Archbishop's Awards | Sydney Catholic Schools

Young leaders honoured at Archbishop’s Excellence Awards

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP has presented this year’s Archbishop of Sydney Awards for Student Excellence to 51 outstanding Year 12 students from Catholic secondary schools across the Archdiocese of Sydney.

The recipients were individually recognised during a ceremony held at St Mary’s CathedralCollege Hall on Tuesday for their commitment to Catholic values and for actively contributing to the faith life of the school, parish and the wider church community.

Archbishop Fisher commended the students on their dedication to bettering the lives of others and for setting an example for those around them through their varied and far-reaching work as catechists, altar servers, youth group leaders, ministers, social justice advocates, fundraisers, and helpers of the disadvantaged.

“With joy and gratitude we gather to congratulate the leadership and witness of our award winners that they’ve shown, giving thanks to God for the gifts they share so generously with others,” he said.

“We know that for each one of them there will be many other worthy recipients of such awards in their schools, parishes and communities.”

First established in 1999 by Cardinal Edward Clancy, the awards are an annual tribute to some of the exceptional young men and women in Sydney’s Catholic schools, and the positive role they play as leaders of faith among their peers.

Danielle Cronin, Executive Director of Sydney Catholic Schools, congratulated the students on their endeavours and paid tribute to their school communities.

“Today we celebrate you and your achievements. The way that you live your faith with courage, with integrity and generosity, you remind us all that the future of the church and our society is in very good hands,” she said.

“The excellence we witness today is part of what many call the Catholic school effect: the capacity of our school communities to form not just academically able students, but well-rounded young …

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Lending a voice to the community

Hannah McMahon has lent her voice to more than a few Church youth groups and events.

She has completed more than 300 hours of community service, building on the 20 hours her Salesian school asks students to complete for community engagement.

It is this commitment to others and to her faith that has earned the St John Bosco College Engadine student a 2021 Archbishop’s Award for Student Excellence.

Hannah has sung at six different Holy Communion events for students in years 7 and 6 this year, and at children’s liturgies and online Mass.

“My school has been a great outlet for volunteering and being able to grow faith-wise.”

A school vice captain, she has also raised funds for parish program Youth Matters and the St Vincent de Paul Society’s annual winter appeal.

“I’m very much a people person, so volunteering is one way I can lean into that,” said Hannah.

“I love working with young people. I’d like to go into occupational therapy or maybe teaching.

“I really enjoyed being able to give back to the school and parish through that leadership role.

“My school has been a great outlet for volunteering and being able to grow faith-wise” 2021 ARCHBISHOP’S AWARDS RECIPIENTS: FULL LIST

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Faith and volunteering leads to award

After he’d accrued enough volunteer hours for his Duke of Edinburgh Award, Christopher Hamilton kept up a commitment to preparing audio visual presentations for Mass at his parish. He could see it helped the parish staff.

It is a giving attitude the Aquinas Catholic College Menai Year 12 student has applied to youth groups, charity fundraisers and the more personal commitment of sponsoring a friend to enter the Catholic faith.

It has also landed him a 2021 Archbishop’s Award for Student Excellence.

“Richard always asked me lots of questions about the church and the faith, wanting to always expand his knowledge,” said Christopher, a 2021 Archbishop’s Awards for Student Excellence recipient.

“When he asked me to sponsor him for his confirmation I felt honoured.

“I am glad he asked me to help guide him through his faith journey, as we already have that friendship going.”

“It feels very exciting to have received the [Archbishop’s] Award.

“I am looking forward to getting back into more volunteering once the lockdown eases.” 2021 ARCHBISHOP’S AWARDS RECIPIENTS: FULL LIST

jaderamirezsydcatholiceduauSeptember 3, 2021|

Committed to helping community

Gabriel Liu joined the Adopt-A-Park program with his family a few years ago, and helps to clean up his neighbourhood park once a month.

It is among the reasons the Eileen O’Connor Catholic College Lewisham student has received a 2021 Archbishop’s Award for Student Excellence.

“The work includes picking up rubbish, planting new trees and watering the garden, so we can enjoy a clean and nice environment,” Gabriel said.

Gabriel has also given his time to youth group fundraising activities, his church choir, and serving morning tea after Mass.

Another outlet for his love of cooking was serving in the school cafe at Eileen O’Connor.

“It is definitely one of my happiest moments” – Gabriel Liu

Gabriel said he liked the social and teamwork aspects of volunteering, and was excited to receive the Archbishop’s Award.

“Some of the work I’ve done has been really fun,” he said.

“I like to see other people feeling happy and living in a clean environment.

“I feel very honoured to receive such an award and at the same time very grateful to all my teachers in Eileen O’Connor and my family for teaching me and guiding me.” ARCHBISHOP’S AWARDS: STUDENTS SHOW FAITH AND FOCUS

jaderamirezsydcatholiceduauSeptember 3, 2021|

Push up challenge boosts mental health awareness

A desire to raise awareness of mental health inspired 2021 Archbishop’s Awards for Student Excellence recipient, Julia Trassari, to host a whole-school push up challenge in June 2021.

The modest goal – to do a collective 3,318 push ups in 25 days – was trumped in the first hour of the challenge at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College Kensington.

Students and staff completed more than 20,000 push ups and raised funds for youth mental health support organisation Headspace.

“It was good not only to encourage physical activity, it also built community spirit,” Julia said.

“Mental health is a really big topic, especially for high school students.

“I wanted to encourage a conversation about mental health, so that no person would be suffering in silence. Also, for people to realise that it affects a lot more people than we think.

“Physical activity is a great way to clear the mind.”

Julia also helped to make 150 Christmas cards to connect with and thank the school’s teachers and Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, who reside at the convent next door to her college.

She has organised Christmas hampers to donate to charity and monthly St Vincent De Paul snack packs for Sydney’s homeless.

During breaks in her home-study routine, she cycles to Botany’s Pantry 4 the People, to donate food for people who rely on the service for groceries after losing their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I love the feeling of giving, and the intrinsic warmth and fulfillment that comes of volunteering your time and skills,” Julia said.

“It feels good to use your strengths to support other people.”

Julia said she did not expect the award recognition or …

jaderamirezsydcatholiceduauSeptember 3, 2021|

Archbishop’s Awards: Students show faith and focus

The Year 12 students who received an Archbishop’s Award for Student Excellence this year are no strangers to the power of faith and action.

Each year, the awards acknowledge the commitment to their faith, academic life, community and social justice of one student from each of 50 secondary schools in the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney.

The 2021 awards were presented during a live video conference for the students, their parents and principals on Friday 3 September.

In his address to the awardees, Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher OP encouraged attendees to “fight for what really matters in life, with the weapons of faith, hope and love.”

“As a Church and society one of our best weapons is our young people, and today we recognise our top guns” – Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP

2021 Archbishop’s Awards recipients: full list

His Grace drew on the example of reluctant Pope Saint Gregory the Great, known for his humility and determination, and depression era novelist, Raymond Chandler, to ask students to consider what tools and traits they used to make the world a better place.

“We all slip into habits to get our point across and influence things,” he said.

“This may be our looks or the looks we give others; our thinking and how we articulate this to others; our emotions and how demonstrative we are about them; our physical presence.

“Most of us use one or two of these and leave the others to gather dust.

“As a Church and society one of our best weapons is our young people, and today we recognise our top guns.”

Executive Director of Sydney Catholic Schools, Tony Farley, praised the awardees for their courage and determination to be part …

jaderamirezsydcatholiceduauSeptember 3, 2021|

Young leaders honoured at Archbishop’s Excellence Awards

Lending a voice to the community

Faith and volunteering leads to award

Committed to helping community

Push up challenge boosts mental health awareness

Archbishop’s Awards: Students show faith and focus

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which our schools and offices now stand. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.

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