A big crowd gathered on the weekend to celebrate the contribution of the Christian Brothers to education and life in Bundaberg over 100 years.
At the end of 2018, Br Rochford retired from Shalom, which marked 100 years of continuous service by the Brothers in Bundaberg.
Writing in the Shalom College newsletter this week, principal Dan McMahon said 65 of those years were at Christian Brothers High School Bundaberg until the move was made in 1984 to Shalom College with the amalgamation of CBC and Loyola Colleges.
The first four Principals of Shalom were Brothers and their presence continued until last year.
The original Christian Brothers school on Woongarra Street was officially opened on 2 February 1919 by the Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane, James Duhig.
“When the Brothers came to Bundaberg in 1919, led by Br Joseph Hogan, they came of offer Catholic boys a very practical education,” Mr McMahon said.
“For most of the 100 years the Brothers were in Bundaberg, they provided education to young people by working long days with big classes and few resources.
“We would not have what we have today without them.
“The very same could be said for the Sisters of Mercy, the Sisters of St Joseph and the Presentation Sisters – all of whom worked in Bundaberg.”
Mr McMahon said Catholic Education owes those men and women a huge debt.
Undoubtedly, all of them were human and none perfect but, taken as a whole, they were an outstanding group of people the like of whom we won't see again.
“Those of us lucky enough to work in Catholic Education now do our best to walk in their footsteps and stand on the shoulders of those who went before us.”
A centenary dinner was held at Brothers Sports Club on Saturday and Mass at Holy Rosary on Sunday.
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