Tonight, we gather not just to celebrate the academic achievements of our Year 12 graduates, but to give thanks to God for the journey that has brought each of you to this significant moment in your lives. We celebrate not just what you’ve done, but who you’ve become.

And this year, we do so under a powerful theme: “Catalyst for Christ.” In science, a catalyst is a substance that sparks a reaction -that speeds up change – without itself being used up. It enters the situation and suddenly, things begin to transform.

So, what does it mean to be a Catalyst for Christ?

It means that your life – your words, your actions, your choices – have the power to spark faith, love, hope and justice in the world around you. It means that Christ works through you to change the world.

You don’t have to be the loudest. You don’t have to be the most confident. But if you carry Christ in your heart with humility, with courage, with joy, you become an agent of change. A quiet revolution of grace.

Our College is named after Caroline Chisholm, a woman who was a catalyst for dignity and compassion in 19th century Australia. And in our Catholic story, there’s another woman who comes to mind – Saint Mary MacKillop. She said: “Never see a need without doing something about it.” She saw, she responded and she changed things, not through force, but through faith. Isn’t that the kind of graduate we hope you’ll be?

Jesus didn’t come with armies. He didn’t come with wealth or status. He came with love – and love changed everything. He healed the broken, welcomed the outcast, forgave the sinner and gave hope to the hopeless. And then, before ascending to heaven, He turned to His disciples and said: “Go and do likewise.” He was saying: You now are the catalyst. That call is yours too.

As you step into university, work, gap years, or wherever life takes you next, the world needs catalysts. The world needs people who carry peace where there is division, hope where there is despair, who speak truth in a world of noise, who choose love when it’s easier to walk away.

You will be a catalyst for Christ, not by being perfect, but by being faithful.

Faithful to what is right.
Faithful to those who are forgotten.
Faithful to the values your family, your College and your Church have instilled in you.

Graduates of Chisholm Catholic College, your education here has given you more than knowledge. It’s given you a foundation of faith, service, compassion and justice. 

Take that with you.

Be brave enough to stand out.
Be kind enough to lift others up.
Be faithful enough to follow Christ, wherever He leads you.

You are not just the future of the Church – you are its present.

So, go. Change things. Be a Catalyst for Christ.

Fr Ziggy Wloczek
College Chaplain