Faith and Mission
Coming Together for Peace: Wellington Shire Peace Mass 2026
Catholic College Sale proudly hosted the Annual Wellington Shire Peace Mass for 2026, welcoming nearly 2,000 students, teachers and staff from across the region.
First established in 2003 during the Gulf War, the Peace Mass has become a cherished tradition for Catholic College Sale and the six Catholic primary schools within the Wellington Shire. Each year, the event provides a meaningful opportunity for school communities to come together to reflect on peace, unity and hope.
Held in the Bishop Phelan Stadium, the Mass began with the traditional procession of school banners, each representing the unique identity of the participating schools. A display of national flags followed, highlighting the importance of peace across our diverse and interconnected world. The celebration also included an Acknowledgement of Country delivered by Lana (Year 12), Dakota (Year 10) and Reagan (Grade Prep), who proudly represented their culture and acknowledged the Traditional Custodians of the land on which the celebration took place.
This year’s theme was “Towards an Unarmed and Disarming Peace.” In the lead-up to the celebration, students from all participating schools wrote messages of peace and diversity on strips of coloured paper. These messages were then linked together to create a monumental chain, symbolising the schools’ united stance for peace and their shared hope for a more peaceful and inclusive world.
A highlight of the celebration was the Offertory Procession, led by Catholic College Sale’s tallest student alongside one of the youngest Prep students. Their participation beautifully symbolised the shared, intergenerational responsibility of building a more peaceful world.
The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Greg Bennet, who encouraged students to recognise that peace begins within each of us. Addressing the students from Catholic College Sale and Catholic schools across Wellington Shire, Bishop Bennet said:
“We live in a world where so many millions of people – young and old – do not enjoy the peace, freedom and happiness we so often take for granted. As disciples of Jesus, we share in his life which transforms lives, heals hearts and unites all divisions. The love of Jesus does not confine us but truly opens our hearts to others.”
Developing the metaphor of brick walls, Bishop Greg held two bricks aloft in his hands as he spoke about the barriers that can divide people.
“Across our world, powerful world leaders build walls and barriers which prevent us from seeing or hearing the suffering of others. They prefer we did not look behind the walls they create in order that we do not see the plight of women, men and children or to hear their tears for justice. Your words and actions, dear students, can tear down the walls which divide us. In you we see such goodness, hope and kindness. You can truly change the world by choosing the way of peace.”
The combined choirs of Catholic College Sale and St Mary’s Sale helped create a beautiful atmosphere of celebration, reflection and peace. We were also pleased to welcome local dignitaries, representatives from Marist Schools Australia and DOSCEL, and the Sisters of Sion from Melbourne, who joined our school communities in prayer.
Another highlight of the day was the opening and blessing of the Marian Restaurant, an exciting new facility at Catholic College Sale. The facility is the culmination of many hours of planning and design over the past few years and reflects the College’s commitment to providing students with authentic learning opportunities. It is hoped that the restaurant will also open to members of the local community, providing students with valuable opportunities to develop their hospitality skills in a real-world setting.
Catholic College Sale sincerely thanks everyone who contributed to the success of this year’s Peace Mass. We are proud to continue this meaningful tradition and reaffirm our commitment to fostering peace, hope and unity within our local community and beyond.
Passionist Retreat Days
Recently, our Year 9 and Year 12 students had the opportunity to step away from the usual routines of school and take part in full-day retreats facilitated by the Passionist Retreat Team.
Our Year 9 students participated in the Bridgebuilders program, which focused on relationships, belonging and building stronger connections within the year level. Through activities, conversation, reflection and prayer, students were encouraged to think about themselves, their relationships with others and the place of God in their lives.
Our Year 12 students took part in the Masks program, which explored the different “masks” we can sometimes wear and reminded students that we do not always know what others may be carrying beneath the surface. It was a particularly powerful day, with some very genuine moments of reflection, affirmation and connection as the students continue their final year together.
Following the Year 9 retreat, staff also had the opportunity to spend an hour after school in formation with Fr Luke Bulley CP and Alissa. This provided a valuable chance to reflect on many of the same themes and, in particular, on the importance of relationships, accompaniment and the way we encounter the young people in our care.
Both retreat days were profound experiences for our students, with a wonderful sense of openness, trust and community throughout. At times, the days were joyful and energetic; at others, deeply reflective and moving.
A very special thank you goes to Luke and Alissa, who so skilfully led our students and staff through these experiences. Their warmth, authenticity and ability to connect with young people where they are at created the space for some very meaningful conversations and moments of reflection. We are extremely grateful for what they brought to our College community.
Leaders Meeting with the Bishop
Four of our Year 12 student leaders, Abdul Hanafi, Lucas Lenne, Willow Goode and Will Moore, recently travelled to Warragul to meet with Bishop Greg Bennet and student leaders from Catholic secondary schools across the Diocese of Sale.
The annual gathering provides students with an opportunity to reflect together on their role as both school and mission leaders within their respective communities.
This year’s conversation centred on the theme “Sharing my journey as a leader in a Catholic school”, with students reflecting on how they have grown as leaders, what they have learned and some of the challenges they have encountered along the way.
It was a valuable opportunity for our students to share their own experiences, listen to the perspectives of others and spend time in conversation with Bishop Greg about leadership, faith and service.
Year 7 and 8 Game Changers
Our Year 7 and 8 Game Changers recently took part in a retreat day at Marcellin College in Bulleen.
Game Changers is a voluntary program run through Marist Youth Ministry, focused on community, service and living out the Marist charism.
The retreat was a wonderful opportunity for our students to connect with students from other Marist schools, learn more about the Marist charism and take part in a range of fun activities.
Our students conducted themselves brilliantly throughout the day and are to be congratulated on the way they supported one another and embraced every opportunity to participate!
