Today I attended the official launch of Catholic Education Week, which is took place at St Joseph’s Cathedral, Rockhampton.

Our theme this year is Many Voices. One Spirit.

It reminds us that there is great diversity in our 306 Queensland Catholic schools where we welcome students and staff from all corners of the state and from a wide variety of social, economic, religious and cultural backgrounds.

But the many voices of Catholic education are not limited to our students and staff.  Our schools are a central part of vibrant communities where we all benefit from listening to the voices of families, our parishes, our social services and our governments.

These combined voices make our schools rich learning environments where we are educating young people within our Catholic faith tradition, inspired by the Holy Spirit. This year’s Spirit of Catholic Education Award recipients are wonderful examples of the many facets of Catholic education life.  Read their stories here.

My thanks to the Catholic Education Week Working Group and to Leesa Jeffcoat and the staff of the Rockhampton Catholic Education Office for their work preparing for today’s launch and to The Cathedral College for their hospitality. Thanks also to Bishop Michael McCarthy and Archbishop Mark Coleridge for their participation in today’s event.