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
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30 Jul 2026
From Facebook
๐ Celebrating Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast Day & Grandparents Day ๐ What a wonderful day of faith, family and community! Last Friday, we gathered to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel while honouring our grandparents and the special people who nurture, guide and love us each day. Our students led a beautiful Mass with reverence and joy before families came together to share a picnic across our school grounds. It was heartwarming to see generations celebrating together, reminding us that our school is truly a community where everyone belongs. A heartfelt thank you to our parish, staff, students, families and grandparents for making the day such a memorable celebration. Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us. ๐ Saints Anne and Joachim, pray for us. ๐
28 Jul 2026
From Facebook
Congratulations to all of our students who received Merit Awards and Star Cards this week โ our first award recipients for the term! โญ๐ We are so proud of the positive choices, effort and learning you demonstrate each day. A special thank you to our SRC and Fr Janu for leading our school community in a beautiful time of prayer as we farewelled Mrs Murphy ahead of her retirement. Tomorrow marks her final day at OLMC, and we thank her for her many years of dedicated service, care and commitment to our school community. We wish her every blessing and happiness as she begins this exciting new chapter. ๐
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30 Jul 2026
From Facebook
๐ Celebrating Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast Day & Grandparents Day ๐ What a wonderful day of faith, family and community! Last Friday, we gathered to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel while honouring our grandparents and the special people who nurture, guide and love us each day. Our students led a beautiful Mass with reverence and joy before families came together to share a picnic across our school grounds. It was heartwarming to see generations celebrating together, reminding us that our school is truly a community where everyone belongs. A heartfelt thank you to our parish, staff, students, families and grandparents for making the day such a memorable celebration. Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us. ๐ Saints Anne and Joachim, pray for us. ๐
28 Jul 2026
From Facebook
Congratulations to all of our students who received Merit Awards and Star Cards this week โ our first award recipients for the term! โญ๐ We are so proud of the positive choices, effort and learning you demonstrate each day. A special thank you to our SRC and Fr Janu for leading our school community in a beautiful time of prayer as we farewelled Mrs Murphy ahead of her retirement. Tomorrow marks her final day at OLMC, and we thank her for her many years of dedicated service, care and commitment to our school community. We wish her every blessing and happiness as she begins this exciting new chapter. ๐
17 Jul 2026
From Facebook
Join the OLMC Parish this weekend as we celebrate our Feast Day. Our Principal Mass will be this Sunday 19 July at 10:00 am. This will be preceded by a procession in the school grounds from 9:30 am, and refreshments and celebrations after Mass.
17 Jul 2026
From Facebook
17 Jul 2026
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08 Jul 2026
CSPD students recognised in Refugee Week Creative Competition
Over 125 students from 10 Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) schools have been recognised for their empathy and powerful storytelling as part of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Australia Refugee Week Creative Competition.
05 Jul 2026
From Facebook
Today we sent Mrs Azar and Ms Dooley off on their next big adventure of motherhood. They take with them our prayers and well wishes as we all eagerly await their news.
02 Jul 2026
From Facebook
This week Year 3 had two special visitors โ Rufus and Ola, two playful desert dingo pups. The children have been reading the book Wandi and this visit brought their learning to life. Students loved meeting Rufus and Ola and learning more about dingo conservation and care. The pups were full of energy and quickly won everyone over with their friendly nature, playful personalities, and plenty of enthusiastic licks! The children enjoyed interacting with the dingoes up close and were fascinated to see firsthand the unique features and behaviours they had been learning about in class. This memorable experience provided a wonderful opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of Australia's native animals while creating some very special memories with our dingo cubs along the way.
29 Jun 2026
From Facebook
The OLMC Junior and Concert Bands are ready to showcase their skills at The Primary Band Exhibition Day.
29 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Year 5 had an amazing reward day celebrating their cultures. They came dressed in cultural clothes and shared cultural artefacts. All of the children created a travel brochure promoting their heritage. Their final immersive experience was to make sushi for lunch.
