Student Reflections
The 150-year breakfast was an amazing experience, to be able to witness and be a part of celebrating all the women who have been a part of creating the most iconic and well- known education in Australia. As well as to be able to hear Dr Mary Murphy speech about the women that were in Edmund Rice’s life, was truly an amazing experience, and being able to now fully have a mindset on how the women in Edmund Rice’s life be the reason to how this community was made and still see how strong of a community it is after 150 years of education . As well as meeting Br Damien Price, who was the organiser and spoke very fondly on the community and added to importance to the celebration of women in this community and Edmund Rice’s life. Thankyou to the teachers who invited us to attend. We are all very fortunate to celebrate the history and story of Edmund Rice at the Nudgee College breakfast. Alex Moloney
It was wonderful to attend the 150 years celebration over breakfast. I found the presentation not only engaging but also extremely interesting. Many thanks to the Speaker Dr. Mary Murphy who spoke with much conviction and engaged the audience. Her speech on the women who influenced the heart of Edmund, was portrayed in a clever representation of the Celtic love knot. For me personally the speech educated me on the impacts these people had and on the history surrounding it. Thanks to Br. Damien Price who organised this event and I thank Ms Garrone for extending the opportunity to attend. Luka Jelekainen.
I was proud to be given the opportunity to attend a gathering at Nudgee College to celebrate 150 years of Edmund Rice Education. This was the first of three gatherings to be held at St Patrick's College and Ambrose Treacy College respectively, later in the year. It was a great experience as it opened my awareness of the full story of Edmund and exposed to his story and the people who influenced him to be the great man he was. Dr Mary Murphy was an amazing speaker who shared a metaphorical painting of Edmunds heart made up of three main parts; Margaret, Mary (wife), and Mary (daughter). It was certainly an opportunity to represent our school in front of the wider Edmund Rice community and all of the boys who went along succeeded in doing that. Liam Middleton
Reflecting on this morning's 150 years of Edmund Rice’s legacy, I realize how important the women in his life were in shaping his journey. His mother, Margaret, played a big role in teaching him about faith and kindness. She showed him how to care for others, making him into such a generous person. Learning about the Celtic knot of love was quite interesting and the way souls are one though in two bodies and are able to be themselves completely with each other taught me a lot. Edmund inviting the people to join him in his quaint little community over time building a strong foundation of the education we learn on today was a niche backstory to the man. Thinking about Edmund Rice and the strong woman in his life makes me appreciate the people who support and guide me. It reminds me that faith, kindness, and resilience can make a big difference in the world. Lochlann Legione
My time at the 150th anniversary gathering was fun and enlightening at Nudgee College. Meeting new people and making new friends (both young and old) was a great experience. Listening to the talk presented by Mary about the heart of Edmund Rice was enlightening and piqued my interest for the history of the Christian Brothers. It gives me a sense of pride to be a student at Ambrose Treacy College when I get to look back and bask in our school's rich history. Henry Harwood
The event was ultimately, good enlightening fun. Dr Murphy opened up an avenue of looking at the story of Edmund in terms of his relationships and his bonds; more specifically, how they shaped his mind and his heart.
Most people would at first look assume Edmund’s life was normal until he lost Mary, his wife, his anam cara [heart friend], and had to dedicate his life to raising his daughter and helping others. However, this is not the case. His mother and wife played a crucial role in shaping the worldview of Edmund, and Dr Murphy’s speech stressed this perfectly. Patrick Horan
