Catholic Identity

Living Our Faith- Student Voice & Compassion in Action

Southern Region Spirituality Workshop

On Tuesday, Mrs Marinelli and I attended the Southern Region Spirituality Workshop at the Dingley Hotel. Catholic leaders from across the region gathered for a day of spiritual reflection and faith formation.

The workshop, titled “Pope Leo’s Classroom” and led by author Michael McGirr, explored the leadership of Pope Leo XIV and the wisdom of St Augustine. We reflected on how leaders can find strength, clarity and grace in the midst of busy school life, and how our Catholic identity shapes all we do.

Michael also shared insights from his work with Caritas Australia, encouraging us to consider how faith can drive practical action for justice. This message strongly resonated with our own efforts at St Joseph’s, including our recent Malvern Food Drive, where students and families joined together to support those in need in our local community.

Thank you to our families for supporting initiatives like Caritas Australia and th Malvern Food Drive, which bring our faith to life through compassion and action.

Feast of Saint Mary MacKillop

This week we celebrated the Feast Day of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Australia’s first saint. Year 3 students led our school community in a beautiful liturgy that honoured Mary’s courage, faith, and compassion.

In classrooms, students learned about Mary’s life and legacy through storytelling, prayer, art and reflection. Her words – “Never see a need without doing something about it” – encouraged students to think about how they can make a difference in their own way. Moments like these remind us of the power of faith in action, and the importance of nurturing student voice and leadership in our Catholic school.

Miss Donnella DeVisser

Religious Education Leader