St Bernard’s College Old Collegians Association

Last Friday, 3 May, The SBC Foundation hosted the annual Gala Dinner, incorporating Hall of Fame inductions.

It was another tremendous evening to celebrate excellence amongst our Community. Mr Ben Carroll MP and Mr Don McKenzie were inducted into the SBC Hall of Fame and both spoke wonderfully on the night.

It was fantastic to see so many of our community, with 160 guests in attendance it was one of the biggest Gala nights to date, a great mix of Old Collegians, Hall of Fame members and community members made for a memorable night.

A big thank you to Simon Madden, our MC, John Hughes, SBC Foundation Chair, Michael Davies, College Principal and everyone involved to make the night a success.

Looking forward to next year!

On Thursday, May 16 the 500 Supporters' group hosted their annual Football Lunch at the MCG.

The group is extremely close to our Community, founded by the late Noel O'Brien (SBOC 1946) and with many of our Old Collegians involved in hosting the event and as members, it's a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness and much needed funds for those less fortunate then us.

The College has attended these lunches for over 10 years, and this year the Old Collegians Association made a return, which provided great representation of St Bernard's.

The 500 Supporters' Group primary objective has been to support the Ruben Centre by funding the majority of its operating costs of more than $1.4 million per annum.

The 500 Supporters' Group, via the Edmund Rice Foundation, is proud to have been Ruben's cornerstone donor for over 20 years now. Since its establishment, the Group has raised in excess of $8 million for the Ruben Centre.

Matthew Lloyd (SBOC 1995) was in attendance as a guest speaker, another Old Collegian and spoke highly of his time at the College.

If you would like more information on the 500 Supporters Group or to get involved, please visit their website by clicking here!

On Friday, May 16, Fr Joe Giacobbe (SBOC 1966) celebrated 50 years of priesthood, a tremendous accomplishment.

Fr Joe has had such a wonderful impact on not only the St Bernard's Community, but wider community through various works, his love of horse racing has led to many knowing him as 'The Punting Priest'

One particular accomplishment is the Doxa Youth Foundation.

Fr Joe was inspired to create the the Doxa Youth Foundation through his work with disadvantaged communities in the earlier days of his priesthood. During this time, he realised that many young people he worked with might never have a holiday or visit the country during their childhood. He decided to establish a camp at Malmsbury to give these young people a positive life experience possibly for the first time, and so Doxa was born.

From its humble beginnings, hundreds of people have worked together to help make Father Joe’s dream of lasting change for disadvantaged young people a reality.

“The only way to achieve anything is to start” – Fr Joe Giacobbe

Doxa is in its 52nd year of operation and continues to make positive change in the lives of so many young people.

Congratulations Fr Joe on this tremendous achievement!

SBOCA Grants in 2024

In 2023, the St Bernard's Old Collegian Association proudly supported four Old Collegians through the SBOCA Grant Program - we are looking forward to continuing the tradition in 2024!

We had a chance to speak with another grant winner Mr Ben Lamaro (SBOC 2019) who provided valuable insight into his experience and how the Global Gateway grant helped him make the most of his international studies.

Incase you missed it - Mr Simon Vitelli (SBOC 2019) interview - Click here!

Get your application in today!

With May nearly upon us, our St Bernard's Reunion Season is just about to start!

2023 saw record numbers attending reunions, we hope to continue the trend in 2024!

We are looking forward to catching up with as many Old Collegians as possible this year, make sure to RSVP to your reunion if you haven't yet - this year we have taken the extra step with reunions to start at the College with some light refreshments to enjoy a College tour & presentation

Join us for an insightful morning at our upcoming Business Breakfast featuring the brilliant minds behind Spatium Capital, Jesse Moors and Nicholas Quinn.

🔹 Jesse Moors, a master of international business, is known for his expertise in identifying market trends and capitalizing on herd mentality. His strategic approach has been pivotal in the success of Spatium’s investment strategies.

🔹 Nicholas Quinn, with his background in finance and economics, brings a unique perspective influenced by physics and mathematics to the world of fund management. His innovative quantitative strategies have significantly contributed to Spatium’s growth.

We would love to host as many Old Collegians as possible for what promises to be a fantastically insightful morning into the finance world