A visit from the leadership team at Boston College’s Roche Center for Catholic Education highlighted how Sydney Catholic Schools is bringing its vision for whole-person formation to life across its school communities.

On Wednesday, the Roche Center’s Executive Director Dr. Melodie Wyttenbach and Director of Leadership Programs, Dr. Molly McMahon spent time engaging with school leaders, teachers and students at St Anthony of Padua Catholic College Austral, Eileen O’Connor Catholic College Lewisham, and St Mary’s Cathedral College Sydney.

The scholars explored how Catholic education in Sydney supports students’ formation within a contemporary Australian context.

Danielle Cronin, Executive Director of Sydney Catholic Schools, said that this week is dedicated to faith formation and professional collaboration.

“These visits highlight how Sydney Catholic Schools forms confident and courageous young adults ready to contribute to society. They bring our Magis 2033 strategy to life by strengthening leadership formation, deepening professional dialogue and ensuring our commitment to whole-person education is visible in every classroom,” Ms Cronin said.

Across the three schools, Dr Wyttenback and Dr McMahon spoke about some of the differences and similarities of Catholic systemic schools in Australia and the United States.

“I’ve been deeply impressed by the diversity of Catholic schools thriving across Sydney, the professionalism of staff, and the rigour and depth of learning taking place in classrooms,” Dr Wyttenback said.

“It’s clear that students are genuinely engaged, and that faith is brought to life in meaningful and authentic ways. There is a strong sense of culture and purpose across the system, and it’s an exciting time to witness the vision of the system continuing to unfold.”

At St Anthony of Padua Catholic College Austral, Dr Wyttenbach and Dr McMahon visited the chapel, early years classrooms and senior learning spaces, seeing firsthand the continuity of formation from Kindergarten to Year 12.

Principal Simon Ghantous reflected on …

“Education must always begin with the human person and their wholeness.”

That was the core message as Sydney Catholic Schools Principals, Assistant Principals and Religious Education Coordinators came together with Boston College researchers for a day of strategic planning and faith formation.

Led by Executive Director Danielle Cronin, alongside Dr. Melodie Wyttenbach and Dr. Molly McMahon from Boston College’s Roche Center for Catholic Education, it was a unique opportunity for leaders to collaborate, learn, and be empowered to better support their communities. 

Central to the focus of the day was unpacking Sydney Catholic Schools’ new strategic plan, Magis 2033, and understanding how it will be implemented across the system. 

Danielle Cronin explained that Magis 2033 carries with it a simple but profound vision, one that is grounded in the fundamentals of Catholic education. 

“At the centre of Magis 2033 is the child. Not the system, not a program, not a metric. The child. And this reflects Pope Leo’s insistence that education must always begin with the human person and their wholeness,” Ms Cronin said. 

“It reminds us that authentic education must engage the mind, the heart, and the hands because anything less fragments the person and diminishes their capacity to flourish.”

Ms Cronin invited educators to embrace their responsibilities as stewards of Catholic education, and play an active, personal role in shaping those under their care.

“Magis 2033 calls us to be bridge builders, between faith and reason, tradition and innovation, excellence and inclusion, identity and openness,” she said.

“It calls us to be confident in who we are as Catholic educators, while remaining deeply engaged in the …

Sydney Catholic Schools is setting the vision for its next chapter with the launch of Magis 2033, an ambitious plan that reaffirms a commitment to forming young people not only for academic success, but for lives of purpose, service and hope.

Meaning ‘the more’ and ‘the greater’ in Latin, Magis reflects a shared aspiration to go deeper, reach further and offer every child the opportunity to grow and succeed.

Sydney Catholic Schools Executive Director Danielle Cronin said the strategy encourages the community to look beyond familiar approaches and to create learning environments that support the care of the whole child.

‘In the context of our new strategy, Magis doesn’t mean doing more things in greater quantity, but rather, doing what truly matters with more depth, meaning, and quality,’ she said.

‘It will help us respond with confidence and care to the world our students will inherit, anchored in our Catholic values and shaped by hope for the future.’

Ms Cronin said the choice of 2033 was intentional as it marks 2,000 years since the death and resurrection of Christ and will be celebrated as a Jubilee Year. 

‘By setting this as its horizon, Sydney Catholic Schools is giving its long-term direction meaning that goes beyond planning cycles to what truly matters,’ she said.

Developed through an extensive consultative process, involving principals, leaders, staff, parents, clergy and broader community voices, the new strategic plan incorporates new mission and vision statements, a revised set of core values, together with guiding principles and updated strategic focus areas. 

Chair of Sydney Catholic Schools, Most Rev Daniel Meagher DD VG said the strategy is ultimately underpinned by the Catholic …