Beaudesert has and continues to be a tight-knit community built on faith.
An expression of this faith is McAuley College Campus Minister Jess O’Donoghue attending the Annual Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) Excellence Awards and coming home with the ACU Award for Excellence in Strengthening Catholic Identity.
Jess received this award for the amazing work she does at both McAuley College and St Mary’s Parish, where she continues to share and strengthen Beaudesert’s relationship with God.
“It was a real privilege. It was super humbling – not something that I expected, particularly at my age,” she said.
“My hope is that I’m an instrument to God and doing God’s work here, but it was like a confirmation that it’s being acknowledged.”
The awards night was held at Brisbane City Hall with over 370 staff nominated across 101 BCE schools.
“I was very emotional. My dream is for young people, when they graduate from McAuley College, or any Christian school, is that they graduate not only with an education, but a relationship with Jesus,” Jess said.
“I just want to share the message of hope to those young people.”
Jess was extremely thankful for everything that has shaped her faith into what is it today and being able to share it with the community.
“When I got that award, it’s a credit to those places that have formed me – also thanks to my parents and siblings, and their faith, but also to the Youth Ministry community I grew up in,” she said.
“It meant so much for me to have McAuley College’s name up there, and also Beaudesert.”
Jess has been a youth minister for six years alongside being McAuley’s Campus Minister since 2022.
She would like to give a special acknowledgement to Megan Gillespie, a local Beaudesert girl who Jess has been friends with for 10 years.
“In my first year in Beaudesert, I stayed with her family, and they did so much for me – she was one of my very first friends that I had at Ignite,” Jess said.
“She’s my connection to Beaudesert and I wouldn’t be here without her friendship and her faith.”
