Kindergarten students at Our Lady of the Rosary Primary performed the gathering song, A Cross of Stars
Events were held across the diocese of Parramatta on Friday 8 August in honour of the Feast Day of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.
Canonised by Pope Benedict XVI on 17 October 2010, Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop’s Feast Day was marked with liturgies, family events and social justice fundraisers at a number of schools and the Catholic Education office.
Students, staff and families from St Mary MacKillop Primary School in South Penrith celebrated mass at St Nicholas of Myra to remember and acknowledge St Mary MacKillop’s important work.
Students travelled to St Nicholas of Myra Church to join the Feast Day Mass and were treated to hundreds of green and yellow helium balloons decorating their classrooms on their return. In the afternoon, students came together to make a coin trail with donations going to the St Mary MacKillop Institute in East Timor.
Our Lady of the Rosary Primary, St Marys was founded by Mary MacKillop and the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart in 1880. Students celebrated a moving liturgy to celebrate the inspirational life of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. By bringing the letters written by Mary MacKillop to life, students were encouraged to learn from her example by working, learning together and caring for others particularly those in need.
Staff at the Catholic Education office, Parramatta gathered for a liturgy with Sr Rosie Drum MGL reading the letters of Mary MacKillop and leading a prayer asking for guidance and care for students, staff and school communities.
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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03 Sep 2026
From Facebook
A big thank you to all of our fathers, grandfathers, uncles and father figures who joined us for our Picnic Recess and Liturgy today. It was wonderful to see so many of our families celebrating together. May God bless these very special men today and every day. 💙02 Sep 2026
From Facebook
🌿 Year 6 Retreat Day 🙏 Today, our Year 6 students took time away from the busyness of school life to be still, reflect and deepen their understanding of prayer. Guided by the words of Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God,” students explored the Catholic understanding of how prayer can help us to listen to God, make wise decisions and guide our actions. A special part of the day was hearing from Father Jeff, who spoke to the students about Mary as a model of prayer. Through Mary’s example of trust, openness and willingness to say “yes” to God, students reflected on how prayer can shape the choices we make and the way we live our lives. It was a beautiful day of quiet reflection, prayer, connection and faith as our Year 6 students prepared to take the next step in their journey. 💙🙏 “Be still, and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10
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03 Sep 2026
From Facebook
A big thank you to all of our fathers, grandfathers, uncles and father figures who joined us for our Picnic Recess and Liturgy today. It was wonderful to see so many of our families celebrating together. May God bless these very special men today and every day. 💙
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From Facebook
🌿 Year 6 Retreat Day 🙏 Today, our Year 6 students took time away from the busyness of school life to be still, reflect and deepen their understanding of prayer. Guided by the words of Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God,” students explored the Catholic understanding of how prayer can help us to listen to God, make wise decisions and guide our actions. A special part of the day was hearing from Father Jeff, who spoke to the students about Mary as a model of prayer. Through Mary’s example of trust, openness and willingness to say “yes” to God, students reflected on how prayer can shape the choices we make and the way we live our lives. It was a beautiful day of quiet reflection, prayer, connection and faith as our Year 6 students prepared to take the next step in their journey. 💙🙏 “Be still, and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10
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On Monday we celebrated our End of Term Liturgy, reflecting on the reminder that God is always with us, loving us, caring for us, and calling us to trust in His mercy and hope. A big thank you to our wonderful Stage 2 students for leading such a meaningful liturgy. Congratulations also to all of our Gold and Star Award recipients—we are so proud of your achievements. 🏅💖
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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
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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. 💕
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