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
21 Oct 2025
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Today, our Year 12 Modern History class visited the Sydney Jewish Museum, where they had the privilege of hearing Holocaust Survivor Paul Drexler share his powerful and moving story. Students then explored the museum’s exhibits, deepening their understanding of the Holocaust and the importance of remembrance, empathy, and standing up against injustice.
21 Oct 2025
From Facebook
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21 Oct 2025
From Facebook
A huge thank you to our amazing school community for taking the time to celebrate our teachers this World Teachers’ Day! Your thoughtful messages, kind words, and support mean so much and truly brighten our teachers’ day. We’re so grateful for this wonderful community! 💛👏 https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/events/world-teachers-day-in-nsw
17 Oct 2025
From Facebook
👏 A big shoutout to our senior students, Arek, Sylvana, Sienna and Niyat, who recently volunteered with the 𝐕𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐕𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦! They helped prepare food and travelled to Mount Druitt and Parramatta, serving around 50 people in one evening. It was a busy night filled with kindness, connection and service. These students truly showed the St Agnes values of compassion and dignity through their actions. We are proud of you! 💙💛
17 Oct 2025
From Facebook
𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 – 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 Get ready to kick goals for a great cause! On Friday 24th October, students and staff are invited to celebrate Socktober — a fun way to support children in need around the world. This year, St Agnes is supporting communities in Zambia through Catholic Mission, helping provide education, healthcare, and hope to children and families in need. Everyone is encouraged to wear their craziest, brightest, and most colourful socks with their school uniform and bring a gold coin donation, or make a contribution through the QKR app. Let’s show our St Agnes spirit and make a difference for the people of Zambia — one sock at a time!
16 Oct 2025
From Facebook
Well done to Annalyse, who has secured an early entry offer at Billy Blue College of Design. St Agnes students received so many early offers for their hard work over the past 2 years. We are proud of all of the students, keep sending your offers to stagnes@parra.catholic.edu.au so we can publicly recognise you!
15 Oct 2025
From Facebook
📢 𝐖𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲!💙💛 https://www.instagram.com/stagnesrootyhill_2766/ Unfortunately, we have lost access to our previous Instagram page, along with all our wonderful followers, alumni connections and shared memories. But we’re starting fresh! 👉 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐒𝐭 𝐀𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐧𝐢. Let’s reconnect our amazing community and continue celebrating the spirit of St Agnes together. Thank you for your ongoing support!
15 Oct 2025
From Facebook
𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟖 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔. Blacktown City Council are looking for young people aged between 15 and 18 to represent the City in 2026. If successful, you will serve as Ambassador for a period of 12 months, representing the city at Citizenship Ceremonies and Civic Receptions, as well as representing the Youth as part of the Sister Cities and Youth Advisory Committees. So, if you are a young person who enjoys public speaking, meeting new people, helping your community and would like to represent the youth of Blacktown City, then this is the program for you! The program is a fun way to learn new skills and gain invaluable experience outside the schooling environment. Apply on the following link:- https://www.blacktown.nsw.gov.au/Community/Our-people/Children-and-young-people/Youth-Ambassador-Program
12 Oct 2025
From Facebook
St Agnes CHS returns for Term 4 this 𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲! We’re excited to welcome all students back for a fresh and energetic start to the term. Please arrive on time on Evans Road; the back entrance is only to be used after the first bell. Friendly reminder: 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 is a Staff Development Day — no classes will be running. Let’s make Term 4 a great one!
01 Oct 2025
From Facebook
🌟 Year 11 Ancient History Amazing Race! 🌟 Today, Year 11 raced through the ancient world, connecting our classroom learning to real-life challenges! 🏛️✨ Students visited several “clue keeper” stations, each tied to our units: Miss Brogan, the Librarian, showed how museums and libraries act as keepers of knowledge, challenging students to think about the treatment and display of human remains Mr Conte, Leader of PDHPE, tested their knowledge of Sparta, focusing on athleticism and the famous athletic festivals 🏃♂️🏟️ Miss Clark, Head of HSIE, guided them through Palmyra, exploring the legacy of Zenobia, the Queen of Palmyra 👑🏛️ The School Gates, standing strong like the fortifications of Troy, reminded students how cities protected themselves 🏰 At every stop, students solved clues, earned approvals, and brought history to life. The journey ended back in the classroom, but the teamwork, skills, and knowledge gained will last far longer! 💡🔥