Mass celebrates 200 Years of Catholic Education in Australia

Mass celebrates 200 years of Catholic Education in Australia

2021 is a significant year for Catholic Education in Australia as this year marks 200 years since the first Catholic school was founded in Parramatta, NSW.

On Monday May 24, the solemnity of Our Lady Help of Christians, a Diocesan Mass will be held at 12 Noon in St Joseph’s Cathedral with Bishop Michael McCarthy presiding. This Mass will be live streamed throughout the Diocese and everyone across our Diocese is warmly invited to join the live stream and participate in this major celebration to mark 200 years of Catholic Education in Australia. The live stream link to view this Mass is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO7yYbveWew  

Subject to the constraints of COVID-19 protocols, it would be wonderful to have a large number of people in the Cathedral on Monday 24 May at 12 noon to celebrate this very special occasion in the life of Catholic Education in Australia. Registration details to attend the Mass in person will be published in your Parish Bulletins.  

A great many people have worked passionately to make the Mass on 24 May a wonderful celebration of the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians and of all that Catholic Education has contributed to Australia over the past 200 years. Assistant Director Mission for Catholic Education in this Diocese, Di-Anne Rowan, has been instrumental in the preparations for what will be a very special celebration.  

The Opening Song for the Mass will be John Burland’s song Mary Help of Christians. To assist in the learning of the Song for the Mass, students in our School and College communities are featured in a delightful, heart-warming video of this beautiful Song that is available for viewing by accessing the following link  https://youtu.be/ZhDJSQqAFUg

A great many people in our Catholic Education family are deserving of sincere thanks for putting this lovely Mary Help of Christians music video together with special appreciation being extended to Gareth Keith of Studio 53 and Maria Greene, Communications Officer at the Catholic Education Office. Their talent and creativity is amazing as is the beautiful singing by the students from our Schools and Colleges.  

In addition to recognizing and thanking all who have been a part of the Catholic Education story, the Mass on Monday 24 May is an opportunity to celebrate the gift that Catholic Education has been to Australia for the past 200 years and to pray that God will continue to bless the Ministry and all who serve in it today, tomorrow and into the future.