This week Gladstone News is joining in the celebration of Catholic Education Week with the four Catholic schools in our Region: St Francis, St John the Baptist, Star of the Sea and Chanel College.
We paid a visit to each of the schools and found out how important this week is to each of them and how the students,staff and families will be recognising the week, through mass, family activities and random acts of kindness.
The Catholic Education Week 2016 theme is
“Opening Doors in the Year of Mercy”
Read about each school!
St Francis
St John the Baptist
Star of the Sea
Chanel College
Celebrations will reflect the Year of Mercy, drawing on the symbolism that Catholic schools ‘open doors’ for students in a holistic educational sense.
The theme challenges members of the Catholic education community to extend tangible assistance to those in need and recognise and follow the example of those who in some way ‘open doors’ for others.
Activities which promote Catholic education as a faith-based education that nurtures a commitment to social justice and a critical social consciousness will be central to the week.
The theme is a chance for school communities to engage in a broad range of activities showcasing the opportunities that Catholic education provides.
It is so lovely to witness such a sense of community and togetherness in each of these school’s, especially in preparation of this week.
Inspirational 2016 Young Australians of the Year, Nicholas Marchesi and Lucas Patchett, cofounders of Orange Sky Laundry, will meet with a group of senior students from Chanel College, Gladstone, as part of a World Youth Day Pilgrimage in Rockhampton from July 29-31 during Catholic Education Week 2016.
The pair established the service in Brisbane in 2014 as the world’s first free mobile laundry service for the homeless and now have vans operating in major centres across Australia run by over 270 volunteers.
The pilgrimage will see 170 senior students from Catholic colleges Bundaberg to Mackay and west to Emerald come together to coincide with World Youth Day celebrations in Poland.
The gathering is part of Catholic Education Week 2016 which will be celebrated in Queensland from 24-30 July with the theme Opening Doors in the Year of Mercy.
Catholic Kindergartens, Primary Schools and Colleges throughout the Diocese of Rockhampton will join Catholic education communities throughout the state to mark the week with a variety of activities and celebrations.
To commence the week of celebrations, Most Reverend Michael McCarthy, Bishop of Rockhampton, will preside at Mass to commence Catholic Education Week celebrations at St Joseph’s Cathedral in Rockhampton at 6.00pm on Saturday 23 July.
Following Mass, Bishop McCarthy will present certificates to this year’s nominees for the Spirit of Catholic Education Award which recognises outstanding contributions by individuals within the Catholic education community.