What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Matriculation Day is more than a ceremony – it is a rite of passage, a moment when a student steps fully into the life of College and University, leaving behind the threshold of possibility and entering a community of learning, tradition, and shared purpose.
It is a day to pause, to reflect on the journey that has brought them here, and to acknowledge the responsibilities and opportunities that come with being part of something larger than oneself.
Much like the College and the University itself, Matriculation Day is founded in the long history of both institutions, and like both, it continually evolves as the years, decades and centuries pass.
In the solemnity of the events, the presence of faculty and fellow students, and the echo of centuries of cherished and healthy traditions, students are invited to embrace not only knowledge, but belonging, curiosity, and the pursuit of a life enriched by community and discovery.
To enable this, our Matriculation Day program begins with spiritual enrichment and tradition in the College Chapel, where we ask the Lord to watch over His flock and keep us safe. The service, led by the Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, Bishop Tony Percy, and featuring singing by the College Choir under the direction of Mr Richard Perrignon, with soloists Mary-Jean O’Doherty and Mairead McCaughan, and jointly led by the College’s Danny Eid Scholar Chair and Opera Australia tenor, Mr Diego Torre.
Following the Chapel service, the formal Matriculation Ceremony occurs in the College Quadrangle. The Rector and Senior Tutor pronounce the entry of each new student into the annals and records of St John’s College, and each student is individually presented to parents and peers as a new member of the St John’s College community. To formally open the ceremony, I declare to all present:
I declare open this Convocation of the College of St John the Evangelist.
The cause of this Convocation is to Matriculate new members in accordance with the statutes, by-laws and customs of the College, and to welcome them to the College community.
A welcome speech is given by the Chair of the College Council, Mr John Coorey, who instils within the students the inherent expectations of responsibility and respect that come with being members of St John’s College.
Other members of the College Council in attendance were Mr Khan Horne, Judge Gerard Phillips, Professor Emeritus Marea Nicholson AM, and Mr Phil Towzell.
Hudson Thompson
Following the formal ceremony in the College Quadrangle, I present my welcome speech to the Matriculands at the academic year’s commencing Formal Dinner in the College’s historic Dining Hall:
Responsibility and freedom are great and good things. They are also terrifying in their potential power. The power to unleash so much creativity and good, and yet also the power to make us prisoners of our own choices. Never before have young people faced such overwhelming opportunity and choice. Never before have they faced such change and uncertainty. Their choices will build their character and character builds destiny.
The House Presidents of 2026, Jemima Carmody and Xavier Leaver, address the Hall, as well as an introduction to the College’s academic program from the Senior Tutor, the Hon John Sackar AM KC.
The day is abuzz with energy, as new bonds are formed, old friendships reunited, and optimism abounds within the walls of the College.
In every smile shared, every handshake offered, and every quiet moment of reflection, the spirit of St John’s awakens anew, weaving together the past, present, and future into a living tapestry of community, learning, and inspiration.
So where to from here? Each student steps into a world of possibility, called to strive, to seek and to find, not only in knowledge, but in character and in spirit. It is a path where challenges become opportunities, friendships become anchors, and every contribution, large or small, threads into the vibrant tapestry of St John’s College, leaving an imprint that endures far beyond the walls of the College. My job as Rector is to keep their community strong and their journey purposeful – a job which I take great pride in:
I have seen the real future of St John’s College alive and well, and I know that I see before me another great generation about to join this great tradition. A humbling weight of expectation that reminds us of our responsibility to do St John’s, our parents, and our society including the weakest and most vulnerable proud.
From those to whom much has been given, much will be expected.
Nisi Dominus Frustra: Welcome to St John’s College!
Dr Mark Schembri KSG
Rector
