Br Francois Service Medal

The Br Francois Service Medal recognises an Old Boy of the College who has demonstrated that he continues to keep the faith in the service of others. The Medal is named after one of the earliest Brothers, Br Francois (Gabriel Rivat), who joined the Little Brothers of Mary at the time of St Marcellin and became the first Superior-General of the order.

Dr Steven Peterson has well and truly demonstrated that he continues to keep the faith in the service of others. 

Since graduating from the College in 2003, Steven studied medicine at the Australian National University. As a General Practitioner, Steve has supported his community in all areas of medicine including mental health, alcohol and drug dependency, and emergency medicine. Steven’s work across Australia saw him work closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to improve health outcomes. 

His exceptional list of service activities undertaken since leaving Marist include: 

• volunteer work as a Team Doctor for Aussie Rules teams in the Northern Territory, combining his passion for sport and medicine 
• volunteer work with political parties
• medical representative with an Aboriginal health council
• Parish Council member for the St Mary and St Joseph Catholic Parish in Orange
• volunteer with St Vincent de Paul Society, and 
• volunteer with the Orange Mountain Bike Club. 

In March 2018, Steven was hit by a car while riding to work. As a result of this accident, he is now a quadriplegic. Despite many challenges, Steven’s Catholic faith continues to guide his family life, work and commitment to service. 

Steven continues to work in the medical profession. He is a strong advocate for spinal research, assisting to organise events, and raise funds and awareness in an effort to fund more research into the area. Steven also continues to work in the political arena and in mid-2019, was elected the Chair of the Orange branch of the National Party.