Students Walk Together as Pilgrims of Hope at 2025 Peace Mass

Catholic College Sale proudly hosted the Annual Wellington Shire Peace Mass for 2025, welcoming nearly 2,000 students, teachers, and staff from across the region. This significant event, first established in 2003 during the Gulf War, has become a cherished tradition for the College and six Catholic primary schools within the Shire, offering a powerful platform to reflect on and promote peace, unity, and hope.

Held in the Bishop Phelan Stadium, the Mass brought together school communities in a moving celebration of solidarity and faith. The event began with the traditional procession of school banners, each one a vibrant representation of identity and unity, followed by a visual display of national flags to highlight the global importance of peace.

Each school also contributed artwork inspired by this year’s Jubilee Year theme: Pilgrims of Hope. In a powerful and symbolic gesture, students drew outlines of pilgrim feet and decorated them, marking their individual footsteps on the walls of the stadium. This visual display represented the collective journey towards peace, and the unique contribution of each student in walking the path of hope.

A highlight of the celebration was the Offertory Procession, led by Catholic College Sale’s tallest student alongside one of the youngest prep students, beautifully illustrating the intergenerational responsibility of building a peaceful world.

The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Greg Bennet, who inspired those in attendance with a message centred on the importance of inner peace. “Peace must begin in our own hearts before we can create peace in the world,” Bishop Greg said. “You cannot walk in another’s footsteps, you can only walk in your own shoes and footsteps. But we can all walk together as pilgrims of hope.”

The choirs of Catholic College and St Mary’s Sale combined to create a beautiful atmosphere of celebration and peace. We were joined by dignitaries from the local area, DOSCEL and the Sisters of Sion from Melbourne to create a community of prayer.

Catholic College Sale extends its sincere thanks to all who contributed to the success of this year’s Mass and looks forward to continuing this meaningful tradition in 2026, reaffirming its commitment to fostering peace among nations within the local community.