The Marist Mission and Life Formation (MLF) Team is dedicated to supporting and advancing the Catholic Church’s evangelising mission to make Jesus Christ known and loved, while ensuring high-quality faith formation in the Marist tradition. The MLF Team provides formation programs for Marist Schools Australia (MSA), including Marist Youth Ministry (MYM), Australian Marist Solidarity (AMS), Marist180, and Marist Tertiary Education.

Aligned with the mission of the Marist Association of Saint Marcellin Champagnat, the MLF Team works in close partnership with Catholic dioceses across Australia to support staff formation in schools and ministries. In 2024, Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) partnered with the MLF Team to design and deliver a pilot program for middle leadership formation. Additionally, the MLF Team also became a service provider of a staff spirituality program for staff of Catholic Education Office Sandhurst, focusing on prayer practices and methods.

A notable development in 2024 was the integration of Marist Youth Ministry (MYM) into the MLF Team, which strengthened the alignment of both entities and enhanced the effectiveness of formation services. This integration included the appointment of Justin Golding, a current member of the MLF Team, as the National Coordinator of MYM. In this role Justin oversees MYM initiatives alongside his MLF responsibilities. As a result of this integration, MYM projects and events will now be included in this report.

This report highlights the MLF Team’s formation

programs, projects, and initiatives in 2024, with key developments including:

• the further development of the Middle Leaders program, with 203 participants from 7 Marist schools.

• the Marian Lecture series, featuring renowned scripture scholar Professor Amy- Jill Levine, delivered in multiple cities across Australia and New Zealand, exploring the Jewish context of Jesus’ teachings.

• the introduction of the Liturgical Music Workshop.

• the Laudato Si’ Ecology Retreat in far North Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef, enhancing teacher capacity in sustainability and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures within the Australian Curriculum.

• the national staff formation program ‘First Light,’ aligned with the year’s theme and the Biennial Conference in Alice Springs.

• the participation of 7,829 staff members in various formation programs throughout the year, highlighting the significant commitment to ongoing professional and spiritual development

This report underscores the ongoing commitment to formation and its growth in Marist Schools across Australia.

Click here to download a copy of the report.

Previous Reports