NSW Catholic students raise their voices in celebration
“It was great seeing the wider Catholic community coming together in unity to celebrate 200 years of Catholic education and I was honoured to be a part of such a big event,” said Year 12 Parramatta Marist High School student Jimmy Geagea.
He was joined by students across Australia to create a video performance of the national song Faith in the Future. The video features 370 students from 29 Catholic schools across Australia including remote, regional and rural communities. St Patrick’s Primary and Parramatta Marist schools in the Diocese of Parramatta both have linkages to the first Catholic school opened on Hunter St Parramatta in 1820.
Students from: Aquinas Catholic College Menai, Catherine McAuley Westmead, Galilee Catholic Primary School Bondi, Marist College Eastwood, Our Lady of Mt Carmel Catholic Primary Waterloo, Our Lady of The Sacred Heart College Kensington, Parramatta Marist High School Westmead, St Canice’s Katoomba, St Columba’s Catholic College Springwood, St Patrick's Catholic Primary School Sutherland, St. Patrick's College Sutherland, St Patrick's Primary Parramatta and Holy Trinity School Inverell feature in the video.
The national song was composed by Fr Rob Galea, who currently serves in the Sandhurst Diocese. He was featured in the video with students from Notre Dame College Shepparton in Victoria. “The song encapsulates the importance of the 200 years of history, influencing and forming the culture of Australia,” Fr Rob said. “200 Years of education is an incredible milestone and blessing.” Read here for a complete list of schools included in the video.