St Agnes’ Catholic Church was buzzing with the energy and enthusiasm of the Spirit as staff from our six parish schools gathered on Tuesday afternoon (30 January 2024) to celebrate the commencement of their year with their annual Beginning of Year Staff Mass.

Concelebrated by Fr Paul and Fr Prodencio, the Mass saw representatives from St Joseph’s Primary, St Peter’s Primary and St Agnes’ Primary Schools and MacKillop College, St Joseph’s Regional College and Newman Senior Technical College all involved in the liturgy through the readings, prayers of intercession, offertory procession and music.

Following the tradition of previous years, the school candles were carried in and lit by representatives of each school and 68 new staff were introduced and welcomed with the gift of a San Damiano (Franciscan) Cross.

Playing on Steven Covey’s ‘9 habits of effective people’, Fr Paul in his homily, outlined nine habits of highly effective Catholic school staff, which staff in our Parish schools must develop a capacity for and a commitment to.  These habits are:

1. To understand and be committed to the Catholic identity of our schools.
2. To develop an understanding of and commitment to the teachings of the Catholic Church.
3. To understand the integral connection between the school community and the wider parish.
4. To acknowledge that Catholic schools are places of prayer and encourage prayer in classes and staff and student meetings.
5. To understand the importance of religious education of students and seek to integrate Catholic values in the teaching of other disciplines.
6. To encourage a culture in our schools which enables a personal encounter with Christ, and which promotes the teachings of the Church.
7. To appreciate each of our roles in receiving and proclaiming the Good News by word and deed and by the example of our lives.
8. To support parents and families to evangelise and catechise their children.
9. To create effective and growth-promoting learning environments that recognise the dignity and value of every student and enables them to achieve.

At the Mass Fr Paul invited all present to pray, and he invites our Parish community to do the same, that staff have the capacity and commitment to live out these habits, so we are a truly blessed with a Christ-centred year in our schools and in our parish.