It was a first for Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta recently when the largest cross section of Western Sydney schools attended the annual Diocesan Education Mass at the Cathedral Church of St Patrick’s in Parramatta.
Principal celebrant of the Mass was Bishop of Parramatta Vincent Long who was joined by Diocesan priests.
Contributors to the Mass represented a strong cross-section of Diocesan schools including readers from Cerdon College, Merrylands, Prayers of Intercession from St Paul the Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills, offertory procession by Holy Family Primary School, East Granville; musicians from Catholic Youth Parramatta Youth Band, Extraordinary Ministers of Communion from Parramatta Marist, Westmead and altar servers from Nagle College, Blacktown and Parramatta Marist at Westmead.
In his Homily, Bishop Vincent Long reflected on his childhood and how as a child he had a sense of self-reliance, which was a result of the unconditional support and wisdom from his own father. He said the followers of Christ, also experience this love “which gives them the strength to withstand the winds of affliction.”
“We are experiencing this crosswind as a church at the moment. If God uses painful episodes, then he can certainly use the modern episodes of exile of our wilderness to purify and make us more worthy of our calling and mission,’’ Bishop Vincent said.
“In Catholic education, our concern is not only in the learning outcomes, but in the holistic formation of the person. It is essential that we learn to be a servant of the kingdom and usable signs of hope in this world today,’’ he said.
The Mass culminated in the recognition of the winners from the 2018 Year of Youth Art Competition. All students from Kindergarten to Year 12 were invited to create an artwork to celebrate the Year of Youth and it’s theme; for young people and the Church to ‘open new horizons for spreading joy.’ This theme is based on Pope Francis’ call at World Youth Day 2016:
The winners were Elizabeth McKee of Our Lady of the Angels, Castle Hill (First in the Infants section), Mia Valente of St Bernadette’s Primary, Dundas (First in the Primary section) and Andrea Abreu of Nagle College, Blacktown (First in the Secondary section).
At the conclusion of Mass, participants were treated to an impressive visual display of the social outreach projects of Diocesan primary and secondary and schools. It was a reminder to everyone there of the extraordinary work that happens in Catholic schools supporting the most vulnerable in our community.
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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19 Jun 2026
From Facebook
🌟 Celebrating Our Primary Award Winners & Soccer Champions! 🌟 What a fantastic week it has been at St Joseph’s! We are incredibly proud to announce our latest round of award recipients. These outstanding students have gone above and beyond, demonstrating our school values, working hard in the classroom, and being excellent role models for their peers. Please join us in giving a massive round of applause to all of our deserving winners! 👏👏 ⚽🏆 CHAMPIONS! ⚽🏆 We also have a massive shout-out to share! A huge congratulations to our Year 6 Boys Soccer team, who absolutely dominated at the Gala Day this week and brought home the championship trophy! The boys showed incredible teamwork, determination, and outstanding sportsmanship on the field. You have made the entire school community incredibly proud! Bring on the next challenge! 🥇🎉 Check out some of our proud smiling faces and champion action shots below! 📸👇 #ProudSchool #StudentSuccess #StJosephsCommunity #Congratulations #PrimaryStars #GalaDayChampions #SchoolSoccer
16 Jun 2026
From Facebook
🧣 WINTER WOOLLIES DRIVE🧣 A huge thank you to everyone who has already contributed to our Winter Woollies Drive! Your generosity is going to bring so much comfort and warmth to local families in need this season. 🥰
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19 Jun 2026
From Facebook
🌟 Celebrating Our Primary Award Winners & Soccer Champions! 🌟 What a fantastic week it has been at St Joseph’s! We are incredibly proud to announce our latest round of award recipients. These outstanding students have gone above and beyond, demonstrating our school values, working hard in the classroom, and being excellent role models for their peers. Please join us in giving a massive round of applause to all of our deserving winners! 👏👏 ⚽🏆 CHAMPIONS! ⚽🏆 We also have a massive shout-out to share! A huge congratulations to our Year 6 Boys Soccer team, who absolutely dominated at the Gala Day this week and brought home the championship trophy! The boys showed incredible teamwork, determination, and outstanding sportsmanship on the field. You have made the entire school community incredibly proud! Bring on the next challenge! 🥇🎉 Check out some of our proud smiling faces and champion action shots below! 📸👇 #ProudSchool #StudentSuccess #StJosephsCommunity #Congratulations #PrimaryStars #GalaDayChampions #SchoolSoccer
16 Jun 2026
From Facebook
🧣 WINTER WOOLLIES DRIVE🧣 A huge thank you to everyone who has already contributed to our Winter Woollies Drive! Your generosity is going to bring so much comfort and warmth to local families in need this season. 🥰
12 Jun 2026
From Facebook
🏆 **BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR INFANTS AWARD WINNERS!** 🏆 Our K-2 students absolutely shone at this afternoon's Infants Assembly! It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces as we celebrated the hard work, kindness, and fantastic effort our youngest learners have been putting into their classrooms. From outstanding reading progress to demonstrating our core school values, these students are setting a brilliant example for everyone. A huge thank you to all the teachers who guide them, and to the parents and families who joined us this afternoon to cheer them on. Your support makes these moments extra special! Check out some of our proud award recipients below! 🌟👇 #InfantsAssembly #AwardWinners #ProudSchool #GrowingTogether #StudentSuccess
09 Jun 2026
From Facebook
🏅 What an incredible day at the St. Joseph’s Athletics Carnival! 🏃♂️💨 The sun was shining, the team spirit was electric, and our students absolutely gave it their all. From the very first race of the 100m sprints to the final, nail-biting house relays, the determination and sportsmanship on display today was unmatched. A massive congratulations to all of our athletes who competed today—whether you took home a ribbon or just smashed your personal best, you made St. Joseph's incredibly proud! A huge thank you goes out to our amazing staff, parent volunteers, and house captains who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make the day run so smoothly. And of course, thank you to all the families who came out to cheer, chant, and support from the sidelines! 🎉 The final house points are being tallied as we speak, and we can't wait to announce the winning house soon. 🏆 Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
05 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Happy World Environment Day! 🌿 At St Joseph's, we view our Earth as a precious gift. Our Faith in Action Team recently highlighted St. Francis of Assisi’s 'Canticle of the Sun'. His words remind us that we are all interconnected—sharing this world with our 'brother' Sun, 'sister' Moon and 'mother' Earth. Together as one big family, let's look after our environment today and every day! 🌻✨ #faithinactioncspd
04 Jun 2026
What Your Child Really Learns in the First 100 Days of School
One moment your child is holding your hand at the school gate and before you know it, they're walking in confidently, greeting friends by name, carrying their own bag, and coming home full of stories about 'assembly' and 'sport'. Here’s what to expect in their first 100 days of Kindergarten.
03 Jun 2026
From Facebook
🚀 Kindergarten Science Incursion: How Things Move! 🌀 Yesterday, our Kindergarten classrooms were turned into mini-laboratories for an exciting, hands-on science incursion! 🥼✨ As part of our Term 2 inquiry unit on "How Things Move," our little scientists spent the day investigating the physics of movement. From pushes and pulls to bangs, the students explored the forces that make the world go round. It was incredible to see so much curiosity, teamwork, and critical thinking in action. A huge thank you to our facilitators for making science so accessible and incredibly fun! Check out some of our favourite moments from the day below! 👇📸 #KindergartenScience #STEM #HandsOnLearning #HowThings Move #InquiryLearning #SchoolLife
29 May 2026
From Facebook
Year 6 are about to leave their last stop. Arrival is estimated to be 6:15pm. Parents, please meet in the community space to collect your child. Do not park in the bus bay.
28 May 2026
From Facebook
Our Year 6 students had an incredible, front-row seat to democracy today! As part of their Canberra excursion, they visited Parliament House and had the absolute privilege of meeting our local Federal Member and Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland MP. It’s not every day you get to chat directly with a Member of Parliament in the nation's capital! The students asked some fantastic questions, learned firsthand how our laws are made, and represented St Joseph's with immense pride and leadership. A huge thank you to Michelle Rowland MP for taking the time out of her busy parliamentary sitting schedule to meet with our leaders of tomorrow. This is a memory they won't soon forget! 🇦🇺🏛️ #StJosephsSchofields #Year6CanberraTrip #ParliamentHouse #CommunityLeaders #FutureLeaders Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
27 May 2026
From Facebook
🚌 **DAY 1: CANBERRA CAMP SUCCESS!** 🌟 And just like that, Day 1 is in the books! We swapped the classroom for the capital today, and what an incredible start it has been. From the moment the buses rolled out this morning, the energy and excitement have been through the roof. Today was all about arriving safely, settling in, and diving straight into the history, culture, and discovery that only Canberra can offer. Our students have already done us incredibly proud—showing brilliant curiosity, asking great questions, and representing our school beautifully at every stop. The bags are unpacked, dinner has been thoroughly enjoyed, and we are resting up for a massive Day 2 ahead. Stay tuned for more updates and photos over the coming days! 📸👇 More photos can be found on SeeSaw. #CanberraCamp #SchoolExcursion #Day1Done #LearningBeyondTheClassroom #MakingMemories
22 May 2026
From Facebook
🏆 Big Congratulations to Our Primary Assembly Award Winners! 🏆 We are so incredibly proud of all the students who were recognised at our Primary Assembly today! It was wonderful to celebrate so many different talents, hard work, and achievements across the school. A special shout-out goes to two fantastic groups of students who have been absolutely crushing it lately: 🏃♂️ Zone Cross Country Representatives Huge congratulations to our amazing runners who represented our school at the Zone Cross Country carnival! You showed incredible stamina, determination, and sportsmanship out on the course. Thank you for running your hearts out and making us so proud! 🎸 Times Tables RockStars (TTRS) MVPs A massive round of applause for our math rockstars! These students have shown incredible dedication, lightning-fast recall, and total commitment to mastering their multiplication facts. You are officially our Most Valuable Players on the leaderboard this week! 🎸⚡️ Thank you to all the parents and teachers who came out to support our students today. Keep up the amazing work, superstars! 🌟 #SchoolPride #AssemblyAwards #CrossCountryChampions #TTRockstars #ProudSchool #StudentSuccess
18 May 2026
From Facebook
Today, our school community joins millions of people around the world to celebrate the start of Laudato Si’ Week. This annual event honours the anniversary of Pope Francis’s Letter to all people to Care for Our Common Home. It is a beautiful time for us to reflect, pray and most importantly take action to protect the planet we share. 🌎✨ To kick off the week, each learning space was gifted a copy of Pope Francis’s Laudato Si’ Letter and a living plant to nurture together. Over the week, our students will care for these plants as a daily, hands-on reminder of our shared responsibility to protect God's creation. 🌿 We are excited to see how our students grow in faith, teamwork, and environmental stewardship! #faithinactioncspd
18 May 2026
From Facebook
👔 Second Hand Uniform Shop is seeking Parent Volunteers & Clothing Donations 👔 Dear Parents and Carers, We are in need of uniform donations, especially Winter uniforms. If your child has out-grown their old school uniforms, we would love to find them a new home. Please bring your uniform donations into the front office. We are also seeking parent volunteers to help run the second hand uniform shop. If you are interested in being a parent volunteer please email the school on stjosephsschofields@parra.catholic.edu.au to express your interest. Further information is provided on the attached flyer.
15 May 2026
From Facebook
Congratulations to our Years 3 to 6 students on their exceptional results in this week's state-wide NSW Rocks Competition! We definitely rocked it!