Hundreds of students, parents and carers, teachers and clergy from Catholic schools throughout the Diocese of Parramatta gathered for the 2024 Education Mass to celebrate our schools’ commitment to Faith in Action and their positive engagement in the community.
Held at St Patrick’s Cathedral Parramatta, the Mass was led by Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv and celebrated the Feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In his inspiring Homily, Bishop Vincent said the Mass was a renewal of our commitment to follow the example of Mary in our lives and be bearers of her son Jesus’ good news.
“Blessed Virgin Mary is the prototype of the normal disciple,” Bishop Vincent said.
She exemplifies closeness with the poor, solidarity with the needy, compassion for the afflicted. Like Mary, we must be totally permeated by the Holy Spirit. We must be consumed by action for God's Kingdom – Mary is the sign of hope for humanity.
In his address, Executive Director Jack de Groot reflected on his own experience of mission and service while announcing CSPD’s new Religious Education curriculum Encountering Jesus.
“When I think about why my work has always taken me to places of service, I can pinpoint two things: my education and my faith,” said Jack.
“When my parents chose to send me to a Catholic school, they knew they wanted to provide me with an excellent education grounded in Catholic tradition. They wanted me to experience opportunities to put my faith into action and to live it out within the community.”
Jack said his hope is that the new Religious Education curriculum builds on and reflects this same intention families have for their children at our schools.
“Encountering Jesus reflects our intention for all students to have a deep encounter with the person and message of Jesus Christ, to really get to know and love Jesus. To see Him in others, and to be Him to others,” he said.The curriculum has been endorsed by Bishop Vincent along with Australian and international Catholic theologians and educators.
“Encountering Jesus isn't so much about learning some external rules; it is to internalise the experience of encountering, knowing, loving and serving Christ,” Bishop Vincent said.
Following the Mass, participants were invited to explore the Mission Agency Expo. The expo highlights the work of the many expressions of faith and service that are already present in our learning communities, including Catechist teaching in local government primary schools, Eucharistic minister training, as well as advocacy and support of church agencies such as Mercy Works, St Vincent de Paul and Jesuit Refugee Services.
“Today’s celebration was a significant moment in the life of our Diocese,” said Andrew Wilson, CSPD’s Head Mission. “Encountering Jesus will provide our students with an opportunity to come to know Jesus and to grow in their understanding of the Catholic faith. I am excited to work with our teachers and leaders, and to hear how our students are putting their learning into practice in their communities.”
Learn more about the Religious Education Curriculum.
View photos from this event View full gallery
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
-
25 Sep 2026
From Facebook
π Mercy Day 2026 π What a beautiful day of celebrating our Mercy spirit and community! π We began the day with a beautiful liturgy led by our wonderful FIAT group, providing a special opportunity for our school community to come together in prayer and reflection. Our Year 6 students then brought plenty of excitement to the day with their fantastic market stalls! ποΈπ Thank you to our Year 6 students for all their creativity, enthusiasm and hard work. We ended our Mercy Day celebrations with the Mercy Cup, with MacKillop taking on our teachers! ππβ½οΈ What a fantastic way to finish the day! A huge well done to our teachers on their Mercy Cup victory! ππ Thank you to everyone who helped make Mercy Day such a wonderful celebration of our community, our faith and the spirit of Catherine McAuley. π Happy Mercy Day! πΏβ¨22 Sep 2026
From Facebook
π€ΈββοΈ A HUGE congratulations to Camille! π We are so proud to celebrate Camilleβs incredible achievement at the National Clubs Gymnastics Championships, where she placed 1st in Trampoline Gymnastics and was crowned Age Champion! What an amazing accomplishment, Camille! Your hard work and dedication have certainly paid off. We canβt wait to see what you achieve next! ππ
Latest News More news
28 Sep 2026
Celebrating 40 years of Voice of Youth and the power of student voice
Six Year 6 students from 58 Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) Primary schools came together at St John XXIII Catholic College Stanhope Gardens on 22 September for the Voice of Youth Grand Final, showcasing their public speaking skills through a series of thoughtful and engaging speeches.
25 Sep 2026
From Facebook
π Mercy Day 2026 π What a beautiful day of celebrating our Mercy spirit and community! π We began the day with a beautiful liturgy led by our wonderful FIAT group, providing a special opportunity for our school community to come together in prayer and reflection. Our Year 6 students then brought plenty of excitement to the day with their fantastic market stalls! ποΈπ Thank you to our Year 6 students for all their creativity, enthusiasm and hard work. We ended our Mercy Day celebrations with the Mercy Cup, with MacKillop taking on our teachers! ππβ½οΈ What a fantastic way to finish the day! A huge well done to our teachers on their Mercy Cup victory! ππ Thank you to everyone who helped make Mercy Day such a wonderful celebration of our community, our faith and the spirit of Catherine McAuley. π Happy Mercy Day! πΏβ¨
22 Sep 2026
From Facebook
π€ΈββοΈ A HUGE congratulations to Camille! π We are so proud to celebrate Camilleβs incredible achievement at the National Clubs Gymnastics Championships, where she placed 1st in Trampoline Gymnastics and was crowned Age Champion! What an amazing accomplishment, Camille! Your hard work and dedication have certainly paid off. We canβt wait to see what you achieve next! ππ
04 Sep 2026
From Facebook
π Celebrating Our Dads & Father Figures π What a wonderful morning celebrating the amazing dads, grandfathers and special father figures in our St Anthonyβs community! Our Fatherβs Day Breakfast was a beautiful opportunity for families to come together, share some special moments and celebrate the important people who love, guide and support our students each day. π Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the morning so special. We wish all of our dads, grandfathers and father figures a very Happy Fatherβs Day! π #FathersDay #StAnthonys #SchoolCommunity #BetterTogether
01 Sep 2026
From Facebook
Loving God, Be close to all those caught in the devastation of the floods in Nepal and Tibet. Comfort those who have lost loved ones, strengthen those waiting anxiously for news, and guide rescuers and emergency workers as they search for survivors. Give courage to displaced families and compassion to communities offering shelter, food and care. May those who are missing be found, and may those who mourn know they are not alone. God of mercy, hear our prayer. Amen.
28 Aug 2026
From Facebook
ππΆ Book Week 2026 β Symphony of Stories! πΆπ Our students had a wonderful time bringing their favourite book characters to life at our Book Parade! πβ¨ As part of our whole-school focus on building vocabulary, students were also asked to bring along a Tier 2 or Tier 3 word that described their character. It was fantastic to see so many creative characters and rich vocabulary on display! π Thank you to our wonderful students and families for helping make our Book Parade such a special celebration of reading! β€οΈπ #BookWeek2026 #SymphonyOfStories #BookParade #BuildingVocabulary
28 Aug 2026
Our schools are cracking the reading code
Do you remember how you learned to read? For a vital skill that is linked to all other learning, itβs surprisingly difficult to explain how to go about learning it.
20 Aug 2026
Six Habits That Help Children Develop a Love of Reading
Book Week is a celebration of stories, imagination and creativity, but helping children love reading isn't just something that happens during one week of the year. The good news? It doesn't take expensive resources or hours of extra time. Often, it's the small, everyday habits that make the biggest difference.
11 Aug 2026
From Facebook
06 Aug 2026
From Facebook
β½ Stage 2 Soccer Gala Day β½ Following the cancellation of the Diocesan Stage 2 Soccer Gala Day, our Stage 2 students enjoyed a fun and successful St Anthony's Soccer Gala Day, ensuring everyone still had the opportunity to experience the excitement of a soccer tournament. The morning was filled with teamwork, determination, encouragement and plenty of smiles. Congratulations to all of our teams for displaying great sportsmanship and giving their best throughout the tournament. π Tournament Results π₯ 1st Place: Team 5 (McAuley) π₯ 2nd Place: Team 7 (MacKillop) π₯ 3rd Place: Team 4 (McAuley) A special congratulations to Andreas (Year 3), who was awarded the Sportsperson Award in recognition of his outstanding sportsmanship, leadership and encouragement of others throughout the day. He was a wonderful example of what it means to compete with respect and integrity. Thank you to our staff and student referees for helping make the morning such a success. It was wonderful to see our Stage 2 students enjoying friendly competition, building new friendships and creating lasting memories together. β½πππβ€οΈ #LearningUplifts #Stage2Soccer #Sportsmanship #Teamwork #StAnthonys
04 Aug 2026
From Facebook
β½οΈ Stage 3 Soccer Gala Day β½οΈ Our Stage 3 students had a fantastic day at the Soccer Gala Day! All three teams represented our school with pride, demonstrating excellent teamwork, determination and outstanding sportsmanship throughout the day. Across the competition, our teams celebrated a few wins, fought hard for some draws and learned from a few losses. Most importantly, they encouraged one another, played with respect and gave their best in every match. Well done to all of our players for the wonderful way you represented our school. We are so proud of you! πβ½οΈ
28 Jul 2026
Action and Progress: Western Sydney Catholic Schools release 2026 Closing the Gap Report
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) has released its Closing the Gap Report 2026, detailing efforts to enhance educational equity, community engagement, and cultural capability across its 80 schools in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.