By Ethan Benedicto
The official opening of St Josephine Bakhita Catholic Primary School in Clyde North was attended by over 100 people, from new students to teachers and local members of Parliament.
The event began with a mass, attended and led by the Catholic Bishop of Sale, Most Reverend Greg Bennet and Very Reverend Denis O’Bryan, the official opening also served as a commemoration of St Josephine Bakhita, the saint after which the school was named.
Kathryn Pepper, the school’s principal, opened the mass by welcoming over 100 people who were in attendance, from local residents, and students, to local members of parliament.
“It’s absolutely amazing to see the whole community come together and really unite,” she said.
“We’ve got a really diverse population here so seeing the acceptance from everyone and the warm welcome that everyone’s got, it’s something else.
“People have been very understanding, considering that we’re in the building phase, but they’re all keen to get into the school and they want to be part of that foundational community.”
Pepper added that throughout the coming years, the school will be able to accommodate over 700 students, a viable progression she noted, not just for them but for the residents and their children to receive “quality Catholic education for all families”.
“It’s not just for Catholics, we welcome everyone from all faiths, of all cultures, and that is our way to be inclusive,” she said.
The school recently accepted 64 new preps into its fold, with allotments for 2026 already filling up as 100 preps are ready to be taken in for the next year.
To accommodate for this, State funding for the second stage of construction has been confirmed and was also announced during the ceremony.
This second stage includes eight new classrooms, a dedicated STEM room and a basketball court, expanding for what principal Pepper said would be the school’s growth of 100 new preps every year.
Cranbourne MP Pauline Richards, South-eastern Metropolitan MP Lee Tarlamis, and former Victorian Deputy Premier and current Victorian Catholic Education Authority chair, James Merlino were present, all sharing their support of growing education in a growing suburb.
Richards acknowledged the breadth of new schools that have opened in Clyde North in the last year, saying that “it’s important for our students to gave the facilities that they need and deserve”.
“Of course, it’s also for our educators to give these top-notch education facilities.
“This is integral in making sure that the said facilities are here as growing families and emerging communities arrive,” she said.
As for Merlino, he summed it down to being “delighted”, seeing as that the City of Casey and Clyde North harbour fast-growing communities, “this has been years in the making”.
“This is one of the fastest growing dioceses in the country and we’ve got a responsibility to make sure that we can provide that Catholic school education for local parents looking for it, and in partnership with the Victorian Government and supportive parents, we’ve been able to deliver it.”
Tarlamis always sees the growth of schools alongside new suburbs as essential, considering that it is where the youth “learn their values and prepare them for what comes in life”.
“It’s really our foundational support and values they learn that is important, so to have schools, people-purpose modern schools that have all the facilities they need in that growth is key.
“We’ve seen the growth in Clyde, we’ve seen the schools opening up, but having that diverse offering for those who want that Catholic education is important too,” he said.
The mass saw the younger students who were sat at the front take an active role, from delivering the communion to the Bishop, to being directly addressed during the sermons.
Once the mass concluded, Bishop Greg, alongside a select few students, altar servers and principal Pepper, went around the numerous classrooms and blessed them with Holy Water, all the while reciting prayers.
The finale involved the cutting of a red ribbon and the unveiling of the school’s official plaque.
Paul Velten, the director of Catholic education and ceo of the Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Limited, said that it was “exciting” to be able to attend the opening ceremony.
“This is exciting in terms of opportunity for Clyde North and its community, to have a school that will support those looking for Catholic education,” he said.
With a waiting list already filling up for their classes, Pepper is keen to get the year started, with more on the way for St Josephine Bakhita Primary.
