‍We acknowledge that our carnival will take place on Taungurung land, and so pay our respects to the Taungurung People as the original and ongoing custodians of the land upon which we meet today.

We pay our respects to their leaders and Elders, past and present, for they hold the memories, the traditions, the culture and the hopes of all Taungurung People.

We commit to actively working alongside the First Nations people of this ancient land for healing, reconciliation and justice and express our sorrow for the personal, spiritual and cultural costs they have experienced over the past 250 years. May we walk forward together in harmony and in a spirit of reconciliation.

‍On behalf our school community at Assumption College, Kilmore, we welcome you to the Australian Marist Cricket Carnival.  It is our privilege to host you over these coming days, and to share in the Marist spirit that is so dear to us all.  The various Marist Carnivals provide an opportunity not only for a terrific sporting competition, but perhaps more importantly, for each of us to grow a little more in our understanding of what it is to be Marist in the world today. The family spirit in which the Carnival is played has always been its hallmark, and we invite each of you to use our time together to appreciate and live your"Marist-ness" in new ways!

This Carnival sees Australian Marist schools accept the invitation to join in a week of games, camaraderie and shared life. We know that you will commit yourselves to playing with good intent, bringing your best self to every match.

Kilmore is a terrific place to gather for this year's Carnival and we hope you have the opportunity to experience a little of what this regional town and its surrounds has to offer. Our competition venue is exceptional and should allow you to enjoy your sport knowing that a high standard of support is available to you.

We offer our thanks to the volunteers, match officials, coaches, managers and all others who have contributed so much in preparing the teams for the Carnival. You are integral to the success of school sporting programs and your contribution to their development extends far beyond the domain of the sporting arena. We trust you, too, will have an enjoyable Carnival.

Best of luck to all teams and congratulations on being part of this special Marist community celebration.  We wish you all a very successful and enjoyable carnival.


Blessings

Kate Fogarty
Principal