Catholic Outlook Magazine | Lent & Easter | 2023 Issue

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Aspirations for Western Sydney students drive new Catholic schools leader STORY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS PARRAMATTA DIOCESE With more than 20 years of experience leading some of Australia’s largest not-forprofit organisations, Jack de Groot, our new new Executive Director of Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) is excited to begin his new journey. Jack is driven by supporting an education for children and young people that is holistic, studentcentred and unashamed about the pursuit of excellence. He is particularly passionate about ensuring access, equity and inclusion across CSPD’s 80 outstanding local schools. For me, a Catholic education is about the imagination and the world of seeing everything through the lens of the student. New Executive Director of Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese, Jack de Groot, with Bishop Vincent Long, at the Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese System Leaders' Day on 25 January 2023. Image: CSPD.
Shaped by a working life that includes social and public policy advocacy in Victoria, supporting school leadership teams for the Catholic Education Office in Western Australia, addressing global injustice at Caritas Australia and the last six-and-a-half years leading the St Vincent de Paul Society in NSW, Jack brings a strong focus on Catholic values, social outreach and mission. Raised in Melbourne, Jack is an avid AFL supporter. He studied in both Melbourne and Sydney and is a family man who enjoys spending time with his wife Fiona and their two daughters. Jack says his faith, Catholic identity and values are an important part of his life and what he brings to each role that he undertakes. “The offering we have for the world is God who offers the event of Jesus with a fullness of life and is a sign to all of love, service and accompaniment,” Jack reflects. He highlights the work of the CSPD Jarara Cultural Centre with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and their families, welcoming students with disability and a strong focus on wellbeing as exemplary strengths of the Diocese. “To go to the edges means we are all confident that the core offering we have is strong and that we have great confidence to make a difference to those who have been denied voice, participation, access and resources.” As he begins his work in the new role, Jack says he is very keen to meet with school communities and to learn more. At the beginning of 2023, Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta became known as Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese. “My Dad was a physicist in the nuclear age, and he served in the Second World War. He had a robust intellect and curiosity about faith and meaning. He saw God in all things, he knew a God who is incarnational, evolving and cosmic. I come from a place of faith that offers openness. Since my days as a young teenager, I have loved being present in the local community and collaborating with people who know suffering. “My work has always taken me to these places and my faith has reinforced that desire for change, love and service. “Western Sydney excites me because it never underestimates the human aspirations and flourishing of its community. It is hungry for access, for equity and for all boats to rise. It flourishes because it has the largest community of First Australians wanting voice and it has the largest community of the most recent arrivals who have often experienced lack of voice as they left countries and to give voice and hope to their families.” He says Catholic schools can provide a constructive, supportive and safe place for important conversations including about the referendum on the Indigenous Voice to the Australian parliament later this year. “These conversations are about the future of young people in our schools and the Australia that they are to be active citizens within,” he said. Your place to go places ACU Blacktown Visit acu.edu.au/ blacktown CRICOS 00004G | PRV12008 29
Page 1 and 2: FREE M A G A Z I N E DIOCESE OF PAR
Page 3 and 4: A message from the Editor Dear frie
Page 5 and 6: 12 26 36 20 On the Inside Lent & Ea
Page 7 and 8: Outlook Looks Our Good Shepherds ar
Page 10 and 11: Short & Sweet We learned that the y
Page 12 and 13: Bishop Vincent’s Easter Message B
Page 14 and 15: Pope Benedict at World Youth Day Sy
Page 16 and 17: Cardinal George Pell A Reminiscence
Page 18 and 19: Bishop Vincent Long, Bishop of Parr
Page 20 and 21: The most influential woman in the V
Page 22 and 23: Synodality sparks conversation STOR
Page 24 and 25: Grow your money in the Diocesan Dev
Page 26 and 27: Mothers Models of faith and love ST
Page 28 and 29: Children playing at Ambrose Mary Qu
Page 32 and 33: ‘Towards a Spirituality of Synoda
Page 34 and 35: The Paschal candle, during the East
Page 36 and 37: Christ and the Garden of Olives by
Page 38 and 39: Appearance of Christ by Ukrainian a
Page 40 and 41: The Uluru Statement from the Heart.
Page 42 and 43: 12 MONTHS OF ACHIEVEMENTS www.parra
Page 44 and 45: Fr Andrew Bass, Parish Priest of Ho
Page 46 and 47: Parish Profile Holy Cross Parish, G
Page 48 and 49: Seminarians Paul, Victor, Jose, Jas
Page 50 and 51: Watch, Read, Listen, Reflect Cathol
Page 52 and 53: KIDS’ CORNER JESUS AND MARY MAGDA
Page 54 and 55: Directory of services (02) 8843 250
Page 56: LENT APPEAL Celebrating 25 years CO

Catholic Outlook Magazine | Lent & Easter | 2023 Issue

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