Religious 

Education News

Sydney Catholic Schools Theme 2024

Each year, a theme is created for Sydney Catholic Schools that is centred on Pope Francis’ message for youth and the Church’s WYD themes. This year the 39th World Youth Day theme is “Those who hope in the Lord will run and not be weary.” (Isaiah 40:31). In response to this theme, our Sydney Catholic School action is: 

"We journey together as joyful witnesses to hope."

The scripture passage was written at a time where Israel had been destroyed and threatened with destruction. Isaiah, a major prophet, lived at this critical time in Israel’s history. “Those who hope in the Lord will run and not be weary,” were words of comfort proclaimed by Isaiah, to remind people to trust that God will bring what he promised. 

These words apply to all of God’s people today. Pope Francis asks us to have hope and to witness that Christ is alive. “The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men and women of today, are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ.” The church relies on young people, to rekindle hope in the world.

In our role as educators, we are called to journey with our students, their families and the wider church community to be ‘joyful witnesses to hope’. May we, as a Sydney Catholic Schools family, respond to the call of this year’s theme by being living examples of hope as followers of the risen Christ. Let us go out into the world to bring hope to those who are ‘weary’

Opening School Mass 2024

On Friday, 9th of February, we celebrated our Opening School Mass and the Commissioning of the new 2024 teachers and student leaders. It was a beautiful celebration, acknowledging our school theme ‘Learn Create Thrive’ as well as an opportunity to come together as a community to ask God to be with us throughout 2024. 

Thank you to Fr Richard for celebrating the mass and to the parents who attended and prayed for the year ahead. Thank you to all the staff that assisted in ensuring the celebration was reverent and meaningful. 

We welcomed and blessed our new teachers Miss Loupis, Miss Spiropoulos, Mr Foster and Ms Karevski to our school community.  May they be enlightened by the Holy Spirit through their vocation as educators and follow in the Ursuline tradition of service. 

Our student leaders were commissioned at the end of the mass. A beautiful beginning to their journey of service in leadership. We congratulate them once again as they embark on this new journey as leaders of St Francis Xavier.

Ash Wednesday  

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season. Yesterday, we received the signing of the cross in ashes on our foreheads, to demonstrate the commitment that we are about to undertake during this Lenten season. This action contains rich symbolism, reminding us to turn back to God as a sign of repentance and as followers of Jesus Christ, we are to carry our crosses too.

I would like to thank Father Richard for celebrating with us. Thank you to the Year 2 and Year 6 teachers and students for preparing and organising both services. 

As the first day of Lent awakens us to Jesus’ entry into the desert, we begin our season of preparing our hearts for Easter, through prayer, fasting and giving to the poor. Lent is an opportunity for us to slow down and focus on our relationship with God. It is a time to make small sacrifices and engage in acts of charity, to become aware of our own weaknesses and the needs of others.