200 Years Catholic Education

This year marks 200 years since the first Catholic school was opened in Australia. The celebration, fittingly, has coincided with the Feast of Mary, Help of Christians, Patroness of Australia. The following excerpt outlines a brief history of our own parish, marking 82 years:

In 1922 Fr John Dunne purchased land at the intersection of the Princes Highway and Mt Keira Road. At this time, Mass was celebrated in the School of Arts at Mount Keira. In the 1930s, Fr Cyril Callaghan of Wollongong began fundraising for a new church in the West Wollongong area. Good news was announced in The Catholic Press of 15 July, 1937: “His Grace, the Archbishop of Sydney, has given permission for a church to be built at The Crossroads, West Wollongong, as a memorial to the late Fr Dunne.” The Church of St Therese of Lisieux was blessed and opened by Cardinal Gilroy in 1939. “The new edifice is the admiration of all who have seen it and will be easily the best church in the district.Standing in a prominent position on the South Coast Road, the new church is seen by all travellers. Great praise is due to the architect Clem Glancy.” Clem Glancy, a staunch Catholic, designed many school and church buildings and laid out St Michael’s Golf Club at Little Bay in Sydney.

The Sisters of the Good Samaritan travelled daily from St Mary’s Convent in Harbour St to conduct a school in the church building. Sisters Joachim Buckley and Julian Madigan were the first teachers.They taught about 60 children. As numbers grew, Ted Norris and Charlie Hore built a small schoolroom for Year 1 and Year 2 classes. A new school building was blessed and opened in 1950, and in 1961, after 22 years of daily travel, the Sisters took up residence in a new convent. Marie Debusch, the first lay principal, took over the school from Sr Theresa Hammon in 1978. The Sisters withdrew completely from the school in 1987. Other lay principals included Jim Walsh, Frank Pitt, Christopher Miller, Brenda Wilson and Jennie Werakso.

As part of the Building the Education Revolution program, a new administration building was erected and the hall was refurbished. Today, St Therese is a two stream school with over 350 students.

Taken from Lighting The Way: A History of Catholic Schooling

in the Diocese of Wollongong 1828 - 2020

National Sorry Day - May 26

Today we marked National Sorry Day with a special prayer at our morning assembly. National Sorry Day is a special day that occurs in Australia on 26th May every year. It is a day of remembrance and commemoration held to highlight the impact of past policies of forcible removal on the Stolen Generations, their families, and their communities.

National Sorry Day is of particular significance to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia.

The day is an opportunity for all Australians to remember past mistakes and build stronger bridges for a richer, stronger future together.

Winter Uniform

As of next week, all students should be wearing their full Winter uniform. This includes ties and shirts tucked in.