Students Jay McLean and Latrell Pearce play the Digeridoo as part of the Welcome to Country for the blessing and opening of the new student accommodation facilities at St Thomas More College on 22 March, by Archbishop Costelloe. Photo: Pyay Chan.
By Matthew Lau
New student accommodation that has enabled St Thomas More College to increase its student population capacity from 175 to 400 was recently blessed by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB.
The $48 million project, supported by the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS), provides 245 studio or one-bedroom rooms to students on low-to-moderate incomes.
The official blessing and opening took place in the piazza of the new building’s grounds in Crawley on the evening of 22 March.
Archbishop Costelloe said the blessing of the new accommodation facilities at St Thomas More College will ensure that the College remains a living and thriving symbol of the Church’s commitment to the education and formation of young people. Photo: Pyay Chan.
In his Homily for the occasion, Archbishop Costelloe said the blessing of the new facilities will ensure that the College remains a living and thriving symbol of the Church’s commitment to the education and formation of young people.
“Christians believe that human beings are created in the image and likeness of God, and therefore, far from having no more importance than any other living being, we are God’s masterpiece, created out of love and destined for a life of love, both here in this imperfect world and forever with God after we die,” he explained.
“Not everyone shares these beliefs, of course, but they are foundational for the Christian faith and therefore foundational to the motivation and inspiration of those who first founded this college, and those who have continued to support it and believe in the deeply humanising and uplifting role it is called to play in the lives of all who live here.”
Archbishop Costelloe praised St Thomas More College for decades of exemplifying attributes of conviction and the determination to its students, staff, and alumni.
“I am grateful and proud to have this college in our Archdiocese as a major contributor to the Church’s work of education,” he concluded.
Head of St Thomas More College Tom Mitchell thanks students for their support at an evening Alumni celebration following the blessing and opening of the new student accommodation facilities on 22 March. Photo: Pyay Chan.
Tom Mitchell, Head of College at St Thomas More, showed his appreciation to Archbishop Costelloe for presiding and for blessing the new student accommodation.
“Your presence demonstrates the close partnership we have with the Archdiocese,” Mitchell said.
“The last few years have been hard for all involved in the redevelopment and there were times when many thought we might not achieve the end goal. Certainly there were times when I questioned my career choices. Thankfully however, the dark hours are behind us and the future is bright.”
Director of Finance, Mr Hamish Carnachan presents St Thomas More College Council Chair Bruno Camarri AM with a gift in appreciation of his leadership during the blessing and opening of the new student accommodation facilities at St Thomas More College on 22 March, by Archbishop Costelloe. Photo: Pyay Chan.
NRAS offers incentives for developers to build and lease new accommodation at least 20 per cent below the market rate for up to 10 years, which benefits thousands of people previously struggling to afford private rental accommodation.
The Chair of St Thomas More Council, Bruno Camarri AM, said the new facilities were a “major milestone in the College’s rich history”.
“It has been a long and challenging journey however, the College now has some of the best residential college facilities in the country,” Camarri said.
Girrawheen MLA Margaret Quirk was also present at the opening, representing Housing Minister Peter Tinley.