Message from the Director of Schools

Dear Colleagues,

Catholic Schools Week 

What a wonderful celebration of Catholic Schools Week. The Armidale Catholic Schools Board would like to extend their appreciation to everyone for the work you do and for all those who helped in the celebration including the Catholic Schools Week Mass and Spirit of Catholic Education Awards. Congratulations to all our award recipients.

Below is the address I gave at the Mass on the theme of ‘Pilgrims of Hope’.

Welcome to Catholic Schools Week! Pilgrims of Hope:

Thank you for joining us today for this special Mass as we celebrate Catholic Schools Week 2025. It's wonderful to see so many of you here, representing our vibrant school and parish communities. Huge thank you to the team at O’Connor for accommodating us.

Firstly it is wonderful to welcome Bishop Peter Murphy to our Diocese. We thank you and our clergy with us today. We value and appreciate your support of our schools and Catholic education. 

This week is always a highlight, a time when we give thanks for the incredible gift of Catholic education in our lives. And this year, it holds an even deeper significance as we embrace a powerful theme for our Armidale Catholic Schools: Pilgrims of Hope.

2025 was designated by Pope Francis as an Jubilee Year, and its universal theme, for the entire world, is precisely that: Pilgrims of Hope. Pope Francis consistently reminded us that we are all on a journey, a pilgrimage of faith, walking together with purpose and hope. 

And now, as we also welcome the spiritual guidance of our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, we find an even greater impetus to fully embrace our role as "Pilgrims of Hope."

Pope Leo said of the 2025 Holy Year “inspires us all and invites us all to look for hope, but also to be signs of hope.”

Here in our schools, this theme of Pilgrims of Hope connects directly with our Vision: "A Christ-centred inclusive learning community that supports young people to realise a hope-filled future." Our Catholic schools are so much more than just places of learning; they are vibrant communities where we embark on a shared pilgrimage of faith, discovery, and growth. 

I want to extend my sincere thanks to every single member of our school and parish communities: our students, (our young people), our dedicated staff, our clergy, and of course, our families. Each of you plays an absolutely vital role in the success and spirit of Catholic education here in the Armidale Diocese.

May our schools continue to be true beacons of faith, learning, and wellbeing, where our young people, our staff, our families, and our parishes are truly nurtured as pilgrims, filled with an enduring hope that illuminates their path.

Together, as Pilgrims of Hope in this special Jubilee Year, let us continue to journey forward with courage and unwavering faith, always knowing that with God, our hope will never, ever be in vain.

Congratulations - Karen Croake

Congratulations to Karen Croake who presented at the Tactile Reading and Graphics conference in Amsterdam. Karen presented her PhD research, a Delphi study looking at the pedagogy that supports the sustained development of braille literacy in a mainstream classroom. Karen expressed that it was a wonderful opportunity to meet researchers, teachers and innovators from around the world who are working to ensure all braille users have access to the curriculum on the same basis as their peers.

A fantastic achievement Karen! 

Vale Yvonne Mowle

It is with deep sadness that I share the news of the passing of our former colleague, Yvonne, who devoted more than five decades to the Armidale Diocese, leaving a lasting impact on countless students and communities. Her remarkable teaching journey began at St Mary's Boys' School, Armidale, where she was one of its first lay teachers.  She then moved and taught at Inverell, St Mary's Girls' School (Years 4-6), Sacred Heart Inverell, St Joseph's Uralla, before completing her distinguished career at St Mary of the Angels, Guyra. Yvonne was first and foremost a talented and dedicated teacher. Her sound curriculum knowledge and ability to impart knowledge left an impact on her many students.  Yvonne’s very special artistic talents allowed children to excel in the areas of Creative Arts and handwriting. These talents have been utilised by the school in hundreds of displays and concerts throughout the years. Yvonne’s posters and candles have been a feature in religious celebrations and prayer focuses. Yvonne’s deep commitment to her Catholic Faith was evident in her support for students in preparation for Sacramental Programs and in her delivery of excellent classroom religious units.

Yvonne’s loss is deeply felt by the entire community, and our thoughts and prayers go out to her family during this difficult time. 

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord.

And let perpetual light shine upon her.

May she rest in peace.

Amen.

May the souls of all the faithful departed,

through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Amen