On Saturday 12th of May 2018, Micah Fernandez, Sarah Mikha, Abul Tuil, Katelina Vave, Daniel Villanueva and I attended the Lifted Breakfast with Bishop Vincent at Rooty Hill RSL. We were accompanied by Mrs Reyes, Mr Sadsad, Miss Raad and another 140 other Catholics from our Parramatta Diocese. The event started off with an all you can eat breakfast accompanied with Bishop Vincent. The ceremony then began with a PowerPoint presentation outlining the various trends and statistics based around the Church and young people of our Parramatta Diocese. Some interesting trends we found were:
-Young people love fun/motivational activities, youth groups and informal/social gatherings embedded in the Church community.
- 6.3/10 was the average score of young people being listened to by the Church.
- The top 5 issues facing people in the Parramatta diocese is school/study, mental health, body image, drugs/alcohol and sexuality.
Following this, our leaders along with our teachers brainstormed 3 key questions based around our school and Church:
1. What do we love about our Church/School?
2. What are some obstacles we face with our Church/School?
3. How should we respond to these challenges?
All the different communities of the Parramatta diocese then shared their answers together and received some great advice from Bishop Vincent. St Agnes came to the conclusion that:
- Students need more opportunities (an informal way) to talk about our faith.
- Mass and liturgy needs to be made more contemporary and engaging.
- We need to create more faith groups to discuss about our faith.
- Possibly organising an ACYF type event but on a diocesan level. Including catechises, social justice stalls, concerts and a “Hangin’ with Hilda!” segment.
This then led to a Question and Answer with the Bishop himself, where he answered a range of questions surrounding the Church and his personal experiences. The event concluded with music and a live performance from the Lifted Band which brought joy throughout the ceremony and connected Catholics from around our diocese together.
Overall, the experience was one of a lifetime! An all you can eat Breakfast with Bishop Vincent for only $5! I personally enjoyed the event and I felt it was very beneficial discussing the problems and solutions of our Church and religious community at school. I would like to thank Mrs Reyes, Mr Sadsad and Miss Raad for inviting the Year 10 leaders, attending the event with us and for the preparation for this event. It gave the Year 10 leaders and staff of St Agnes something to work towards and an understanding of the minds of the youth of our community. This was an experience that will always be embedded in our hearts.
A quote to keep in mind: “Have dedication and be committed to your goals and dreams.” - Bishop Vincent
Jonathan Israel Year 10 School Captain
St Agnes Catholic High School Rooty Hill
www.stagnesrootyhill.catholic.edu.au
Latest News More news
05 Dec 2025
From Facebook
03 Dec 2025
From Facebook
𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐟 𝐯𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐭 𝐀𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐬! What an incredible match today, full of energy, teamwork and plenty of laughs. Both teams gave it everything, but the staff came away with a hard-fought 5–4 win! Huge shout-out to all the students who played with so much spirit and skill, and to the staff who proved they’ve still got it! ⚽🔥 Such a great way to bring everyone together and celebrate our school community.
01 Dec 2025
From Facebook
🤘𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬🎸 Congratulations to our 2 bands that competed in the competition this year. This year St Agnes showcased 2 bands - Paraless and Dear Francis 'Paraless' walked away with a Highly Commended Award, and 'Dear Francis' took out the Runners Up - a great achievement for our musicians who covered pop punk classics by Paramore to R&B funk bangers by Bruno Mars. Mr Cecire, our Music teacher and band leader, would like to congratulate the students on their dedication to their craft and hours of rehearsals both in and outside of school. !!!Rock on!!!
26 Nov 2025
From Facebook
Recently, we announced our 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟭𝟭 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗼 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀, and we are excited to congratulate the students chosen for these important leadership roles. Our Portfolio Leaders play a vital part in our school community, working alongside the Year 12 Student Leaders to lead and coordinate key initiatives. They will officially receive their badges and take their pledge at the 2026 Opening Mass, where they will also receive a special blessing. A big thank you to Mr Scarpin and Mr Bortoluzzi for organising the selection process and working closely with our staff to support the appointment of our new leaders.
26 Nov 2025
Revealed: The NSW teachers named most beloved by their own students
Students have flooded a NSW Education initiative with more than 18,500 tributes to their most inspiring teachers, with some schools receiving hundreds of heartfelt messages.
25 Nov 2025
From Facebook
Day 2 of our fantastic Year 5 class from our feeder schools experiencing High School life. We hope you all enjoyed your time! Thanks for visiting us Holy Family Primary Emerton and Good Shepherd Plumpton
25 Nov 2025
From Facebook
Our Year 8 students enjoyed a meaningful retreat yesterday, spending time reflecting, growing, and strengthening their connections with one another.
25 Nov 2025
From Facebook
𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐛𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟓 Last week, our Year 9 students had the opportunity to hear from local police officers who visited our school to speak about White Ribbon Day. Their message highlighted the importance of respect, healthy relationships, and standing up against violence in all its forms. We’re grateful to the officers for taking the time to engage with our students and for reinforcing how every young person can play a part in building a safer, more respectful community.
24 Nov 2025
From Facebook
Day 1 – Year 5 High School Experience Day at St Agnes Today we welcomed our Year 5 students from our feeder primary schools for the first day of our annual High School Experience program. We are so proud of the energy, enthusiasm, and curiosity the students brought with them. These Experience Days are such an important opportunity for our primary students to get a true sense of the vibrant, welcoming, and dynamic learning community here at St Agnes. Throughout the day, students enjoyed a range of engaging activities, explored different learning spaces, and began to experience what high school life is like in our community. We look forward to another great day tomorrow!
21 Nov 2025
From Facebook
Yesterday, the VOYSE Students had the opportunity to present their pitch at the Greater Blacktown Business Chamber.