Bishop Vincent Long installed as the fourth Bishop of Parramatta (photo thanks to the Diocese of Parramatta).
Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains warmly welcomed Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv as the fourth Bishop of Parramatta on the evening of Thursday 16 June 2016 in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta.
The Catholic Mass, attended by thousands, was concelebrated by His Grace Most Rev Anthony Fisher OP, Archbishop of Sydney, the Pope’s representative to Australia, His Excellency Most Rev Adolfo Tito Yllana, Apostolic Nuncio to Australia, Archbishops and Bishops of Australia, clergy of the Diocese of Parramatta and visiting clergy.
During his homily, Bishop Vincent said he was humbled by his appointment. ‘I am very honoured and humbled by this appointment and grateful for the opportunity to serve the Church in Parramatta during this time,’ Bishop Vincent said. ‘As your Bishop, I am committed to be a bridge builder.’
‘The Scriptures we have heard tonight speak of a radical vision of love, inclusion and human flourishing,’ he said. ‘We should ask ourselves what it means to apply this expansive vision of God to our social matrix and what it means to be a house for all peoples.’
Bishop Vincent said he wanted to be a bridge builder to all communities and reached out to abuse victims, divorcees and the LGBTIQ community in particular.
‘There can be no future for the living church without there being space for those who have been hurt, damaged or alienated, be they abuse victims, survivors, divorcees, gays, lesbians or disaffected members,’ Bishop Vincent said.
Echoing Pope Francis, Bishop Vincent continued, ‘we are urged to be a church where everyone can feel welcomed, loved, forgiven and encouraged to live according to the Gospel… I am committed to make the church in Parramatta the house for all peoples, a church where there is less an experience of exclusion but more an encounter of radical love, inclusiveness and solidarity.’
(Video thanks to the Diocese of Parramatta)
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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From Facebook
💯✨ 100 Days Brighter! ✨💯 Today, our Kindergarten students celebrated a very special milestone – 100 Days of School! 🎉 Over the past 100 days, they have grown in confidence, made new friends, learnt so many new skills, and become valued members of our St Canice's community. To mark the occasion, our Kindergarten class enjoyed a fun-filled day of activities centred around the number 100, with plenty of smiles, laughter and creativity along the way. Congratulations to our wonderful Kindergarten students on reaching 100 days brighter! We can't wait to see all the amazing things you'll continue to achieve throughout the rest of the year. 🌟💙 #100DaysBrighter #100DaysOfSchool #StCanicesPrimary #KindergartenMilestone
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From Facebook
🖤💛❤️ Message Stick – Celebrating 50 Years of NAIDOC ❤️💛🖤 St Canice's was honoured to be selected to create a Message Stick as part of the "50 Years of Deadly" NAIDOC Week celebrations, an initiative inspired by the Jarara Team at Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese. Led by Taleishah, students worked alongside Ms Rose and Ms Dani in a creative workshop where they explored ideas, shared stories and designed a Message Stick that reflects the place we are proud to call home. Drawing inspiration from the breathtaking beauty of the Blue Mountains, our students chose symbols that represent the Katoomba region and the deep connection to Country. The Message Stick features the Three Sisters, waterfalls, waterholes, bushland, kangaroo tracks, people and meeting places—all significant symbols that tell the story of our local environment and community. Using vibrant colours and meaningful Aboriginal symbols, our students created a Message Stick that honours the sacred land on which we learn, play and grow. It acknowledges the footprints of the First Nations Peoples who have cared for this Country for countless generations and reflects our commitment to walking together in respect, reconciliation and care for our shared environment. We are incredibly proud of the creativity, thoughtfulness and respect our students brought to this special project. 🖤💛❤️ #NAIDOC2026 #50YearsOfDeadly #StCanicesPrimary #BlueMountains #WalkingTogether #RespectCountry #CatholicSchoolsParramattaDiocese
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💯✨ 100 Days Brighter! ✨💯 Today, our Kindergarten students celebrated a very special milestone – 100 Days of School! 🎉 Over the past 100 days, they have grown in confidence, made new friends, learnt so many new skills, and become valued members of our St Canice's community. To mark the occasion, our Kindergarten class enjoyed a fun-filled day of activities centred around the number 100, with plenty of smiles, laughter and creativity along the way. Congratulations to our wonderful Kindergarten students on reaching 100 days brighter! We can't wait to see all the amazing things you'll continue to achieve throughout the rest of the year. 🌟💙 #100DaysBrighter #100DaysOfSchool #StCanicesPrimary #KindergartenMilestone
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🖤💛❤️ Message Stick – Celebrating 50 Years of NAIDOC ❤️💛🖤 St Canice's was honoured to be selected to create a Message Stick as part of the "50 Years of Deadly" NAIDOC Week celebrations, an initiative inspired by the Jarara Team at Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese. Led by Taleishah, students worked alongside Ms Rose and Ms Dani in a creative workshop where they explored ideas, shared stories and designed a Message Stick that reflects the place we are proud to call home. Drawing inspiration from the breathtaking beauty of the Blue Mountains, our students chose symbols that represent the Katoomba region and the deep connection to Country. The Message Stick features the Three Sisters, waterfalls, waterholes, bushland, kangaroo tracks, people and meeting places—all significant symbols that tell the story of our local environment and community. Using vibrant colours and meaningful Aboriginal symbols, our students created a Message Stick that honours the sacred land on which we learn, play and grow. It acknowledges the footprints of the First Nations Peoples who have cared for this Country for countless generations and reflects our commitment to walking together in respect, reconciliation and care for our shared environment. We are incredibly proud of the creativity, thoughtfulness and respect our students brought to this special project. 🖤💛❤️ #NAIDOC2026 #50YearsOfDeadly #StCanicesPrimary #BlueMountains #WalkingTogether #RespectCountry #CatholicSchoolsParramattaDiocese
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🌟 Check Out What’s Happening at St Canice’s Next Week! 🌟 There’s always something exciting happening across our school community! 📚✨ Here’s a snapshot of Week 3: And don’t forget… 📢 Community Open Day is coming up! We can’t wait to welcome new and existing families on Wednesday 12 August, 9:30am–11:00am to explore our school, meet our staff and discover what makes St Canice’s such a special place to learn and belong. 💙 We’re looking forward to another wonderful week of learning, connection and celebration at St Canice’s! 🌈📚
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❄️ Vinnies Winter Appeal Food Drive 💙 As part of our commitment to supporting our community and living out our Catholic faith, St Canice’s is participating in the Vinnies Winter Appeal Food Drive. Each week, we will be collecting essential items to help support families in need. Students can place their donations in the collection baskets located at the front of each classroom. Members of our Faith in Action Team (FIAT) will visit classrooms each week to remind students of the upcoming collection item. 🛒 Weekly Collection Schedule: 🥛 Week 3: Long-life full cream dairy milk 🐟 Week 4: Small tins of tuna 🥣 Week 5: Soup 🥫 Week 6: Baked beans or spaghetti 🍅 Week 7: Tinned vegetables (especially tomatoes) 🍘 Week 8: Savoury biscuits 🍪 Week 9: Sweet biscuits 🥣 Week 10: Breakfast cereal Thank you to our wonderful St Canice’s community for your generosity and support. Together, we can make a difference and help those in need this winter. 💙 #VinniesWinterAppeal #FaithInAction #StCanicesCommunity
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