

For its time, this was remarkable. Marcellin insisted that the Brothers show “truly fatherly concern,” manage with “gentleness and firmness,” and always act with “affection rather than severity.” It wasn’t just about meeting needs — it was about how those needs were met: with love, belief, and hope. That same spirit runs through Marist180 today. It’s in our DNA.

At our heart, Marist180 is defined by inclusion and diversity. Every young person who comes to our door is welcomed and embraced, no matter their background or story. That non-judgmental stance — so rare in our world — is deeply true to the Gospel and to Marcellin’s vision. Both call us to love, especially the most neglected, not as an option, but as the very essence of who we are.

Over these 30 years, our programs have grown well beyond out-of-home care, becoming a wrap-around ministry of hope that supports young people in every aspect of their lives. I’m especially proud of our work with Indigenous communities and of the Daramu and Mudjin Byala programs, which truly stands as a beacon of reconciliation and healing.

None of this would be possible without our extraordinary staff. Many of you know, from your own experience, what it means to struggle and to be lifted by someone who believes in you. From that deep well of understanding, you now offer that same hope to others. Never underestimate the power of that solidarity.

This year, our Province theme is “Pilgrims of Hope – Look Beyond.” Hope so often comes through the actions of others. Anyone who acts with love inspires hope. If we pay attention, we’ll see people all around us whose quiet goodness has become a living signpost of hope — lifting others up, restoring dignity, standing by them in their toughest moments.

Our love is rooted in the love of God — a God who is gentle, humble, and always ready to forgive. I think of Mother Teresa, who was once asked why she cared for a woman in terrible distress. She simply replied: “My God is called Love.” That is the love we’re called to embody.

We believe that when young people feel connected to a supportive community, and have access to education, accommodation, and employment, they can build their own bright future. A pilgrimage of hope is, at its heart, a story of love — and that story continues here, every day, through Marist180.

Tonight, we honour that story. For thirty years, this Marist community has helped young people stand on your shoulders, look beyond, and dream new dreams.

I also want to offer my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported this mission — past and present. Your generosity, encouragement, and belief in young people have made this journey possible. Whether through your time, expertise, resources, or simply your faith in this work, you’ve helped to transform lives and build a legacy of hope.

I’d like to end with the beautiful words from Pope Leo’s recent exhortation Dilexi Te – “I Have Loved You”:

“Christian love breaks down every barrier, brings close those who were distant, unites strangers, and reconciles enemies. It spans chasms that are humanly impossible to bridge… By its very nature, Christian love is prophetic: it works miracles and knows no limits… A Church that sets no limits to love, that knows no enemies to fight but only men and women to love, is the Church that the world needs today.”

Through your work — whether transforming unjust structures or simply offering kindness and presence — the poor and vulnerable come to realise that these words are spoken personally to them: “I have loved you.” (Revelation 3:9).

Patrick O’Reilly, Director Mission, Inclusion and Identity