Catholic Identity

2025 Diocesan Theme
Pilgrims of Hope: Embracing the Jubilee Year 2025
As we journey in the Jubilee Year 2025, we are invited to walk as Pilgrims of Hope, deepening our faith, strengthening our communities, and renewing our commitment to Christ’s mission. A Jubilee is a time of grace, a sacred tradition dating back to the Old Testament, offering renewal, reconciliation, and a return to God with open hearts.

Pope Francis has called this Jubilee a time to “fan the flame of hope”, encouraging us to reflect on God’s mercy, embrace acts of justice and love, and walk together as a people of faith. Our school community is invited to take part in this pilgrimage, not necessarily by traveling great distances, but through daily actions that reflect the Gospel: caring for others, strengthening our relationships, and deepening our prayer life. We encourage our community to take part in this journey by creating small acts of kindness, fostering gratitude, and growing in faith together.

From our Staff Beginning Year Prayer ~

All of creation is on pilgrimage towards tomorrow. She forms an incredible community of creatures and elements that are sacred, dependent, vulnerable and magnificent.

Each element of creation that is on pilgrimage offers its own value to the greater whole. Every living aspect of creation offers a window into the divine presence of love we call God.

Many years ago, Jesus was a pilgrim too. In Galilee, the desert and Jerusalem he formed tracks in the earth with few possessions, a swag of followers and a dream to bring hope to the poorest of the poor, the lonely and the lost.

The only guide for his pilgrimage was his love for God. He believed that hope could turn all things from darkness to light. His pilgrimage offers us hope for the journeys we are on today.

Today, we are inspired by all pilgrims who have gone before us. They are our models and our guide, the ones we look up to and learn from about how to build communities of inclusivity, hope and companionship.

In particular, Jesus invites us to become the most loving and generous pilgrims that we can be this year. As pilgrims, we can dream of a tomorrow that is teaming with Spirit-filled moments and endless buckets of joy.

God of hope, fill us with your spirit of pilgrimage this year.

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

St. Mel's Feast Day ~ Andrew Chinn

A Joyful Celebration at St. Mel’s!

What a wonderful day of faith, music, and community! The joy we witnessed as the entire school joined in song, filling the air with beautiful harmonies was simply amazing.

We were blessed to welcome back Andrew, a talented Australian religious songwriter and singer, who has been a dear friend of our St. Mel’s community for many years. Every two years, he visits our school on our feast day, sharing his uplifting music with our students. His well-loved songs, including These Hands, Rainbow, An African Blessing, and Rise Up!, are sung in classrooms and liturgies across Australia, New Zealand, the USA, and Canada. This year, Andrew introduced his new song, Pilgrims of Hope, written for the Church’s Jubilee Year and Catholic Education Sandhurst’s 2025 theme.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for this special celebration. The smiles on our children’s faces, the sound of their laughter, and the joy of singing and dancing together made this a truly memorable day for our school community.