Monivae College

Monivae is a Catholic, Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) school. MSC ({{langx|la|Missionarii Sacratissimi Cordis}}) is an "international congregation of religious priests and brothers" founded by Father Jules Chevalier in France in 1854.{{cite web |url=https://www.misacor-usa.org/spirituality/#NovenaIntentions |publisher=Missionaries of the Sacred Heart |title=About us |date=n.d. }} The Australian province of MSC, which has approximately 140 members, was first established at the Sacred Heart Monastery, {{NSWcity|Kensington}}, Sydney in 1897.{{cite web |url=https://www.misacor.org.au/index.php/what-we-do |publisher=Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Australia |title=What we do |date=n.d. }} In the mid-1940s, then-bishop of the Ballarat diocese, Bishop O’Collins, "invited the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart to open a boys-only boarding school in the heart of the prosperous Western District of Victoria".{{cite web |url=https://www.monivae.com/images/downloads/The_Foundation_Years.pdf |title=Fr. John Franzmann MSC |work=The best you can: The History of Monivae College, Hamilton 1954 – 2004 |date=n.d. |isbn= }}

Although live-in MSC priests and brothers at Monivae were phased out in the late 1990s, in the 2016 Principal’s Report, Mark McGinnity re-affirmed Monivae’s commitment to the MSC spirit:{{cite web |url=https://www.monivae.com/images/downloads/2016_Annual_Report_Secondary.pdf |first=Mark |last=McGinnity |title=Principal's Report |date=2016 }}{{rp|6}}

{{blockquote|In the spiritual domain all students from Years 7-12 now participate in a Reflection Day (where) students need to learn the skills of being silent and reflection. Mr Franc, the Co-Director of Faith and Mission, worked closely with Fr Peter Hendriks MSC, our Chaplain and his fellow Director, to provide a nurturing spiritual environment for our students.}}

In 2016, Monivae was also "the first of the MSC schools in Australia to undergo the ‘Ethos and Identity Review’ where a panel visited the College for three days and assessed using four lenses how the school was Catholic and MSC". Principal McGinnity noted the panel’s report "was very positive affirming many of the good things … and encouraging all staff to attend spiritual formation courses at Douglas Park." McGinnity reported that "This year’s whole staff Spiritual Formation Day was conducted by Fr Richard Leonard SJ with an emphasis on how quality relationships in Catholic schools can form believers in our media saturated culture." (sic).{{rp|7}}

According to MSC Australia’s mission statement, "The Justice and Peace Centre (is focused on) actively drawing to the attention of Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, their affiliates and co-workers, injustices where structure perpetuates violence, inequality, disadvantage, conflict and poverty in our world."{{cite web |url=https://www.misacor.org.au/index.php/justice-matters |publisher=Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Australia |title=Justice matters |date=n.d. }}

The WCRCH is a new indoor and outdoor cricket training centre, including six indoor cricket pitches, a fenced turf ground with five pitches, outdoor turf training nets with 10 new turf practice wickets, office space for Cricket Victoria’s representatives, sports science technology, player and umpire change rooms and a separate spectator pavilion with seating for more than 100 spectators. The centre is the most unique sporting and educational community facility in regional Victoria, catering for all ages and abilities and a cricket-based curriculum planned to commence at the college next year. [https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/country-living/education/secondary/new-innings-for-monivae-cricket-hub/news-story/1d9c7d30dbd844a9c3c94a30bc7fb3cf]

The Monivae College Cadet Unit is one of the largest school cadet units in Victoria, and the program introduces boys and girls to activities that will give them recreational and service options in later life. The cadet motto is "Courage, Initiative, Respect and Teamwork". The program is part of the curriculum [https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/country-living/education/monivae-college-cadets-gain-sharp-edge/news-story/b7f20584081341272c4fe769ce5e0c56]

According to the Broken Rites website, which launched its sexual abuse hot-line in 1993, "some of the first calls received were from former Monivae students, describing their encounters with certain priests and brothers at Monivae College." As of 2019, two ex-Monivae live-in staff have been convicted and served jail time for indecent assault on 23 children under the age of 14 from the 1970s to 1990s.{{cite news |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/catholic-brother-pleads-guilty-to-sex-abuse-20130220-2eqvf.html |title=Brother pleads guilty to sex abuse |work=The Age |date=20 February 2013}} A third is currently{{when|date=April 2019}} facing charges in relation to an unknown number of students.{{cite web |url=http://www.brokenrites.org.au/drupal/node/439 |work=Broken Rites |title=A Catholic brother in court in 2019 regarding Monivae College, western Victoria |date=n.d. }} Priests or brothers no longer teach or live at Monivae. Monivae's principal, Mark McGinnity, has "apologised unreservedly to the students who were abused by Mamo while he was based at the school", however, Monivae has so far{{when|date=April 2019}} chosen not to participate in the National Redress Scheme.{{cite web |url=https://www.nationalredress.gov.au/institutions/search?search_api_views_fulltext=Monivae+College |title=Search for institutions that have joined the National Redress Scheme |date=n.d. }}

Brother Edward Mamo worked and lived at Monivae in the 1970s and 1980s as a groundsman, bus driver, and hockey coach. He also worked in the laundry room.{{cite web |url=http://monivae.com/images/downloads/annuals/1976_Annual.pdf |publisher=Monivae |title=Annual Report |date=1976 }} In 2012, Mamo was charged with indecent assault of seven boys aged 11 to 14 at Monivae College between 1976 and 1980. The majority of the assaults occurred in the basement laundry where Mamo had a work room. Mamo pleaded guilty to all charges. In February 2013, Judge Leckie sentenced Mamo to two years and three months jail. He was ordered to serve a minimum 18 months before becoming eligible for parole. Mamo was placed on the serious sex offenders register for life. County Court judge Julian Leckie, said Mamo had used corporal punishment as a means to indulge his "perverted sexual desire".{{cite news |url=https://www.standard.net.au/story/1315953/monivae-college-sex-abuse-victims-wait-for-justice/ |work=The Standard |title=Monivae College sex abuse victims wait for justice |date=21 February 2013 }}{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-20/boys-sexually-assaulted-under-guise-of-corporal-punishment/4529880 |work=ABC News |location=Australia |title=Boys sexually assaulted under guise of corporal punishment |date=20 February 2013 }}

In 2015, an additional 14 victims came forward in relation to 21 counts of indecent assault. Mamo pleaded guilty to all charges. Judge Smallwood sentenced Mamo to a minimum 12 months jail with a further 22 months suspended. According to a report in The Age, "the victims were taken into a dark basement at Monivae College in Hamilton, 290 kilometres west of Melbourne, and indecently assaulted by Mamo from 1976 to 1980."{{cite news |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/catholic-brother-pleads-guilty-to-sex-abuse-20130220-2eqvf.html |work=The Age |title=Victoria Catholic brother pleads guilty to sex abuse |date=20 February 2013 }}

In the impact statements of the victims reported in Broken Rites, "two said they had attended the school as happy, confident and smart children but the offending had left them humiliated and introverted. One had dreamt of becoming a lawyer but had left the school a "shattered delinquent".""{{cite web |url=http://www.brokenrites.org.au/drupal/node/211 |work=Broken Rites |title=A Catholic Brother is jailed again for another 14 of his victims |date=n.d. }} Another cited "academic struggles, failed relationships and alcoholism" as downstream impacts of the abuse. "He said he felt outraged that Monivae College had never acted on the allegations against Mamo at the time, which made the school complicit in his offending." Another said he had tried to bury the memory but this lack of resolution had created "a ripple effect throughout his life. He said he now saw that this suffering didn't have to be carried into the future."{{cite news |url=https://www.standard.net.au/story/1192201/evil-acts-victims-tell-court-of-lifelong-scars-from-child-abuse/ |work=The Standard |title=Evil acts: victims tell court of lifelong scars from child abuse |date=18 December 2012 }}{{cite web |url=https://aussiesexoffenders.wordpress.com/tag/monivae-college/ |work=Aussie sex offenders |title=Ex-Catholic brother jailed for boys' abuse |date=n.d. }}

Father Michael (Mick) Reis was a teacher and senior administrator at Monivae for over 20 years on and off, from 1971 to the 2008.{{cite web |url=http://monivae.com/images/downloads/annuals/1980_Annual.pdf |publisher=Monivae |title=Annual Report |year=1980 }} In January 2008, police arrested Reis while he was teaching at Monivae in relation to seven counts of indecent treatment of two girls aged 10 to 13 during his time teaching in Queensland. The first girl was assaulted in her Brisbane home in 1984.{{cite news |url=https://www.standard.net.au/story/728202/ex-monivae-priest-jailed-for-sex-crime-arrest-in-hamilton/ |work=The Standard |title=Ex-Monivae priest jailed for sex crimes |date=7 November 2008 }} The following year, Reis returned to Monivae where he was appointed rector (1985-1990).{{cite web |url=http://monivae.com/images/downloads/annuals/1990_Annual.pdf |publisher=Monivae |title=Annual Report |date=1990 }} The court was told Reis "eventually stopped his offending of his own accord because he realised his actions were wrong". However, he relapsed in 1994 when he sexually abused a second girl at Caboolture. In 1999, the girls reported the assaults to the Catholic Church. According to Broken Rites, "the two girls were merely offered "counselling"."{{cite web |url=http://www.brokenrites.org.au/drupal/node/122 |work=Broken Rites |title=Two female victims finally obtained justice by contacting the police |date=n.d. }}

Despite having knowledge of this report, Monivae, under then-principals, Peter Gurry and Bernard Neale, allowed Reis to continue teaching at the school as well as keep his live-in position as Head of Boarding.{{cite web |url=http://monivae.com/images/downloads/annuals/1999_Annual.pdf |publisher=Monivae |work=Annual Report |year=1999 |title=Principal's Report |page=7}}{{cite web |url=http://monivae.com/images/downloads/annuals/2000_Annual.pdf |publisher=Monivae |work=Annual Report |year=2000 |title=Teaching staff 2000 |page=10 }}

The provincial leader of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) of Australia, Father Tim Brennan, defended this decision saying the report prepared by the Catholic Church found he posed no threat as a teacher. Brennan (a former student and teacher at Monivae in the 1960s and 1970s{{rp|70}} said, "That report did say that he should only be assigned to senior students, not younger students. Since the late '90s he's worked here, he's only been with year 11 and 12 students."

The court was told that the two girls had assumed Reis had been banned from teaching by the Catholic Church, but were later shocked to discover Monivae were allowing him to teach in an environment with direct access to young girls. In 2007 they decided to report his behaviour to the police. In November 2008, Reis pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to 6 months jail with a further 12 months suspended.{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-11-06/priest-jailed-over-child-sex-offences/196420 |work=ABC News |location=Australia |title=Priest jailed over child sex offences |date=6 November 2008 }}

Brother John Frith worked and lived at Monivae during the 1970s and 1980s. He was in charge of the infirmary and responsible for examining and attending to sick students.{{cite web |url=http://monivae.com/images/downloads/annuals/1975_Annual.pdf |publisher=Monivae |title=Annual Report |date=1975 }} In 2018, following an investigation by members of the Sano Taskforce, Brother Frith was charged with offences allegedly committed against boys at Monivae College in the 1970s and 1980s. Frith appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court in early 2019. The trial has been set for March 2020 in the Victorian County Court. Details of the case are not known at this stage.

Brother G.M. Morgan is no. 81 on a list of “Out of court civil cases researched by Broken Rites” as a result of sexual abuse allegations during his time working in the infirmary at Monivae in the 1960s{{cite web|url=http://www.brokenrites.org.au/drupal/node/235 |title=Black collar crime}}

Broken Rites reported that the victims of the Mamo assaults expressed, ""grave concerns" about the way the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart managed the allegations when they were reported by students... (and) ...the way the MSC order managed Mamo during the time the sexual offences occurred at the school. We also have serious questions that we would like the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart to answer, relating to their duty of care to us as young boys."

In sentencing Brother Edward Mamo, Judge Smallwood remarked, "It seems extraordinary you could have continued to offend in this way, over years, without anyone doing anything about it."{{cite news |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/catholic-schools-groundkeeper-edward-mamo-jailed-for-beating-teenage-smokers-20151211-gllhov.html |work=The Age |title=Catholic school's groundkeeper Edward Mamo jailed for beating teenage smokers |date=11 December 2015 }}

The rectors of Monivae during the period when the offences took place were Father Malcolm Fyfe MSC (1969–1977), and Father Dennis Uhr MSC (1978–1984). Uhr, following his stint at Monivae, served as rector at another MSC school, Daramalan in Canberra (1989–1997), where he was "accused of failing to act after three teachers warned him over the practice of a teacher (Paul John Lyons) who took boys home for weekend visits". Lyon later admitted to sexually abusing boys in his home. The head of MSC Australia, Fr Tim Brennan, "told The Australian that he had spoken to Fr Uhr about the Lyons affair... but said he did not want to pre-judge Fr Uhr's actions."{{cite web |url=http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2007/07_08/2007_07_27_CathNews_CanberraCollege.htm |work=CathNews |title=Canberra College ex-principal under fire over failure to act |date=27 July 2007 }}{{cite news |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/college-has-sad-history-of-sex-abuse/news-story/4240ac3a2c0cf033f47bee7e34d89f31 |work=The Australian |title=College has sad history of sex abuse |date=7 July 2007 }}

Bishop Ronald Mulkearns MSC, was the then-Monivae Patron. He was criticised by the Royal Commission for covering up sex abuse during his time as bishop of the Ballarat diocese, under which Monivae operated.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/dec/06/catholic-bishop-cared-little-for-children-and-left-them-in-danger-royal-commission-finds |work=The Guardian |location=Australia |title=Catholic bishop cared little for children and left them in danger |date=6 December 2017}}{{cite web |url=http://monivae.com/images/downloads/annuals/1978_Annual.pdf |work=Monivae Annual Report |title=Rector's Report, 1978}}

In 2013, a group of Monivae old-boys filed a suit to sue the Catholic Church for failing to protect them from sexual abuse whilst under the care of the school.{{Cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/vic-schoolboys-to-sue-catholic-church-20130222-2evpf.html |title=Vic schoolboys to sue Catholic Church |last=Cresswell |first=Joel |date=22 February 2013 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en|access-date=2019-03-19}}

{{more citations needed section|date=August 2019}}

• Michael Delahunty
• Hugh Delahunty
• Mick Dodson
• Patrick Dodson{{Cite web |last=MALONE |first=Peter |title=Some kind words about MSC Education. A Monivae story. |url=https://www.misacor.org.au/item/3351-some-kind-words-about-msc-education-a-monivae-story |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=www.misacor.org.au |language=en-gb}}
• Emma Kearney{{Cite web |last=McCubbing |first=Gus |date=2019-03-07 |title=Kearney: Scrap the conference system |url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/kearney-scrap-the-conference-system-20190307-p512k6.html |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=The Age |language=en}}
• Stan Tipiloura{{cite web|first=Bob|last=Collins|author-link=Bob Collins (Australian politician)|title=Adjournment: Mr Stanley Tipiloura|publisher=Parliament of Australia|year=1992|url=http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;db=CHAMBER;id=chamber%2Fhansards%2F1992-10-08%2F0258;page=0;query=%28Dataset%3Aweblastweek,hansardr,noticer,webthisweek,dailyp,votes,journals,orderofbusiness,hansards,notices,websds%29%20ParliamentNumber%3A%2236%22%20Context_Phrase%3A%22adjournment%22%20Party%3A%22clp%22;rec=1|accessdate=30 October 2010}}
• Donald McDonald{{Cite web |title=monivae |url=https://moca.monivae.com/?action=printsnippet&snippet=pg_33&printtemplate=on&builder=on |access-date=2023-09-21 |website=Potentiality Online Communities |language=en-GB}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.monivae.com School website]

{{Secondary schools in Victoria|state=collapsed}}

Category:Catholic secondary schools in Victoria (state)

Category:Boarding schools in Victoria (state)

Category:Educational institutions established in 1954

Category:Catholic boarding schools in Australia

Category:Missionaries of the Sacred Heart

Category:1954 establishments in Australia

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Category:Roman Catholic Diocese of Ballarat

Category:Hamilton, Victoria