From the Acting Principal
Acknowledgement of Country
From the Acting Principal
Acting Principal
This week some members of the Leadership Team and I participated in the annual Mercy Education Ltd Leadership Seminar in Melbourne. This brought together Mercy leaders and directors from across the nation to engage with thought-provoking sessions on the role that Mercy Education schools have in the mission of the Catholic Church that is Synodal.
Synod derives from two Greek words and means ‘walking together’, and Pope Francis explains synodality as “a way of being the Church today according to the will of God, in a dynamic of discerning and listening together to the voice of the Holy Spirit”. For this, “we need content, means, and structures that can facilitate dialogue and interaction within the People of God”, and that means connecting Priests, the clergy and the laity.
Mr Nick Tattoli, Ms Jacqui Mcilroy, Bishop Shane Mackinlay DD (Bishop of Sandhurst) & Mr Steve Andrews at the
Mercy Education Ltd Leadership Seminar in Melbourne
The overriding messages to come together, to listen, to participate and to act always rings true with the work that happens in Catholic schools, and leads to both visible and underlying actions at St Aloysius, undoubtedly connecting to our Mercy values, with courage, justice, service, compassion and respect at the forefront. Some examples of this include our busy preparations for two key missions later in the year, in a trip to the remote Pipalyatjara community in Term 4 and another group travelling to the Tiwi Islands to support the missionary work of Sr Anne Gardiner in Term 3. These are not your usual school trips!
While yes there is sight-seeing, cultural immersion and learning experiences like all excursions, these two journeys in particular allow our students to tangibly contribute to the mission of the Church to provide support, care, empathy and compassion to these communities. The founder of the Sisters of Mercy, Catherine McAuley, was always determined to right the inequities of the lack of access to education and poverty for young people. Despite the considerable odds, she broke through the impossibilities of her day. It is with full hearts in the spirit of Catherine that our girls see an opportunity to truly make a difference in these communities. Undoubtedly they will gain as much as they give, and we wish them well as they prepare for their journeys.
There are everyday examples of ‘walking together’, and then there is the extraordinary story of our JAM (Justice and Mercy) Coordinator and old scholar, Madeleine Kelly. Over the next month, Maddie is touring Australia to promote the book that she authored, The School that Hope Built, which details the incredible story of The School of St Jude in Tanzania and the work of so many to provide free, quality education to children living in poverty. While Maddie’s book celebrates the work of others, I want to celebrate her – she is a shining example of how the values of Mercy run deep in our students and to have her overseeing the JAM program that impacted her so greatly when she was a student is such a privilege for us and an opportunity for our girls.
The School of St Jude Founding Director Gemma Sisia and one of their earliest alumni Enock are coming to Australia next week to join Maddie and promote the book that she authored.
Three of our Year 7 classes have enjoyed their time in Canberra this week. Flying out on Monday and arriving back in Adelaide tonight, the students have certainly enjoyed their time in our capital and visiting some famous landmarks. I extend my thanks to the accompanying staff who in providing care for our students this week, do leave their own families at home. Thanks also to our Year 7 Coordinator, Tenielle Nuske, for the organisation and smooth running of the Canberra trip this week, and then backing this up with the remaining two classes next week. Read more about their experience in this week’s Newsletter feature article.
Mr Nick Tattoli
Acting Principal
