Catholic Education Week 2026 is being celebrated across the Diocese of Ballarat with events and activities taking place from the Murray to the sea. Among the week’s special gatherings was a Mass at Sovereign Hill on Tuesday 26 May, which brought Catholic school communities from across Ballarat together in a meaningful return to a tradition not held at the venue since before COVID.
Held in the recreated St Alipius Tent Church, the Mass offered students, staff and guests the opportunity to gather in a setting deeply connected to the earliest days of Catholic worship on the Ballarat goldfields. The occasion was especially significant because this event has not taken place at Sovereign Hill since before the pandemic, making this year’s gathering a heartfelt moment of reflection, connection and shared faith for the Catholic education community.
Damascus College RE Leader and Director of Faith, Stephen East, was instrumental in renewing the Mass and acted as the catalyst for its return, working with other schools to help re-establish this special tradition. Students participated reverently throughout the liturgy, leading the group in prayer and scripture readings, while students from St Alipius Catholic Primary School led the choir alongside music teacher Adam Cameron.
The Catholic Education Week 2026 theme, Peace be with you all (Romans 15:33), invites school communities to reflect on peace as both a gift from God and a shared responsibility. Across the diocese, schools are bringing this theme to life through prayer, liturgy, learning and community celebration. The theme also echoes the first words spoken by Pope Leo XIV when he greeted the world from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica: “Peace be with you all.” In that message, he spoke of the peace of the Risen Christ as humble, persevering and grounded in God’s unconditional love, calling the Church to walk together, build bridges and remain close to those in need of compassion and care.
Schools in attendance included St Alipius Catholic Primary School, St Aloysius Catholic Primary School, St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School, Emmaus Catholic Primary School, Siena Catholic Primary School, Damascus College, Loreto College and St Patrick’s College. Celebrant Fr Justin Driscoll drew on this year’s theme in his homily, encouraging students to pause and recognise the rich history of Catholic education in Ballarat and the courage of those who helped establish and sustain it. As one of many celebrations taking place across the diocese this week, the Sovereign Hill Mass once again brought history, faith and education together in a powerful way.