Commissioning of the Orange Office: Le Rosey

After several weeks of planning and preparation, the Commissioning of the Orange Office, ‘Le Rosey’, took place on Friday, September 8.

We were blessed and deeply grateful to have Chris Jones, a Culture and Safety Officer with Orange Aboriginal Medical Services, lead us in a Smoking Ceremony. As we commenced, Chris offered us much wisdom-about life, about simple and complex things, about looking after ourselves, each other, and the importance of our work with young people in care, in Orange and generally. In his email signature, Chris captures his passion and purpose: ‘Caring for our Community by Closing the Gap’.

As the Commissioning unfolded, Julie Collier shared with those assembled the significance of Le Rosey, having recently visited and spending time there on Pilgrimage. The ritual included reflections on Wiradjuri country and people, the foundation and naming of Orange by Surveyor General, Thomas Mitchell, and the contemporaneous lives of Mitchell and Marist Champagnat. The gathering considered the broader Marist family connections, current and future: in particular, through our Marist Heart. We reflected on and prayed a Blessing on the Office, and those who have and will occupy and bring life to this space, acknowledged the rich legacy of 150 years of Marist Ministry in Australia, and the work Marist180 offers in service in Orange and more broadly.

We were all then the beneficiaries of great hospitality, with catering from a local provider bringing us to table-to share, listen, and enjoy the company of each other.

May this work on Wiradjuri country, and in the Central West, grow and prosper, creating positive change.