Primary students inspired to use their gifts for good!

2018 Year of Youth Celebrations 1

More than 400 Stage Three students from 12 primary schools across the Diocese of Parramatta, including Our Lady of the Rosary, joined a recent celebration for the Year of Youth at Rooty Hill RSL.

Each of the participating Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta schools is part of the Faith in Action initiative, developed in partnership with Catholic Youth Parramatta. Faith in Action Teams (FIAT) are made up of passionate young teachers (2 to 4 per school) who foster the personal and spiritual growth of young people, engaging them in the life and mission of the Catholic faith community.

The event was facilitated by Catholic Youth Parramatta (CYP) and featured Genevieve Bryant, a highly acclaimed young Catholic singer, songwriter and performer who is from Melbourne. She was a headline performer for the Australian Catholic Youth Festivals in Adelaide in 2015 and Sydney in 2017.

2018 Year of Youth Celebrations 2

Mission Teaching Educator Amanda Bentley said the program for the day saw a combination of music, testimony, discussion and prayer.

“Genevieve did a great job in engaging with the students and talking to them about trusting in God to use their gifts and talents to share God’s love with others,’’ Ms Bentley said.

“She shared her own testimony and encouraged the students to be engaged with their faith, to deepen their relationship with God and to try to live out God’s message.”

Catholic Youth Parramatta also gathered student testimonies to share with Bishop Vincent Long, Bishop of Parramatta, as another element of dialogue within this Year of Youth event.

“The students were given an opportunity to address the following questions given to them by Bishop Vincent: What have you been involved in at your school for the Year of Youth; what is something you would like Bishop Vincent to know is important for young people in our Church; and what is your dream for the future of the Church.”

Teachers praised the joyful impact the day had on the students.

2018 Year of Youth Celebrations 3

Written By

Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au

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14 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Winter Vinnies 2026 Stayout On Wednesday afternoon our Yr 5 and 6 students had the opportunity to take part in the Vinnies Stayout. The afternoon began with Yr 6 students sharing information about homelessness and poverty and we were blessed to have the local conference members from Vinnies join us to share how they support our community. We joined together in a liturgy before students got to work collating snack packs - a hands-on reminder that small acts of kindness can make a real difference. As night fell, students experienced the dark and cold of the playground, a small glimpse into what it feels like to have no warm place to sleep. The evening ended with a simple dinner of noodles and sandwiches just like many people in our community experience night after night. We are incredibly proud of the maturity and generosity our students showed throughout the afternoon/evening. Thank you to our Vinnies guests, students, teachers and all families who supported this experience. If you are able to make a financial contribution to support the Vinnies Winter Appeal please use this link. https://tinyurl.com/mr34y2ny

14 Jun 2026
From Facebook
On Wednesday we held a Pyjama mufti day to collect food donations to support the Vinnies Winter Appeal. Our students enjoyed wearing their cosiest PJs and the generosity shown by families was amazing!!! 😍 Thank you to every family who donated as this will make a real difference to people in our community who are doing it tough this winter. 💕