Newman College trainees embark on their journey with St Agnes’ Catholic Parish Twelve enthusiastic students from Newman Senior Technical College officially began their school-based traineeships with St Agnes’ Catholic Parish on Wednesday, 14 May 2025, marking the start of an exciting chapter in their educational and professional journeys. The traineeship program is a collaborative effort between the Parish, Newman Senior Technical College, [...]

Sandra Wilson reflects on meeting Pope Francis Maryknoll resident Sandra Wilson counts herself fortunate to have met the Pope Francis when she visited Rome in 2016. After his passing in April, she wrote this personal reflection on that experience: In 2013, my very good friends Carmel and Mary approached me with the idea to travel overseas. On [...]

Building pastoral skills through Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Five members of the St Agnes’ Care & Lifestyle Pastoral and Spiritual Care Team (Justine, Roy, Rebecca, Steve and Beth) and Fr Alejo Despacio Jr participated in 40 hours of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) training over 3 months with Reverend Canon Roger Zorab (Deputy President of the NSW College [...]

Staff long service milestones recognised at Mass St Agnes’ Catholic Parish celebrated its annual Staff Long Service Awards on 26 March 2025 with the celebration of Mass, the presentation of Service Awards and supper in the Parish Hall. The Mass was celebrated by Fr Paul Gooley (Parish Priest) , Fr Prodencio Bognay and, newly ordained deacon, Shane [...]

A lifelong connection to St Agnes’ Catholic Parish For Belinda Howell, being part of St Agnes’ Catholic Parish isn’t just a job – it’s a deep part of who she is. A proud Port Macquarie local, Belinda’s connection to the Parish began in early childhood when she attended St Joseph’s Preschool, the Parish’s first early education centre. [...]

Online religious education resource secures subscription for all schools in Brisbane diocese Understanding Faith, an online religious education platform, has secured a 12-month subscription agreement with Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) to provide access to the Understanding Faith religious education resource for 2025. Understanding Faith was established by St Agnes’ Catholic Parish in Port Macquarie in the 1990s [...]

Carol Briscoe: It all began with a small ‘yes’ During this Jubilee Year of Hope, Carol Briscoe, who was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in the 2025 Australia Day Honours List, reflects on her time as a volunteer with St Agnes’ Catholic Parish in Port Macquarie and what brings her hope for the future. Modest [...]