Prayer

Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us
in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,
and the flame of charity enkindled
in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
reawaken in us the blessed hope
for the coming of your Kingdom.

May your grace transform us
into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos
in the sure expectation
of a new heaven and a new earth,
when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,
your glory will shine eternally.

May the grace of the Jubilee
reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,
a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread
the joy and peace of our Redeemer
throughout the earth.
To you our God, eternally blessed,
be glory and praise for ever.
Amen

The Year of Jubilee 2025 - 'Pilgrims of Hope'

This year holds special significance as we enter a Holy Jubilee Year, a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation.

The concept of the Jubilee Year has its roots in Jewish tradition, specifically outlined in Leviticus 25. Every fiftieth year, a Jubilee was proclaimed—a time of liberation, forgiveness of debts, and the restoration of community and land. This cycle would remind the Israelites that everything in this world is temporary and orient them towards God.

In our Catholic tradition, the church has adopted the Jubilee and celebrates every 25 years. Pope Francis in his Papal Bull – Spes Non Confundit (Hope does not disappoint) adopts the theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ taken from St Paul’s letter to the Romans (Rom. 5:5).

The virtue of hope is not merely a wish or an aspiration; it is a deep-seated trust in God’s promises and a conviction that His love and mercy are ever-present.

As we enter this Holy Year of Jubilee we are hopeful of the wonderful opportunities that will arise to actively celebrate and engage within our College and Parish communities. These include Catholic Education Week, Pilgrimages and upcoming Australian Catholic Youth Festival.

As members of this Catholic school community, we are reminded that our hope is ultimately rooted in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It assures us that no matter the trials we encounter, we can hold fast to the belief that God is with us, guiding our paths and offering us the strength to overcome.

Year 7 Thanksgiving Welcome Mass

We were delighted to share the joyous occasion of our Year 7 Welcome Thanksgiving Mass, held to warmly welcome our new Year 7 students, parents and families.

It was fitting that we began our year with this sacred celebration, acknowledging the importance of the Eucharist—the most powerful prayer and the source and summit of our Catholic Faith. It is through the Eucharist that Christ nourishes us, empowering us to embrace our College Motto: Live Fully Act Justly. To Live Fully is to grow to know and love Christ and to Act Justly is to be motivated by the love of Christ, we work for justice.

Fr. Richard Rosse, Parish Priest of St. Catherine of Siena, Caroline Springs, celebrated the Mass. In his homily Fr Richard reminded us of the need to turn to God in all that we do and that it is in God, our creator, that we are able to fully flourish as humans.

Our Year 7 students made a fantastic start to their journey here at CRC. Their enthusiasm, energy, and spirit was evident, especially in their participation in the Holy Mass.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the parents and families for attending the Year 7 Thanksgiving Mass. Your presence illustrates your commitment to being part of our faith community and helps nurture the spiritual lives of our students.

As we move forward in this academic year, we hope there will be numerous opportunities for our students to grow holistically and we look forward to building upon the foundations of their faith as they navigate through Year 7 and beyond.

Opening College Mass

On Monday, 3 February, we gathered to celebrate the start of a new scholastic year with our Opening College Mass. This year’s Mass was particularly special as it was based on the Jubilee Mass to commemorate the Holy Year of Jubilee, as declared by Pope Francis in his Papal Bull, Spes Non Confundit (Hope Does Not Disappoint).

Fr. Jaycee Napoles, assistant priest at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne, celebrated the Mass. In his homily, Fr. Jaycee spoke about the significance of the Jubilee year, emphasising its purpose, to restore our relationship with God and our neighbour. He reminded us that while we may carry burdens, this year serves as a heartfelt reminder of God’s unconditional love and mercy, provided we are open to receiving it.

The Opening College Mass was a wonderful opportunity for us to come together as a community and ask for God’s blessings on our endeavours this year. During the Mass, we also had the privilege of blessing and commissioning our new Deputy Principal of Learning and Teaching - Ms. Elise Nowak and lighting our new homeroom candles to symbolise the light of hope that Christ brings into our lives.

Let us continue to ask God for His blessings throughout the year, a year that will bring hope and renewal for all.

Invitation to Attend Friday 8am Mass

I would personally like to invite Parents/Carers and Families to attend our Friday 8am Mass every Friday of the School Term at St Catherine of Siena, Parish Church. Mass finishes at 8:25am giving our students plenty of time to prepare for the school day. We are so fortunate to have the Parish Church on our College grounds and more importantly God’s dwelling place. Attending Holy Mass is so crucial to growing in holiness. It is a place where heaven and earth meet, where we can listen to the Word of God and be nourished by the Holy Eucharist. We would love to see your presence and would appreciate if you could encourage your son’s and daughter’s to consider making it part of their practice in their own faith journey.

Mr. Paul Sammut
Director of Faith and Mission