Catholic Identity

2026 Diocesan Theme
Seek Peace & Pursue It.

Our New Diocesan Theme ~ From our Staff Beginning Year Prayer ~

Opening School Mass ~

Our School Opening Mass last Friday was a beautiful and prayerful celebration, bringing our community together in faith and unity. With this year’s theme, Seek Peace and Pursue It, we were reminded of our shared journey walking together with trust in God’s guidance and embracing hope in all that we do.

A heartfelt thank you to Fr Ronald for leading us in such a meaningful celebration, and to all who contributed to making the Mass so special.

We extend our sincere congratulations to our Year 6 Student Leaders, who were officially commissioned and presented with their leadership badges. May they lead with wisdom, kindness and a deep commitment to our school values.

The uplifting sound of our choir singing Andrew Chinn’s songs filled the church with joy and energy, and our new Prep students singing Rivers of Peace for our reflection was so special. What a joy it was to witness their confidence and enthusiasm as they shared their voices with our community.

As we begin this new year, may we walk forward as Pilgrims of Peace, supporting and uplifting one another in faith, learning and love.

Our Year 6 Leaders ~ Receiving their badges. Congratulations!

"Go forth and set the world on fire"
St Ignatius of Loyola

Sacramental Program 2025/2026

Commitment Mass – Sunday 1st March

On Sunday, 1st March, our Sacramental candidates will gather for their Commitment Mass as they begin their journey towards receiving the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist.

This special celebration marks an important step in their faith journey, as our candidates and their families come before the parish community to make their commitment and receive a blessing.

We keep our students and their families in our prayers as they prepare for these significant and sacred milestones in their spiritual lives.

Lent:

One of our three pillars of Lent is prayer ~ how can we pray more during Lent?

You might like to try Pope Francis' Five Finger Prayer ~

The five-finger prayer was written years ago by Cardinal Bergoglio before he became Pope Francis! It’s a great tool to teach children and adults how to pray because our fingers act as a visual and guides us to remember.

The thumb is the closest finger to you. Start praying/expressing gratitude for those who are closest to you.
The next finger is the index. Pray/express gratitude for those who teach you, instruct you and heal you.
The following finger is the tallest. It reminds us of our leaders and those in authority.
The fourth finger is the ring finger, the weakest finger. It reminds us to pray for those in need.
And finally, your pinkie reminds you to pray/be grateful for yourself.

Actions speak louder than words, let your words teach and your actions speak”

Saint Anthony of Padua

Shrove Tuesday - Pancake Day ~ March 17th

Shrove Tuesday is a Christian tradition celebrated in many countries around the world. It falls on the Tuesday before the beginning of Lent (the day before Ash Wednesday) – a period of around six weeks leading up to Easter.

The name ‘Shrove' comes from the old word ‘shriving’, which means to listen to someone’s sins and forgive them.

In the past, Christians would go to church on Shrove Tuesday to participate in the sacrament of Reconciliation. Traditionally, during Lent, Christians would give up rich, tasty foods such as butter, eggs, sugar and fat. Shrove Tuesday was the last chance to eat them – and what better way to do so than with a delicious pancake!

Does your family have a special Shrove Tuesday tradition?

Pancake Day is a St. Mel’s tradition ~

What an amazing day Tuesday, for Shrove Tuesday, our Annual Pancake Day. We are yet to wipe the smile off our faces. Pure joy, hospitality and community.

All we can say is thank you, thank you! We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who lent a hand during our Pancake Day festivities. Some coming in extra early Tuesday morning and staying during their break to help clean up. Thank you to everyone who came over and joined the celebrations, especially our students, staff, our parish priests and parishioners. We are extremely grateful. Together, we coordinated the cooking of around 400 pancakes, what an amazing effort! Shrove Tuesday is always such a great celebration in our School Community and is always worth the effort. The sense of community, generosity & joy is such a highlight. All proceeds from the day supporting Caritas' Project Compassion Appeal.

Thank you to our Year 6 Social Justice Leaders, who were amazing and showed outstanding leadership and initiative during the morning & in the lead-up to the day. Pancake Day could not have happened without you. We are super proud of you all!

Ash Wednesday – 18th March 2026

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent. Falling six and a half weeks before Easter, it begins our Lenten journey of preparation for the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday. Lent is a sacred time of reflection and renewal, a time to recognise our brokenness and gently turn our hearts back to God.

We gathered with our parish community for morning Mass and thank Fr Ronald for celebrating with us as we began this important season together. During Mass, we also officially launched our Lenten Project Compassion campaign.

Ash Wednesday symbolises the beginning of this significant season in the Church’s year. Throughout Lent, we are encouraged to commit to prayer, fasting and almsgiving. For our students, this might look like simple but meaningful actions: offering a special prayer for someone each day, spending quiet time in meditation, writing in a prayer journal, inviting someone to join in a game, sharing a smile, choosing not to have a treat and donating the money saved to Caritas’ Project Compassion Appeal.

As a community, we journey through Lent with hope, compassion and a commitment to living out our faith in everyday ways.