24 May 2021

Catholic education celebrated 200 years in Australia with a Mass on the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians on Monday 24 May 2021.

The Mass was held at St Patrick’s Cathedral with 600 attendees present, including Acting Premier of Victoria and Minister for Education the Hon. James Merlino, Shadow Attorney-General the Hon. Edward O’Donohue, and students and staff from more than 50 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. A message from the Hon. Scott Morrison MP was also shared with the Catholic education community.

Celebrated by Archbishop Peter A Comensoli, the Mass was one of many around the country held simultaneously to mark this special occasion.

Students from St Mary’s School, Williamstown, and St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Werribee, (Melbourne’s oldest and newest primary schools respectively) read the Prayers of Intercession, while students from Academy of Mary Immaculate, Fitzroy, and Parade College, Bundoora, (the two oldest Catholic secondary schools in Melbourne) delivered the first and second Readings. The Mass was concelebrated by Rev Mgr Anthony Ireland and Fr Mark Reynolds, and featured a performance of the national bicentennial song ‘Faith in the future’ by the Loyola College, Watsonia, choir.