Most Reverend Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv DD STL, Bishop of Parramatta
Address at the 2024 Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) Bishop of Parramatta Award for Student Excellence at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta.
5 September 2024
Dear friends,
I joyfully welcome our distinguished guests, Members of Parliament, civic leaders, CSDP board members, education leaders, teachers, clergy, parents and, above all, students to this Annual Student Excellence Awards Ceremony.
It is right that we should acknowledge the achievements of the students who have made Catholic education and, above all, their schools and their families proud. It is right that we should recognise and affirm the excellence which is achieved by hard work, discipline, dedication and commitment. The application of these virtues is rooted in the teachings of Jesus and it is the cause of celebration tonight.
Like good and faithful servants, these students do not take for granted what has been entrusted to them: time, talent, ability, support system, family, friendship, mentoring etc. They have made the most of the opportunities God gave them. They did not bury their talents. They took necessary risks in investing them and producing the dividends at the proper time.
The honour we bestow on them tonight recognises not only what they have done but also the positive attitude with which they have imbued their environments and relationships. These students have let the light of Christ shine through them. They have worked hard, with a sense of responsibility and commitment. Like Mary, they said ‘yes’ and followed through that ‘yes’ with constant application of discipline.
In a little while, we shall sing a hymn of praise to God in her Magnificat. This beautiful prayer captures the humble attitude that she had in response to the great honour bestowed upon her in being chosen to be the mother of the Savior. Instead of accepting the praise given to her by Elizabeth as her own, she directs all of the glory to God as she says: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour”. She is fully aware that this is not about her, but about the God who “has done great things” for her. Her part was to say ‘yes’ to God’s will in her life, a ‘yes’ that would benefit all of humanity, for it was through that ‘yes’ that salvation entered into the world.
This must be our attitude as well on an occasion such as this one. The honour and glory belong to God for all of the contributions of our honorees, but we rejoice in the fact that they have said ‘yes’ to God, a ‘yes’ through which God has “done great things” for the benefit of others. Their ‘yes’ has allowed the light of Christ to shine in a very visible way that has been recognised by others. Their example should encourage each of us to seek to let His light shine more brightly in us through lives of good deeds rooted in a love of God and our neighbour.
Dear friends,
As you know, the story of Catholic education in Australia began right here over 200 years ago. And it began not so much as a private elitist venture but as an alternative vision of social inclusion and transformation. The pioneers, without any government or institutional support, dared to take on a project which was deeply rooted in the Gospel. Education was an extension of the community which modelled Jesus’ inclusive, caring and wholesome way of being together.
We are heirs to a rich legacy, borne out of inspiring vision and unwavering resolve. Just as our pioneers did before, now it is our turn to apply the boundary-breaking spirit of Jesus. We re-incarnate the Gospel that it may come alive again for our people in our time. Thus, honouring their memory compels us to embrace our own reality with prophetic courage. Following the signs of the times, ours is a challenge to form a new generation that values the common good more than individual success. Just as the Pope calls for a new politics of inclusion in the light of the systemic inequalities in the world, we also need an education that forms young people into men and women of deep empathy, solidarity and communion as opposed to individualism and self-interest.
As we renew our gratitude to God, may we commit ourselves to be good and faithful servants, learning to grow and use what we are given for His glory and the benefit of our brothers and sisters. Let us be known by the quality of our love and service. May our effort to build up God’s Kingdom be richly rewarded by the God who is never outdone in generosity.
