THE Christian Brothers and representatives of the more than 200,000 Queenslanders they have educated celebrated the brothers’ 125 years in the state at a July 5 Mass in St Stephen’s Cathedral, Brisbane.
The Mass was celebrated within metres of their first makeshift school in Queensland, now St Stephen’s Chapel, where the brothers began the education of poor and underprivileged Catholic boys.
A procession featuring a line of lit candles led into the cathedral to symbolise the 125 years of service by the brothers.
The celebrant was a Christian Brothers old boy, Bishop Michael Putney.
Past Christian Brothers students are well represented in business and the legal and medical professions.
Their oldest school, Gregory Terrace, has produced more Rhodes scholars than any other school in the state, while Nudgee College has produced many Queensland and Australian representative sportsmen.
There are more than 100 brothers in Queensland, who in addition to education, continue to work with indigenous people and the underprivileged.
Queensland Christian Brothers have a significant presence in East Timor, with a community in Dili providing assistance and support since early 1999, and remaining during the post-independence vote violence.
