St Agnes Catholic High School, Rooty Hill, marked a momentous occasion on Friday 25 July, with the official Opening and Blessing of its new Creative and Performing Arts Hub and Alverna Centre, designed to foster student growth in both education and faith.
The event was attended by numerous distinguished guests, including Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta; Fr Andrew Bass, Parish Priest at St Aidan’s Parish, Rooty Hill; Ed Husic MP Federal Member for Chifley; Edmond Atalla MP, State Member for Mount Druitt; and Blacktown City Mayor Brad Bunting.
(L-R) Deacon Adrian Gomez, CSPD Mission Partner, Fr Andrew Bass, St Aidan’s Parish Rooty Hill Parish Priest Gerard Giesekam, CSPD Executive General Manager of Finance & Infrastructure, Edmond Atalla MP, State Member for Mount Druitt, Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta, and Jeanette Holland, Principal, during the opening and blessing of the Creative and Performing Arts Hub and Alverna Centre at St Agnes Catholic High School, Rooty Hill. Image: Gene Ramirez/Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
Gerard Giesekam, Executive General Manager of Finance & Infrastructure for Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese, spoke passionately about the significance of the new spaces.
“These new learning environments will support our students to grow in wisdom, compassion, and confidence – to discover their gifts and use them for the good of others,” Gerard said.
“They will be places where minds are challenged, friendships are formed, and hearts are shaped by faith.”
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta, blesses classrooms as part of the opening and blessing of the Creative and Performing Arts Hub and Alverna Centre at St Agnes Catholic High School, Rooty Hill. Image: Gene Ramirez/Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
Gerard also thanked the NSW Government for its support, particularly the funding provided by the Building Grants Assistance Scheme, which helped bring these new facilities to life.
The Creative Hub houses purpose-built educational spaces for food technology, hospitality, technological and applied studies, and the arts.
The Alverna Centre, inspired by the town of Alverna where St Francis of Assisi received the stigmata, honours the school’s faith-based heritage with both substance and style. The state-of-the-art performance centre will provide a venue for concerts, gatherings and special school events.
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta, with student leaders during the opening and blessing of the Creative and Performing Arts Hub and Alverna Centre at St Agnes Catholic High School, Rooty Hill. Image: Gene Ramirez/Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
The opening ceremony was a celebration of both the school’s physical growth and its ongoing commitment to shaping the lives of its students with courage, faith, and integrity – values embodied by the school’s namesake, St Agnes.
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Samantha Rich is a Media and Communications Specialist at Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese.
