On 22 August, we were blessed to have Bishop Vincent Long, the Bishop of Parramatta Diocese, come to our school to crown the statue of Mary in our Shrine. It was really special to have the whole school, all students and staff, gathered around Our Lady with the Bishop to celebrate how Mary is Queen of Heaven and Earth. The first thing the Bishop commented on was the fact that it was a miracle that at the moment we were gathered, the sky was blue and the sun was shining, since previously it had been raining quite heavily all week! After the Crowning Ceremony, Year 11 and 12 students had morning tea with Bishop Vincent, sharing stories about the Philippines Service Project some of them were part of last year, Band Night, etc. He also signed the girls’ basketball after they told him about the Montgrove-Tangara Cup. Finally, the Bishop gave us a get-together, sharing stories of how he lived in a refugee camp in Malaysia when he was only 18 years old. Many of the girls were amazed to hear that it was in fact in this dire situation that Bishop Vincent saw his calling to be a better person and to serve God through the Church. We would like to thank Bishop Vincent for taking time out of his busy schedule to come to our school, and to share his story of Hope with our senior students.
