Message from Our Director

On behalf of the Catholic education community of the Diocese of Port Pirie, I would like to welcome you.

As you will learn while you go through our web site, Catholic education has a long, proud tradition in this Diocese. As Diocesan Director of Catholic Education in the Diocese of Port Pirie, I work in partnership with Dr Neil McGoran, the Executive Director of Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Adelaide.

We are blessed to have so many individuals who have made strong commitments to Catholic education and its mission of teaching the message of Jesus Christ. The excellent reputation our schools enjoy today is based on the strong tradition built by the religious orders who founded Catholic education in our Diocese. Today our schools are administered by lay Principals and staff, however they aspire to the same distinctive mission and ideals of maintaining high academic standards within a faith-based education framework.

From the earliest days of the diocese, Bishop John O’Reily saw the need for a strong Catholic school system. Today, Bishop Karol Kulczycki SDS has pledged to continue this same vision. The Port Pirie Diocesan community is united in the belief that every child entrusted to us is a gift and deserves a quality Catholic education...this is our Good News.

Supported by our Bishop and priests, Catholic education shares in the ecclesial mission of the Church in the Port Pirie Diocese. Our Catholic schools are sacramental communities, in that they look for ways to help students find meaning in their studies and enable them to discover God in everyday happenings. Our schools promote the Gospel values of love, justice, forgiveness and reconciliation.

We in Catholic Education seek to create environments that enhance learning, nurture young people and empower them to live life in the spirit of Jesus Christ in regional, rural and remote South Australia. The staff in our 14 Catholic schools and Colleges address the expectations of an ever-changing world in their commitment to educating the whole child. They acknowledge the role of parents as the first educators of their children and appreciate the confidence which parents have in them to deliver appropriate, focused and quality Catholic education. Working in partnership with parents, parish and the broader community our schools provide an environment which enables all students to learn and flourish .

Catholic education in the Diocese of Port Pirie has much to celebrate. Welcome to our website, I hope the information provided here will be of assistance to you.

Nichii Mardon
Diocesan Director Catholic Education, Diocese of Port Pirie