End of Year Mass 

On Thursday 8 December, the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, we gave thanks to God, marking the end of our 2022 school year with our End of Year Mass. Our Senior Student Representative Council members supported Fr Paddy in leading our Mass, acknowledging that at Christmas time, we experience a resurgence of hope that the world might be a better place, a hope that human beings can rise up through their troubles to live again. This Christmas, we are encouraged to recommit to a living relationship with Jesus, the human face of God. We will find him in the ‘little ones’, the defenceless, the poor, the sick, and also in one another, as we actively try to create a sense of belonging and ‘family’ and good will for all!

Peter Burgess, the President of the Wagga Wagga St Vincent de Paul Society and Ana Saurez, the Vinnies Youth Coordinator, acknowledged the generous Kildare Catholic College community for the gifts and hamper donations collected for the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal, the charity focus for Teresa Community Day.

The College community also recognised and congratulated the following House Vice Captains for 2023:

• Benedicta House:  Lily Heffernan and Elsie Lawrence
• Gandhi House:  Mackenzie Edwards and Aviva Jones-Hood
• King House:  Madeleine Gaiter and Ronan Crain 
• Oodgeroo House:  Frazer Lugton and Miriam Granger
• Romero House:  Gabriella Mannell and Monica Thomas
• Teresa House:  Tyler Barclay and Poppy Gray

It was fitting to take this opportunity to thank our College Chaplain, Fr Paddy Sykes, for his faithful guidance and friendship since 2012. Initiated by the Senior SRC, we designed and created a stole featuring key symbols significant to the Kildare community. Our hope is that each time Fr Paddy wears the stole, he will feel the warmth, appreciation and respect we have for him and be reminded of his time at the College.

A special thanks to Ms Mel Hale and Mr Robert Thompson who prepared the singers and musicians, to Pat Grimson and Harry Bailey for IT support and to Mrs Narelle Potts for the creation of the stole, as Fr Paddy’s farewell gift from Kildare Catholic College. 

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Kildare community for the past 8 years. It has been a privilege to work with professional and enthusiastic colleagues and an honour to teach amazing students who have changed my life profoundly. I will treasure the memories of my time at Kildare.

I wish you all a happy and holy Christmas, a relaxing holiday and all the very best for the New Year.

Blessings,

Christine Savage | Leader of Faith, Formation and Mission