Mission & Religious Education News
Catholic Schools Week
Happy Catholic Schools Week to the entire diocesan community. Catholic Schools week is an opportunity to celebrate that our schools are not only good schools, but good Catholic schools. It is our faith that leads us towards a hope filled future, and our 2025 theme Pilgrims of Hope reflects this. Thank you for all you do in your work as we journey together as pilgrims of hope. Mass tomorrow is at 11am at the De la Salle Chapel at O'Connor Catholic College as the central celebration of Catholic Schools Week.
ACYF
Later this year, students and staff aged 15-25 will get the opportunity to go on pilgrimage to Australian Catholic Youth Festival in Melbourne. Australian Catholic Youth Festival (ACYF) is a national gathering of Catholic young people established by the Australian Bishops more than ten years ago. Run over three days, the Festival provides young people from all across Australia with the opportunity to come together to connect, deepen their relationship with Jesus, be empowered to live their faith in the world and experience the breadth of the Church in Australia. The Festival will bring together thousands of young people (Year 9 – 25 years of age) from all across Australia and include opportunities for engagement with other young people, school and youth groups, Bishops, musicians and speakers. Keep an eye on the eBulletin for further details in the coming weeks.
Prayer for ACYF
God of hope and journeying,
We come before You as pilgrims as we prepare
for the Australian Catholic Youth Festival.
Ignite in us the fire of Your Spirit,
that we may walk boldly as pilgrims of hope
in a world that hungers for light, truth, and love.
Guide our paths with purpose,
strengthen our hearts with courage,
and open our minds to Your voice in the silence and the song.
May this festival be a sacred moment of encounter with You,
with one another, and with our mission as Church.
Help us to carry the hope of the Gospel into every place we go,
to stand with the brokenhearted,
to rejoice with the joyful,
and to proclaim, in word and witness, that Christ lives and walks with us.
Let us be pilgrims of hope, bearers of light, and children of God.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Ignite
We have a good quorum of student delegates for the Ignite Conference in Broken Bay Diocese in the upcoming school holidays including accompanying supervising teachers. It is an opportunity for high school students but is also great for young teachers including those from our primary schools. If you as a staff member are interested, please contact your REC. We can get you the registration details and subsidise costs. Ignite details
New Staff Induction
New Staff to our schools and system are required to attend an induction day in Armidale. There are 2 upcoming dates throughout the year to ease the burden for schools with a number of new staff and to cater for those that join the diocese later. To register for these days, please liaise with your leadership team and complete THIS REGISTRATION FORM.
The dates for 2025 are:
- September 4
- October 23
Upcoming Important Church Calendar Days
May
Tue 27 - Saint Augustine of Canterbury
Thu 29 - Saint Paul VI
Sat 31- The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
June
Sun 1 - The Ascension of the Lord
Mon 2 - Saints Marcellinus and Peter
Tue 3 - Saints Charles Lwanga and his Companions
Thu 5 - Saint Boniface
Fri 6 - Saint Norbert, Saint Marcellin Champagnat
Sun 8 - Pentecost
Mon 9 - Mary, Mother of the Church
Wed 11 - Saint Barnabas
Fri 13 - Saint Antony of Padua
Sat 14 - Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sun 15 - The Most Holy Trinity
Thu 19 - Saint Romuald
Sat 21 - Saint Aloysius Gonzaga
Sun 22 - The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Tue 24 - The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist Solemnity
Fri 27 - The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Sat 28 - Saint Irenaeus, The Immaculate Heart of Mary
Sun 29 - Saints Peter and Paul
Mon 30 - The First Martyrs of the See of Rome