Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe was welcomed back to Salesian College Chadstone in Melbourne, where he was once a former student, teacher and rector. Source: The Record.
Archbishop Costelloe visited the school on May 5 to bless and open the college’s refurbished and expanded Mannix campus.
The redevelopment has almost doubled the capacity of the second campus, marking an important step in the College’s continued growth and commitment to quality Catholic education in the Salesian tradition.
Originally established in 2005 as a dedicated programme space for Year 9 students, the Mannix Campus will now serve as a transitional environment for Years 7 and 8 students as they begin their secondary school journey.
The campus is named in honour of Archbishop Daniel Mannix, who nearly 80 years ago facilitated the acquisition of the land for the Salesians, laying the foundations for what would become one of Australia’s leading Salesian educational institutions.
In his address, Archbishop Costelloe warmly recalled his years at the college – first at a student’s desk, then at the teacher’s podium in the old classrooms of both the main and nearby campus.
He also reflected on his time as a seminarian and formation director on the current Mannix site, which previously served as the Salesian Province theologate and provincial house.
One of the most symbolic moments of the ceremony was the blessing of water, accompanied by prayer, as the college captains filled the entrance stoop from a specially designed pump and rock feature.
This installation commemorates Don Bosco’s instruction to his first collaborators to “meet them at the pump,” recalling the early days at Valdocco (the Italian neighbourhood where the Salesian movement was born) when relationships were formed through simple presence and attentive care.
At the same time, the feature evokes the powerful biblical image of “living water”, signifying life, renewal, and grace.
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Archbishop Costelloe returns to where it all began to bless new campus (The Record)
