Home // March 15-19 2010 > 2000 students to attend Mass celebrating Catholic education

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2000 students to attend Mass celebrating Catholic education

Published: March 16, 2010

Up to 2,000 students will attend Melbourne's St  Patrick's Day Mass and Concert in one of the highlights of this year's 13th Catholic Schools Week, alongside celebrations in other dioceses across Victoria, NSW and the ACT.

"The Archbishop of Melbourne, Denis Hart, will be the main celebrant at the Mass on Wednesday (March 17), leading up to a dozen priests in celebration at St Patrick's Cathedral," according to a statement.

"About 2,000 students from Catholic schools will attend the service before walking to the Treasury Gardens for a concert in the park. A highlight will be the student procession into the cathedral before the Mass, led by those schools celebrating major anniversaries," said the statement.

Meanwhile, the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle said it is one of 11 in NSW celebrating Catholic Schools Week, as part of 615 Catholic primary and secondary schools across NSW and the ACT. The theme for 2010 is "open your minds, open your hearts".

The diocese said in a statement that for over 170 years Catholic schools have offered an education in the Hunter and Manning Valleys, fostering religious education and faith, academic learning, the arts, physical activity and skills training.

According to Mr Ray Collins, Director of Schools in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle: "This year has already been made special for Catholic schools by the announcement that Mother Mary MacKillop is Australia's first 'official' saint. Mary and her Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart have had an enormous impact on Catholic education, in our diocese and throughout Australia.

Schools in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, the Upper Hunter and Manning regions will open their doors to the public and showcase a wide range of activities and learning opportunities.

Members of the public are also invited to attend a Catholic Schools Week Mass today at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hunter Street Newcastle, at 11.00am. The Mass will include students of St Dominic's Centre for Hearing Impaired Children presenting the hymn "These Hands" and the participation of all diocesan schools.

FULL STORY

Melbourne Catholic schools celebrate big time (Catholic Education Office, Archdiocese of Melbourne)

Catholic schools 'opening minds and hearts' (Catholic Communications, Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle)

LINK AND DETAILS

Catholic Education Office Melbourne

Catholic Schools Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle

 

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Recent Comments

  1. About 2,000 students from Catholic schools will attend the service.'
    Is this the same as saying 'about 2000 on fire, committed Catholic/Christians'?
    As a teacher, it was very rare indeed to find such amongst the student population (although I know they do exist) and that such events aren't still like the old Corpus Christi procession days to which we had to go on the threat of suspension if we didn't - these days were truly impressive if you consider the numbers and the pageantry - but were they a truly spiritual event?
    I'm sure they aren't that draconian any more but, I am just asking what is motivating, (or who is organising) the 2000 students.
    Please relieve my ever-growing feelings of negativity about my church by saying that these 2000 students want to be there, are indeed Christian/Catholic by personal choice and conviction and for whom being Christian/Catholic influences their every thought and action and that it is not just a school event - a day off. Then I would be impressed.
    Perhaps some of the students would like to respond here. I wait to be corrected.

    Posted By: OYWT

  2. OYWT: You might be expecting too much of the students' motivation. The important thing is that they will be there, and I'd be very surprised if something of the spiritual dimension of the occasion does not make an impression. We're called to live in hope.

    Posted By: John

  3. You accuse the Christian 'forced' celebration by students/children of such events as Corpus Christi as being draconian.
    I remember them as days of celebration and joy of the feast we were celebrating. A time when students, teachers, parishioners and clergy joined together in recognition of the feast or event that was part of the living word of God in the liturgical calendar.
    These were days of recognition of our faith in our communal gathering that rejoiced and celebrated the gift that was bestowed on each and everyone of us in the sacrament of baptism. Today we sadly lack that support which was then, an intricate and inseparable part of our catholic reality and identity. I'm sure those 2000 students will, if reminded be truly uplifted in spirit at the majesty of the celebration of this day, a day that rejoices and recognises that unifying influence of St Patrick whose mission succeeded in the truly catholic country that the Republic of Ireland is today.
    Faith is a gift free of any materialistic considerations and as such is through prayer encouraged and nurtured to all who participate in its miraculous generosity.

    Posted By: Duncan

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